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Robotic Process Automation

Valerie_Nedbal

Hi all,

Is there anybody of you who came accross robotic process automation (RPA).

The proposal around RPA usage is to automate some tasks in JMP using a third party RPA tool (such as UIpath). The third party software will operate/interact with JMP instead of a user to produce data. How will it be licensed in relation to JMP. Will an RPA simply count as an additional user or do you have other ways of handling this in terms of licensing?

Thanks,

Valerie

Accepted answers

ian_jmp

Hi Valerie,

I was going to look at JMP in the RPA context through an external collaboration with a guy called Pete Marshall (who knows JMP well, and is a self-proclaimed RPA expert). My bias before starting was that the fit with JMP was not good, and the discussion with Pete confirmed this.

I think you need to distinguish between model development (and maintenance) and model deployment. In the RPA context, the models tend to be rather simple, often, but not always, focusing on text data. And we don’t have the ability to deploy score code in this case. Also, in spite of the progress we have made with JMP interoperability, it remains the case that JMP is much better at calling rather than at being called, and RPA would require the latter if the score code can’t be generated. Technical issues can often be overcome in specific cases with some persistence, but even if this were the case, from a ‘value’ point of view the simplicity of the required models goes against us.

So, setting licencing issues aside (another can of worms given the usage pattern that RPA might expect, but we would not), I would stay well away from this . . .

Ian

All comments

ian_jmp

Valerie_Nedbal

Hi all,

i got a reply of the customer, any help is more than welcome !

"We are looking for an answer regarding the commercial model around JMP and RPA. So this is more a discussion on how we enable Novo Nordisk to be license compliant while implementing a RPA based solution than a discussion on how to do it in the first place.

We would like your input on how we should license a RPA based solution using UIpath to operate JMP without human interaction."

Cheers,

Valerie

Peter_Hersh

I would be very interested in this as well. We had a similar discussion with First Solar and opperating JMP "headless". Our response was that is not within the guidelines of the JMP license agreement they currently have. If there is a licensing option to allow JMP to run without human interaction I think First Solar would be interested as well. The use case for them was to just pull and compile data on a scheduler then push out reports.

MikeD_Anderson

I get this question a lot. The short answer is that we don't allow that in the JMP desktop / presentation server licenses. Jeff and / or Stan have a good read on this particular bit of the license and maybe they'll chime in with some comments. They're the ones I always turn to for this question. What I've been told may change with JMP Live - and may be on the JMP Live road map (Dan can chime in on that point). But, every time I've asked about this for a customer, the answer has been we don't allow it.

If they wanted to push for those rights, then I'd have to bet it would involve a complete waiver of liability for anything that happened related to the system (basically - on their own heads be it). Also, It probably wouldn't be cheap as they would effectively be automating out other JMP license growth potential. That's all assuming that it would pass muster with the Sr management. It would be very non-standard terms and they'd have to sign off.

My advice would be to see if you can table the discussion until JMP 15 / JMP Live is released and then revisit it after we know the licensing terms, etc.

M

stan_koprowski

Hi @Valerie_Nedbal,

As @ian_jmp mentioned we do not license JMP for this use case.

Not knowing the specific details of what the goals are for using RPA software such as UIPath the customer might be able to accomplish the same via JSL scripting. If the goal is to produce reusable work flows or processes to facilitate mundane tasks, such as data cleaning or producing a daily report then JSL can definitely be used to help with these tasks.

Additionally, it appears that the UIPath's solvency is because the four (4) rounds of venture capital funding they have received, the most recent

in September 2018 for $225mM USD.

cheers,

Stan