We’re excited to launch this new format to keep you informed about product innovations, community events, and real-world development stories.
Let’s dive into the latest highlights!
PUG Challenge Boston & Valencia - Short Wrap up
Last year’s PUG Challenge events in Boston and Valencia were inspiring gatherings of the global OpenEdge community. As a Global Gold Sponsor, we contributed sessions on modernAIzation, PASOE, AI, and integration - sparking great discussions around architecture, AI-assisted development, and the future of OpenEdge.
Want more insights and event impressions?
Check out the full story, including photos, highlights, and downloadable presentation slides.
We`re alreday looking ahead to PUG Challenge 2026 in Amsterdam (November 4th –6th ) and look forward to meeting the community again.
The Repository Designer Goes Web
It’s finally here! We’re excited to introduce the browser-based version of our Repository Designer, launching in the coming days.
This new web-based tool is a full-featured alternative to the desktop Repository Designer and will be released in mid-February alongside version 20.1 of our Angular web frontend.
With drag-and-drop WYSIWYG design for repository objects such as viewers and grids, intuitive container design, and full editing capabilities for all repository objects, the Repository Designer dramatically simplifies UI development. By moving the entire design workflow into the browser, teams can iterate faster, reduce handoffs, and shorten Angular frontend development cycles significantly.
More details and additional announcements will follow with the official release notes of the Angular client.
SmartComponent Library Angular Client 19.1. Released
We’re pleased to announce the release of SmartComponent Library Angular Client 19.1, bringing significant improvements to building modern Angular applications on top of the SmartComponent Library backend.
Highlights
- Customizable Chatbot & AI Agent with multi-LLM support (Claude Sonnet, OpenAI GPT, …) via MCP
- Full integration with Telerik Kendo UI Style Builder for effortless CI-compliant styling
- Enhanced server-side event handling to control UI flows directly from ABL on PASOE
- Flexible rows-based layouts allowing mixed layout types on the same form
In addition, version 19.1 includes many refinements designed to streamline development and further improve the overall developer experience.
If you're interested in building Angular apps with the SmartComponent Library, we’d be happy to support you.
AI in Practice: Lessons from 2025
AI has been discussed for years as a future promise. What changed in 2025 was not the idea of AI - but its role in everyday software development.
Instead of isolated experiments, AI became effective once it was deeply integrated into development environments, tooling, and existing architectures. Productivity gains came from structure, not from hype.
We explore this shift in more detail in our current blog series How AI Shaped Us in 2025, starting with:
- Why 2025 marked a real turning point
- Why tooling and workflows turned out to be decisive
Read Part 1 and Part 2 of the series
The series continues with a closer look at how constant change has become the new normal in AI-driven development - and how the role of developers is evolving as a result.
AI-Powered Modernization with the Progress MCP Connector and MCP Server
The wait is over!
Progress Software has officially released the MCP Connector and MCP Server for Progress OpenEdge.
This milestone enables better use of AI-based coding assistants and makes it significantly easier to integrate OpenEdge business logic into user- and customer-facing AI processes.
At Consultingwerk, we already support customers with:
- MCP servers for OpenEdge applications
- The new OpenEdge MCP Connector
- Modernizing developer toolchains for AI-driven workflows
Thinking about AI for your OpenEdge environment? We’ll help you get started, choose the right approach, and avoid common pitfalls (yes - the similar product names can be tricky 😉).
Need Extra OpenEdge Capacity?
Growing backlogs and limited resources can slow down critical OpenEdge projects. When you need additional expertise at short notice, we can step inflexible, targeted, and exactly for as long as needed.
We support OpenEdge projects with architecture expertise, modernization know-how, and hands-on delivery -helping you reduce risk and regain momentum.
Get in touch to discuss how we can support your OpenEdge initiatives.
New VS Code Extension: OpenEdge Class Browser
We’ve released a new VS Code extension to help OpenEdge developers explore and navigate object-oriented ABL code more efficiently.
The OpenEdge Class Browser provides a structured view of classes, methods, and relationships - making it easier to understand large codebases and support modernization and refactoring efforts.
GET IT ON THE VS CODE MARKETPLACE
Upcoming Webinars
Exploring AI Developer Tools for OpenEdge
With Mike Fechner
Discover how modern AI developer tools support OpenEdge development by improving code understanding, refactoring, and modernization of large, long-lived applications.
When: February 26th, 2026 | 16:00 CET
Webinars On Demand
Turning AI into Action – How AI Assistants Bring Intelligence to OpenEdge Applications
with Radu Nicoara & Mike Fechner
Learn how AI assistants can execute real OpenEdge business logic using the SmartComponent Library, the Smart MCP Host, and dedicated MCP servers.
We’re already preparing new webinars for spring 2026 and look forward to continuing our AI and OpenEdge-focused series.
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