If you tuned in to the Midyear Company Update, you heard JMP founder John Sall’s (@John_Sall) announcement about how we’ll name future JMP releases.
Starting with our next major launch, we’re retiring traditional version numbers for our public-facing software names. Instead, we’re shifting to calendar-year naming, beginning with JMP 2027.
Under the hood, our engineering and development teams will still use internal version numbers to keep things running smoothly. But for our customers and the broader market, the year will be at the forefront. Here's why we’re making this shift and what it means for all of us.
Because every great analysis starts with good standard measurements, and a little bit of history, the ultimate JMP 2027 giveaway: a ruler that measures inches, centimeters, and 38 years of data innovation (1989–2027)!Because every great analysis starts with good standard measurements, and a little bit of history, the ultimate JMP 2027 giveaway: a ruler that measures inches, centimeters, and 38 years of data innovation (1989–2027)!Because every great analysis starts with good standard measurements, and a little bit of history, the ultimate JMP 2027 giveaway: a ruler that measures inches, centimeters, and 38 years of data innovation (1989–2027)!Because every great analysis starts with good standard measurements, and a little bit of history, the ultimate JMP 2027 giveaway: a ruler that measures inches, centimeters, and 38 years of data innovation (1989–2027)!The problem with version numbers
For years, JMP shipped a major release roughly every 18 months. “Versions 17, 18, and 19 all followed this cadence, and functionally, it worked great,” Product Management Director Dan Valente (@Daniel_Valente) said. “But over time, numeric versioning started hiding an important truth: how old a software build actually is.”
When a customer asked, "Are we current?” it wasn't immediately clear whether their version had been released years ago. “Version numbers don't carry an expiration date, which made it easy for organizations to sit on legacy software without realizing just how far behind they were,” Valente continued. “Calendar-year naming answers that question instantly.”
What this means for JMP customers
By naming releases by the year, we create subtle upward pressure on organizations to keep their software up to date. That's a win for the user and the enterprise alike. Users get the latest analytical capabilities, bug fixes, and long-awaited wish-list items faster.
Organizations also stay protected with up-to-date security fixes and performance improvements that often get overlooked when running older builds. IT and procurement teams can see their software currency at a glance, making budget and upgrade approvals much more straightforward.
Why this helps us
This shift isn't just a marketing change; it has a real impact on our day-to-day operations across JMP. Supporting legacy software versions across multiple outdated environments is cumbersome. As more customers move to the current year's release, our support and technical staff can spend less time troubleshooting issues and more time helping users succeed with modern tools.
Valente says having a higher percentage of our user base on the latest software gives Product Management and R&D cleaner, more relevant feedback. “We get a clearer picture of how modern features are being used, helping us build even better products moving forward.”
Looking ahead
Transitioning to JMP 2027 is about aligning our customers with our newest innovations and aligning our internal teams around a clear, intuitive benchmark for success.
Stay tuned as we get closer to launch for additional details on product messaging and support materials. In the meantime, get ready to welcome JMP 2027 in March!
What a fantastic and creative way to raise awareness. I’m really looking forward to this change.
JMP now has two names, a 4-digit name and a 2-digit name. The 4 digit name is more public. The 2-digit name is more internal. Only the 2-digit name has dots after it, indicating the maintenance release number. Both names will appear on the Splash Screen. Tech support and development still focus on the 2-digit name with dot numbers to keep track of issues.
It analogous to Apple, where the public name is "Tahoe" and the internal name is macos 26.5.2 currently.
