Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) by LongJump

LongJump’s versatility is one of the more challenging aspects of introducing people to the platform. After all, it’s easy when people know you for “one thing.” When people hear Oracle, they think enterprise databases. When people hear Google, they think web search engine. Everyone knows they do more, but in today’s rush to message and judgement, who has time to absorb all the nuance?

So we say LongJump provides “Customizable Business Applications” — three big concepts on their own, but gives us enough cover to fill in lots of areas underneath. Hopefully, customers/audiences will get it, but I expect that even then, we’ll have to dig deeper to win people over.

Most people understand what “customizable” means, but without actually trying it yourself, it really has a “I’ll believe it when I see it” quality to it. This is completely understandable since it’s both a descriptor and a claim. We’ve tried to make LongJump very customizable, but short of giving someone a programming manual, you are always at the mercy of expectations.

“Business” is one of the most bandied about words ever. It’s possible that “business” is anything that isn’t “personal,” unless you’re a celebrity. Or maybe “business” is anything that isn’t “consumer.” LongJump is definitely not about renting movies or sharing thoughts on Facebook. But we also believe LongJump has some potential uses in the social, environmental, and lifestyle areas, beyond just “business.”

And the most cryptic word in the trio is “applications.” In person, whenever we talk about LongJump applications, we invariably have to give examples. “It’s like a customer manager or a bug tracker.” You can’t describe an application otherwise without getting too geeked out. It’s data plus processes. But most people don’t see data and processes when they’re working. They just see work. It’s not always evident that there is structure to it and that the structure can be carried into something like LongJump where it can make their work easier.

All of this messaging exercising still leads to a simple fact: how do we get people to wake up?

Case in point, we recently visited with a small team during our exhibit at DEMO. Pankaj asked them what their toughest problem was. It was managing a certain set of information for their internal and external customers. In a matter of ten minutes, he was able to build a proof-of-concept in LongJump right in front of them, by asking some simple, but pointed questions. They’re response was immediate: “We have to get this.” But they didn’t go looking for a solution. Before LongJump, they figured they would have to toil through their data and that was the nature of their job. It was only by happenstance that they found a better way.

This is the challenge for all technology companies out there. We know there is a better way. But connecting those who need our solutions and opening their eyes to new, potentially better ways to work is a challenge. The industry as a whole, so often inwardly focused on itself, hasn’t done a very good job of reaching those who need it most.