Openbravo developments for next weeks

A few people has been asking us different questions about which our actual direction is in terms of product, roadmap, database model, so. Let me summarize some areas that we at Openbravo are focusing in the next couple of weeks:

• Next version of Openbravo is going to be Openbravo R2.34. It is currently scheduled for end of September. We will be publishing upgrade scripts and we will recommend this version for production environments. This version will be focus on providing bug fixes for know issues. If you are working with Openbravo R2.33 and are you are experiencing a bug, check if has been already ready reported, and if not read our bug reporting guidelines and report it to us. We need your collaboration to make the next version rock solid!
• Roadmap update. Paolo Juvara has already started a process to collect feedback from our community in terms of which areas of the product will you like to see enhancements and which areas we you like us to focus. We will use this feedback to set our roadmap for the next couple of months. Please, if you have ideas or comments for Openbravo ERP, let us know.
• Documentation. As you probably have seen we have updated Openbravo User Manual to version 2.3, we are working on a Developer's Manual, the E/R data model and other related documents. Our most important goal in terms of documentation is to keep updating our current documentation and work to enhance it and publish a complete configuration manual (there is a tentative index available). We are aware that documenting Openbravo configuration will lower the entry barrier for newcomers.
• We are currently working on moving from a single binary database dump file to a system that will allow to define our data model in different separate files. This is very important because will make possible to isolate changes in the data model and will permit to leverage bug fixes more easily between different versions of Openbravo. Adrián Romero has already started a public discussion about the best of way of addressing this issue. If you have comments or ideas, please let us know.
• Many people asks when it will be possible to build Openbravo ERP from sources using PostgreSQL (right now can only be done using Oracle). This is closely related to the previous point of moving away from a single database dump. This is a priority for us and we hope to have it ready soon.
• Openbravo Green. We are very excited about it and we have received some great comments on the initial designs. We will be updating our roadmap for it for the next couple of months but currently we are devoting our senior development staff to the Openbravo R2.3x branch, to make sure that we are delivering matches people's expectations in terms of functionality and quality.
• We are defining our release policy for Openbravo. Our objective is to have more regular builds to involve the community better and also to make more clear which versions we recommend for production and which ones for testing. We will be sharing a proposal with everyone very soon. Also, we will be publish the scripts for our installers to make people build their installers.
  

We are working hard to make all of these points a reality, however our resources are limited. If you can commit resources in terms of helping in these areas your help is very welcome.

If you have any other specific question, please do not hesitate to ask us posting in this forum thread.

Openbravo community highlights 3rd of August 2007

Hello everybody,

Openbravo R2.33 has just been released. You can already download it or try the on-line demo. We have been working very hard to make this version rock solid. R2.33 contains many new features and bug fixes, including a complete review of the English and Spanish terminology and language used in the application (see this post and English_Language_Changes_OBR23.zip).

We also have defined the criteria for releasing Openbravo builds, that is, the list of tests performed by Openbravo every time that a release is packaged from the SVN tree.

There are also more news that happened during the past weeks:

• There is a new document at Openbravo Wiki that explains how to create new looks and feel for Openbravo.
• We have created the Openbravo technical specifications that explain the technologies used and requiered by Openbravo ERP.
• Daniel Hukkelhoven from Dalox has published a draft version of the char of accounts for Netherlands. Any feedback is welcome.
  

One of the important areas that we are still working is moving from our current database dump file system to a new approach where we have the data model separated in different files. This is will greatly improve our version control capabilities and will make more easy for people to leverage patches between different versions. There is a forum thread where we are discussing the best approach.

That's all for now. If you have any news regarding Openbravo success or efforts, please let me know (jmas at openbravo.com)

Openbravo at OSCON 2007

This week Fernando Iriazabal (Openbravo developer), Ismael Ciordia (Openbravo CTO) and Jordi Mas (me) will be travelling to the O'Reilly Open Source Convention (23 of July - 27 of July) in Portland, Oregon. We will be joining the 2500 participants that are attending this year. During the first two days we will be in Open Solutions Alliance stand (participating in their interoperability hack-a-thon) in the exhibitors area with other Openbravo folks and OSA members and from Wednesday we will be attending the sessions and meeting other open source companies and people.

If you want to meet us just come to the OSA stand in the OSCON exhibitor area and ask for any us. We will see you there!

Second phase: vote Openbravo in SourceForge 2007 Community Choice Awards

Thanks to everyone that helped to nominate Openbravo ERP for the Best Project, Most Collaborative Project and Best Project for the Enterprise categories in the SourceForge 2007 Community Choice Awards. We also to congratulate to all the other projects that got also nominated!

Now the second phase has started and the voting period is open until the 20th of July to choose between the nominated projects the ones that will win in their categories.


Please consider voting for Openbravo ERP project under the Best Project, Most Collaborative Project and Best Project for the Enterprise categories. You have to be a registered SourceForge user to be able to vote. Thanks for your support!

Openbravo community highlights 19th of June 2007

Hello everybody,

There are some news that happened during the past weeks:

• Joannès Vermorel informs me that Lokad has added support for Openbravo ERP. Lokad is an online time-series forecast that provides demand forecasting, inventory planning, staff scheduling and capacity optimization.
  
• A few people from the Openbravo community have been requesting us to add support in our installers for new platforms. Last week we published the Openbravo R2.22 installers for FreeBSD 6, Linux 64-bits, Solaris Intel and Solaris SPARC.
• We have started to build a list of special requirements needed in certain regions and countries for ERP systems that may require custom development of Openbravo. This list is aim to help other localizers to identify similar issues in their regions and to collect information about international requirements that may be added in future versions of Openbravo. Please, if you are aware of special needs that Openbravo may need to operate in your region or country added them to list.
  

That's all for now. If you have any news regarding Openbravo success or efforts, please let me know (jmas at openbravo.com)

Openbravo ERP R2.30 news and updated roadmap

After much effort we have released Openbravo R2.30 alpha version (only with Oracle support for this alpha). A preview version to show what we have been working on the last months. 2.30 alpha had 3.000 downloads in less than two weeks and Openbravo ERP project has been ranked #2 top project in SourceForge since its launch. The new version introduces many new features (like JasperReports integration) and a complete and sexy new look.


Our current tentative schedule for version R2.30 is to release a beta version before the end of June and a final R2.30 version during the first two weeks of July.

We have also updated our roadmap for the next months to accommodate the needs that our users have been pointing out and rescheduled it according to the resources that we have available.

Vote Openbravo for Best Software and Best Software for the Enterprise on SourceForge 2007 Community Choice Awards

Today SourceForge has started the voting for the SourceForge 2007 Community Choice Awards. Openbravo has been hosting its project at SourceForge since April 2006.

From the SourceForge web site you can read:

"The SourceForge.net team is proud to present our second annual Community Choice Awards. Winners are selected by community members like you, and it's that time again! Cast a ballot for your favorite projects now and make your voice heard."

The awards will be given to the winning projects on the 26st of July during the Open Source Convention in Porland.

During the last year we have been working very hard pushing a very ambitious roadmap, opening up our development process, creating documentation (user, developers manuals, and dozens of technical notes), reviewing Openbravo accounting system or designing a new user interface.

Our community has taken the important responsibility of localizating Openbravo to 24 countries making it ready for those countries, giving support to new and already exiting users through our forums, localizing materials to different languages, reporting loads of bugs and enhancements ideas or launching initiatives like Openbravofans in China.


Please consider voting for the Openbravo ERP project under the Best Project for Enterprise category and the Best Project. You have to be a registered SourceForge user to be able to vote.