K2 Product Comparison

What’s the difference?K2 has two software products for creating workflows and process-driven applications: K2 blackpearl and K2 blackpoint, a low-cost subset of the former.Both products are built on .NET and integrate extensively with SharePoint. Both offer the K2 Designer for SharePoint and K2 Studio, graphical designers for no-code workflows. Both provide Inline Functions, wizards and templates for solution simplicity. Both give you deep visibility and powerful, easy-to-use reporting tools. Both streamline operations and reduce costs.

As this document details, K2 blackpearl is our flagship workflow and BPM software. It offers three design environments, can span multiple line-of-business systems and includes some key features and capabilities that K2 blackpoint does not. K2 blackpoint is specifically targeted at organizations with relatively simple needs: to build SharePoint-specific workflows and process-driven applications quickly, in a simple interface with visual tools.

For some customers, K2 blackpoint is sufficient; many more will require the larger toolset and broader capabilities of K2 blackpearl.

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K2 blackpearl vs. K2 blackpoint

QUICK COMPARISON

> K2 Designer for SharePoint

> K2 Studio

K2 Designer for Visual Studio

> Inline Functions to speed design

> K2 Process Portals for workflow management

Non-SharePoint-centric applications

API access for custom forms

LOB integration

SmartObjects and the SmartObject designer

> Out-of-Office functionality to keep processes moving

K2 Workspace for Web-based visibility and management

> Process versioning

Support for K2 connect

> Reusability and looping capabilities in workflow design

Event management capabilities

K2 blackpoint highlights > K2 Designer for SharePoint

> K2 Studio

> Inline Functions to speed design

> K2 Process Portals for workflow management

> SharePoint-based SmartObjects

> Out-of-Office functionality to keep processes moving

> Process versioning

> Reusability and looping capabilities in workflow design

K2 blackpearl highlights

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When to consider K2 blackpearlK2 blackpearl offers all the SharePoint capabilities available in K2 blackpoint, but it also gives organizations the ability to create rich process-driven applications that can live outside the scope of SharePoint, in full or in part. On a high-level, K2 blackpearl provides a set of capabilities that goes beyond SharePoint implementations and SharePoint integration.

EMPOWER DEVELOPERS WITH FAMILIAR TOOLS

In addition to the workflow designers available in K2 black-point (K2 Designer for SharePoint and K2 Studio), K2 blackpearl comes with the K2 Designer for Visual Studio, to empower developers with the full set of Visual Studio tools. This designer also gives developers access to Windows Workflow Foundation schedules and .NET code behind the various K2 workflow arti-facts, providing an extra level of control and extensibility often required for sophisticated enterprise requirements.

EXTEND AND CUSTOMIZE PROCESS-DRIVEN APPLICATIONS VIA THE AVAILABLE K2 APIS

K2 blackpearl allows access to the full set of APIs so users can modify and/or extend K2 workflows and process-driven applications. Developers can use this ability, for example, to build complex forms that interact with workflow applications and go well beyond what is offered in InfoPath and SharePoint. K2 API-level access also provides a set of capabilities that allows third-party applications to interact with K2 workflow applications directly, whether to start a new workflow process based on an action or to complete a task based on information that changed in the third-party application.

INTEGRATE LINE-OF-BUSINESS SYSTEMS

K2 blackpearl provides a full set of capabilities to integrate and author composite business entities (SmartObjects) that provide the primary framework for LOB system integration. (K2 blackpoint only offers SharePoint integration.) The sole purpose of K2 SmartObjects is to make LOB information avail-able to workflows, forms and reports (read and write capable) in a reusable format, for meaningful process-driven applications that tie systems together.

MONITOR AND REPORT ON PROCESS-DRIVEN APPLICATIONS WITH K2 WORKSPACE

In addition to the K2 Process Portals that are also available in K2 blackpoint, K2 blackpearl provides reporting and monitoring capabilities via a Web-based interface that is not dependent on SharePoint. The report designer can generate reports that span LOB systems.



Features and capabilities of K2 blackpoint and K2 blackpearl

K2 DESIGNER FOR SHAREPOINT K2 BLACKPOINT K2 BLACKPEARL

The K2 Designer for SharePoint is for organizations that want the ability to create document-centric and list-based workflow applications from the familiar browser-based SharePoint environment.

Create list- and document-centric workflow applications using SharePoint artifacts as part of the workflow design

Utilize SharePoint-centric information (SmartObjects) as part of the workflow design

Use Inline Functions to add complex logic and calculations to your processes

K2 STUDIO K2 BLACKPOINT K2 BLACKPEARL

K2 Studio is an Office-like designer for building SharePoint workflow applications, without code. K2 Studio expands on the set of capabilities available in the K2 Designer for SharePoint and allows more than just document- and item-centric workflow applications. K2 Studio enables the creation of site-based workflows, as well.

Create list- and document-centric workflow applications using SharePoint artifacts as part of the workflow design

Create content-management (ECM), publishing and records-management workflow applications

Create site workflow applications using SharePoint artifacts as part of the workflow design

Utilize SharePoint-centric SmartObjects as part of the workflow design

Line-of-business integration available via Web Services and assemblies

Manage processes throughout the development lifecycle (development, QA and production)


K2 blackpearl provides an upgrade pathK2 blackpoint is a proven subset of K2 blackpearl, tailored to SharePoint-centric workflow needs. But if the business needs change and requirements extend beyond SharePoint, K2 blackpoint customers can upgrade to the K2 blackpearl environment without disruption of their existing workflows and applications. With the additional capabilities available in K2 blackpearl, organizations can start to improve and extend their existing workflows or create new process-driven applications from the assets they have already built.

Without an upgrade path, customers can find themselves in a costly and time-consuming situation as they outgrow the capabilities of their software. In many cases, it means redesigning and redeveloping existing workflow applications, nullifying the investments on the current platform.



K2 STUDIO (cont.) K2 BLACKPOINT K2 BLACKPEARL

Create process-driven applications that can live outside the scope of SharePoint, in full or in part

Create new K2 SmartObjects and edit existing K2 SmartObjects (SharePoint and non-SharePoint-based)

Line-of-business integration available via K2 SmartObjects, which allows users to incorporate SharePoint and non-SharePoint information in the workflow design without the need to write or maintain additional integration code

Full API-level access to develop custom workflow forms; not limited to auto-generated and InfoPath forms

K2 DESIGNER FOR VISUAL STUDIO K2 BLACKPOINT K2 BLACKPEARL

The K2 Designer for Visual Studio provides developers with the full set of productivity tools in Visual Studio. Users can access Windows Workflow Foundation schedules and .NET code behind the various K2 workflow artifacts. This provides an extra level of control and extensibility capabilities often required for sophisticated enterprise requirements.

Create non-SharePoint-centric process-driven applications for the enterprise

Create new K2 SmartObjects and edit existing K2 SmartObjects

Model SAP-based business entities via K2 connect ServiceObject designer

Line-of-business integration available via K2 SmartObjects, which allow users to incorporate SharePoint and non-SharePoint information — including SAP (via K2 connect) — in the workflow design without the need to write or maintain additional integration code

Utilize source control capabilities of Visual Studio

Code-level access and the ability to add custom code behind workflow artifacts

Extend out-of-the-box capabilities by editing the WF schedules via Visual Studio’s native WF designer

Manage processes throughout the development lifecycle (development, QA and production)

Utilize Visual Studio test and debug capabilities as part of developing and testing workflows

Full API-level access to develop custom workflow forms, not limited to auto-generated and InfoPath forms


Designers (cont.)



Process management toolsK2 PROCESS PORTALS K2 BLACKPOINT K2 BLACKPEARL

K2 Process Portals are SharePoint-based and surfaced as a set of SharePoint Web parts that empower users to manage workflows without the need to leave the SharePoint environment.

Comprehensive management of all running process instances

Comprehensive process management capabilities

K2 Server administration and management

K2 WORKSPACE K2 BLACKPOINT K2 BLACKPEARL

K2 Workspace is a Web-based environment that provides a full set of capabilities to manage process-driven applications across the organization.

Comprehensive management of all running process instances

Comprehensive process management capabilities

K2 Server administration and management

Manage line-of-business integration services via SmartObject services

Comprehensive Environment Library management to improve the full process lifecycle management

Comprehensive management of K2 SmartBox (K2 SmartBox is a K2 blackpearl feature only)

Manage K2 User Managers with the ability to add additional User Managers

Reporting and monitoring toolsK2 PROCESS PORTALS K2 BLACKPOINT K2 BLACKPEARL

K2 Process Portals (bound to SharePoint) act as a landing page where users can access the out-of-the-box workflow reports.

A comprehensive set of out-of-the-box reports for visibility into all aspects of workflow processes and user performance

Additional reports can be created using a combination of the SharePoint-based SmartObjects (via K2 ADO.NET provider) and Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services

Additional reports can be created using a combination of the K2 ADO.NET provider (access to all LOB data via the SmartObject framework) and Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services



EXTENSIBILITY AND API ACCESS K2 BLACKPOINT K2 BLACKPEARL

K2 blackpearl gives users the ability to extend K2 workflows and process-driven applications using the API and/or the K2 ADO.NET data provider. This extensive API access allows for great flexibility when dealing with sophisticated requirements in enterprise environments.

Examples of common API use case scenarios:

The use of ASP.NET user interfaces, either as the mainstream user interface technology in process-driven applications or in combination with other user interface technologies like SharePoint lists or InfoPath forms

API access also makes it possible to interact with processes from third-party systems (e.g., when a certain event occurs in an ERP system, a call could be made from the ERP system to the K2 blackpearl API to kick off a process)

K2 WORKSPACE K2 BLACKPOINT K2 BLACKPEARL

This Web-based environment provides access to out-of-the-box workflow reports and lets users create and manage additional enterprise reports that span LOB systems.

A comprehensive set of out-of-the-box reports for visibility into all aspects of workflow processes and user performance

Additional reports can be created using a combination of the K2 ADO.NET provider (access to all LOB data via the SmartObject framework) and Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services

A Web-based report designer that allows for the creation of enterprise reports that span multiple line-of-business systems and workflow data

Reporting and monitoring tools (cont.)

Runtime environmentK2 RUNTIME ENVIRONMENT K2 BLACKPOINT K2 BLACKPEARL

The K2 runtime environment is responsible for the execution of various aspects of workflows and process-driven applications created on the K2 platform.

K2’s enterprise server responsible for the runtime execution of processes

API-level access to the K2 runtime environment

Configure additional line-of- business systems via the SmartObject framework

Support for K2 connect

Additional platform capabilities



EXTENSIBILITY AND API ACCESS K2 BLACKPOINT K2 BLACKPEARL

Creating custom task lists in scenarios where business data that may be pulled from multiple systems needs to be displayed on users’ task lists

INTEGRATION CAPABILITIES K2 BLACKPOINT K2 BLACKPEARL

In addition to the line-of-business capabilities in K2 blackpoint, K2 blackpearl utilizes K2 SmartObjects to take integration to a greater level.

Tooling to define and create custom SmartObjects

Full flexibility to surface LOB data in the most appropriate way

SmartObjects can be used and repurposed in process definitions, behind forms and in reports

EVENT MANAGEMENT CAPABILITIES K2 BLACKPOINT K2 BLACKPEARL

K2 blackpearl includes the K2 Event Bus, which provides the infrastructure and toolset for the modeling of notifications and custom actions based on events in the K2 environment, independent of the context of a process.

Send e-mail notifications based on specific workflow events; kick off a process or other action based on a SmartObject event; or kick off an action in a completely different LOB system

Schedule processes or tasks to start based on a static or dynamically determined date

Additional platform capabilities (cont.)

[ CONTACT US AT WWW.K2.COM ]

K2 gives you the tools to design and create process-driven applications. And when the business needs shift, modifying those applications is simple. K2-based solutions are deployed by a growing number of the global Fortune 100. K2 is a division of SourceCode Technology Holdings, Inc. and has offices all over the world.

Copyright © 2010. SourceCode Technology Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved. Patents pending. SourceCode, K2, K2 blackpearl, K2 blackpoint, the K2 logo and logotype are registered trademarks or trademarks of SourceCode Technology Holdings, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

Process-driven applications — fast.

K2 Product Comparison

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