Complete Application Framework

• Oracle Forms and Reports Developer is in a class by itself, raising the development bar for applications deployed to such industries as Banking and Finance, Stocks and Bonds, Aerospace, Communications, Manufacturing, Retail, Health, Legal, Government, and Education. With Oracle Forms Developer, business application developers quickly build, in a declarative RAD environment, comprehensive Java client applications that are optimized for the Internet without writing any Java code, and that meet (and exceed) the requirements of professional user communities. These applications are rich, Web-deployed applications available on demand for rapid processing of large amounts of data and rapid completion of complex calculations, analysis, and transactions.

• Oracle Forms 12c was first released in October 2015 along with many other components in the Oracle Fusion Middleware (FMW) 12c technology stack. In addition to the many improvements delivered as part of FMW 12c, Oracle Forms specifically includes many new features and enhancements. Updates included in Oracle Forms 12c offer the ability to not only freshen up the appearance of aging applications, but also greatly improve performance, and make administration easier. The new browser-less client configuration options offer a way to no longer worry about compatibility with constantly changing browser versions and their underlying technologies.

• New features in Oracle Forms Reports 12c include, but are not limited to the following:

  •Integration with BI-Publisher
  •Forms Application Deployment Services (FADS)
  •Browser-less client configurations
  •Java Script integration for Java Web Start and Forms Standalone Launcher configurations
  •Improved image support
  •Form Builder productivity improvements
  •Form Builder module auto-backup
  •New applet parameters for easily customizing runtime behavior
  •New and enhanced object properties
  •Customizable Color Schemes
  •New and enhanced security features
  •New and enhanced JVM Controller features to improve performance and diagnosability
  •Performance improvements for record handling
  •System Events
  •Improved SSO integration
  •Improved diagnostic features
  •New installation options
  •Support for newer Java versions
  •Support for newer operating systems

• Upgrade Now to Latest Oracle Forms and Reports

  Thorough planning, excellent partners, robust tools and experience during the migration or upgrade phase is preferred to the extremely risky alternative of 'quick fix' migration strategies which, during the early project stages are cheaper but typically result in significantly higher long term total cost of ownership.
  
  Benefits The benefits of the two strategy types are similar, however not the same.
  
  Benefits of the Upgrade strategy:
  •Leverage your existing investment in Oracle (Database/Forms/Reports)
  •Reduced Total cost of Ownership
  •Avoid obsolescence and unsupported legacy technology
  •Remove requirements for resources with early Oracle skill sets
  •Preserve and maintain business logic
  •Modernize and extend the life of existing applications
  •Web-enable Applications
  •Enhance user experience with better user interfaces and functionality
  •Reduce deployment and run-time costs
  •Reduce Maintenance Costs
  •Be in Lock-step with Oracle's Fusion Strategy, Future Proof the application
  •Same look and feel, no need for user retraining
  
  Benefits of the transformation strategy:
  •Leverage your existing investment in Oracle (Database/Forms/Reports)
  •Improve access to more readily available technical resources (Oracle APEX, Java, ADF)
  •Reduce IT complexity (by removing a set of technology)
  •Improve alignment with you organization's technology roadmap
  •Reduced Total cost of Ownership
  •Avoid obsolescence and unsupported legacy technology
  •Remove requirements for resources with early Oracle skill sets
  •Preserve and maintain business logic
  •Modernize and extend the life of existing applications
  •Web-enable Applications
  •Enhance user experience with better user interfaces and functionality
  •Reduce deployment and run-time costs
  •Reduce Maintenance Costs
  •Future Proof the application
  •Same look and feel, no need for user retraining

• Oracle Forms Roadmap Ahead Oracle continues its commitment to Oracle Forms. New releases are being planned and new features and other improvements are currently being reviewed. New releases are planned to include some of the following, as well as many others:
  
  •Design-time productivity improvements
  •Performance improvements
  •Forms Standalone Launcher improvements
  •Support for calling REST
  •New and enhanced object properties
  •New runtime UI features
  •New and improved integration with other products and technologies
  •Easy Forms instance provisioning in Oracle Cloud
  •Integration with Developer Cloud Service (DevCS)
  •Enhanced security features
  •Support for new Java versions
  •Support for new operating systems
  
  With Cloud Computing being such an important part of today's IT landscape, Oracle is investigating what possibilities the Cloud may offer for the Oracle Forms product and its customers. Using Oracle Forms in the Oracle Public Cloud could offer significant cost savings simply by reducing the typical cost of hardware upgrades and maintenance. For Independent Software Vendors (ISV), and other software providers, the use of the Oracle Public Cloud could make the delivery and accessibility of Oracle Forms based applications much easier and cost effective.