7 things about APEX your boss needs to know

If you are looking for some ammo to convince your Boss to make the switch to APEX, then look no further…

Before we start, what I want you to do is think about your boss for a few moments. Consider their character, strengths and especially their drivers. It’s likely that once you start talking about new technologies, he’ll start to put his ‘Risk hat’ on. He may have some reservations and concerns about an emerging technology. He may perceive several risks that he’ll need to be reassured about. He’ll have one eye on the department budget; he’ll want to know about the future direction of APEX and the skills his team will need to support it.

No doubt your organisation has a decent, bespoke IT system which has served you well over the years so why look at something different and can APEX really deliver today? – My answer is a resounding ‘Yes’.

But how do you gain the influence of your boss to seriously consider APEX as a development platform for your organisation? For the answer I urge you to read on.

Rather than give you the 7 best ever features of APEX, I will give to the top 7 key points which you can use to inform, educate and enthuse your boss about APEX.

So here they are: 7 things which will make your boss wax lyrical about APEX…

1. It’s FREE for commercial use

Chances are, if you have an Oracle Database you may already have APEX as it now comes pre-installed ready for use. 
But can free software really be as good as commercial software? It is when Software giant Oracle is committing to approximately one new version a year; the take-up is snowballing with thousands of commercial applications built with application express already in live production environments.

2. It looks great, it looks really great!

In the world of social media and web 2.0, users are now demanding modern looking interfaces. APEX is compatible with HTML5 standards providing clean and slick customisable interfaces suitable for desktop corporate use or deployment on mobile devices.

3. It performs!

With the world’s most robust database engine behind it, the browser based framework is so lightweight it’s as efficient as your developers’ code and as fast as your DBAs can tune your Database.

4. It has some truly great reporting.

Did you know 90% of the world’s data ever recorded has been recorded in the last few years? With this much data the problem nowadays is how best to present it. With APEX interactive reports you hand the some of the task of data presentation over to the users who can then use a range of features to mould the data into their preferred format.

5. Where to start?

Are any of your team skilled in PL/SQL? Yes, well great, you are already halfway there. You can totally rely on your teams PL/SQL skills when building APEX applications as it is the language which underpins it. As for the APEX framework, there is a plethora of training material posted around the web, there is also on-site training provided by Explorer (UK) and if you feel you are getting confident, there is an Oracle Certified Expert qualification to gain.

6. You can build applications shockingly fast.

User management, access and security are all taken care of, leaving you free to concentrate your energies on building functionally rich applications.
It naturally lends itself to RAD, whereby applications can be discussed and ideas shared amongst IT staff and the business users.
Common page functionality is provided through wizards; and separation of page layout and process is ingenious.

7. APEX is tremendously well supported

APEX is a component of the database therefore you have access to Oracle’s world famous support network, including My Oracle Support and the Oracle forums. The available staff resource pool for your business projects is expanding with many Oracle Forms and PL/SQL Developers now extending their skills to include APEX.

So, get reading, learning, and enjoying the benefits that Oracle Application Express can bring to your organisation.

Author: Matt Mulvaney

Job Title: Senior Oracle APEX Development Consultant

Bio: Matt is an experienced APEX solution designer having designed numerous complex systems using a broad range of Oracle Technologies. Building on his previous experience of Oracle Forms & PL/SQL, he is entirely focused on providing functionally rich APEX solutions. Matt promotes APEX as a software platform and openly shares best practises, techniques & approaches. Matt has a passion for excellence and enjoys producing high quality software solutions which provide a real business benefit.