About the Author

Adrian Price has been the principal contributor to OBE since its adoption by Zaplet, Inc. in late 2002. Adrian is a seasoned software tools developer and consultant who has specialized in the Workflow / BPM tools space since 1987. He works from home in sunny Worthing, West Sussex, England. Products and vendors he has worked with include:

Products & Vendors

Versata 6 (Versata, Inc., California. 2004-): The World's first business rules engine to integrate transaction, process, services and decision rules in a powerful model-driven J2EE platform. Versata technology is used by many of the world's big names for heavy-duty transaction processing. Adrian is a Technical Director at Versata and led the development of their new generation of Eclipse-based tooling.
OBE Open Business Engine (Sourceforge. 2002-): Open source standards-based BPM engine.
Zaplet 3 (Zaplet, Inc., California. 2002-04): A novel generator for J2EE collaborative BPM applications, with Web and email delivery. Adrian was a Technical Director at Zaplet and led the integration of Zaplet and OBE technology.
WLI WebLogic Integration (BEA Systems, Inc., California. 2000-02): Award-winning workflow management and integration middleware from the World's leading J2EE application server vendor. Adrian was Chief Architect for the BPM component. WLI is widely used across the world, won several prestigious industry awards and sold $100Ms in licences.
jFlow (The Workflow Automation Corporation, Canada. 1995-2000): The World's first Pure Java workflow management system. Adrian developed much of the runtime core, developer tooling and the Worklist Handler. Licensed by Computer Associates to workflow-enable three major product lines.
SI Systems Illustrated (The Workflow Automation Corporation, Canada. 1994-95): A Windows-based version of PROTEO. Adrian developed much of the SI Developer Toolkit.
WYW Way You Work (PROTEO Technology Corp., Canada. 1989-94): A shrink-wrapped DOS/Windows hybrid version of PROTEO. Adrian created the WYW Developer Toolkit.
PROTEO Professional Tools for the Electronic Office (PROTEO Technology Corp., Canada. 1987-89): A DOS-based tool set and business shell with strong document and process management capabilities. Adrian created several PROTEO developer tools and end-user applications. Widely used by financial institutions and insurance companies around the World.

Cissbury Panorama and the Green Man Motif

The panoramic vista at the top of the page depicts Cissbury Ring, dominating the beautiful rural landscape just north of Worthing, West Sussex, England. Cissbury Ring is the nearest and most imposing of five archaeologically significant Iron Age hill forts in close proximity to Worthing. The second largest such fort in Britain, Cissbury Ring is so named because it is encircled by an impressive defensive earthworks, comprising a concentric ditch and ramparts enclosing some sixty acres of National Trust land. Cissbury dates from around 700 B.C. and was an early centre of population and trade - there are extensive Neolithic flint mines within the enclosure. It is a popular beauty spot and leisure destination and is one of the author's own favourite places on Earth. To the North lies the very heart of Sussex; to the South the English Channel; to the East and West the high chalk hills of the South Downs roll soft and green for over sixty miles along the South Coast of England.

The image spans a full 360 degrees and is a composite of twelve four megapixel digital photographs taken at Noon on Midsummer's Day, 2005; the various ornamentations nestling in the foliate border are personal possessions of the author's, each of which harkens to some aspect of our ancient Pagan heritage here in the British Isles. The popup runes form the Elder Futhork alphabet and their scrolling stanzas are from the Anglo-Saxon Runic Poem.

The Green Man motif has long symbolized man's wild, untamed side and his potential to rediscover unity with Nature. It is a powerful personal symbol for the author, offering the reassurance that despite our frantic dash through the technological sophistry of modern life we can yet find time to be at peace, rapt by Nature's secret heart.

So what's the connection between all these romantic notions and the Open Business Engine? Nothing really, beyond the author's own deep affection for them all. I hope you enjoy the images and the product!