How Did JD Edwards Become an Oracle ERP? – Brief History of JD Edwards
Written by Matthew Sohrweide, MBA
Published by J.Geiger Consulting, Inc.
JD Edwards (JDE) has been a widely used Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software for many years, particularly on the IBM iSeries, or AS/400 for those of us who have been around for a while. It was especially popular in the Manufacturing and Distribution industry but has grown and evolved over the years to be a strong contender in many verticals. It is available on many platforms and databases including being available in the cloud. But just how did JD Edwards get to this point and what are its capabilities today? Let us take a look at where JDE has been, how it evolved, where it is now and how it is positioned for the future.
JD Edwards was founded by Jack Thompson, Dan Gregory, and Edward (Ed) McVaney in 1977. The name “JD Edwards” came from the initials ‘J’ and ‘D’ from Jack and Dan’s names and the ‘Edwards’ from Edward McVaney. The initial focus of the organization was software development for IBM based systems, particularly around accounting and financials. In response to customers desires to have a more comprehensive solution and IBM’s move to the AS/400 platform, they created JD Edwards WorldSoftware. It was commonly known as “World” and this AS/400 specific offering was their primary product into the mid-1990s.
As JD Edwards moved into the 1990s the client-server model was becoming more popular and JD Edwards continued its innovation releasing JD Edwards OneWorld, a platform independent ERP system with a graphical user interface. Users now had a more modern user experience compared to the prior “green screen” text-based interface. The architecture utilized a newer technology known as Configurable Network Computing (CNC) which allowed for the segregation of the applications from the servers and also the database and their servers. In a unique move, JD Edwards allowed its customers to run World and OneWorld simultaneously to make the move to the modern system easier. This process was known as “Co-Existence”, where the two systems shared the same database. Simultaneously, JD Edwards became a publicly traded company on the NASDAQ.
However, this transition to OneWorld was not without its issues. Problems arose with the initial OneWorld releases and customers were unhappy, threatening to take action. These threats caused Ed McVaney to come out of retirement and once again take the reins. Through seeking customer feedback and the promise to not release the next version until it was 100% ready, McVaney and team worked on improving OneWorld. In 2000, they finally released version B7333 which came to be known as JD Edwards OneWorld Xe. This version is considered by many to be the most stable version of JDE ever released and many organizations ran it for 10 years and beyond!
The course of JD Edwards would take yet another change in 2003 when PeopleSoft purchased JD Edwards. JD Edwards OneWorld was then renamed to JD Edwards EnterpriseOne to align with PeopleSoft’s offerings. Further offerings would match PeopleSoft’s number system moving from ERP8 (the release after Xe) to the subsequent version being E1 8.9 again to more closely match PeopleSoft’s numbering system.
Not long after PeopleSoft acquired JD Edwards, Oracle acquired PeopleSoft. By early 2005, JD Edwards along with the rest of PeopleSoft was under the Oracle umbrella. To help alleviate concerns, Oracle updated the support timelines for the various JDE versions, extending Xe version support through 2013 while encouraging users to adopt the latest version through the additions of features and functionality. They also continued the World product line for the AS/400 customers, planning support through 2025 and releasing World version A9.4.
JD Edwards EnterpriseOne had historically released a new version every few years and continued to do so with releases 8.10, 8.11, 8.12, 9.0, 9.1 and 9.2 and many anticipated release 9.3 around the 2018 time frame. In yet another shift, Oracle announced that with version 9.2, EnterpriseOne would enter into “Continuous Delivery” where Oracle would release updates and enhancements for version 9.2 without the need to go through the time consuming and expensive process of upgrading. This release cycle has continued and Oracle has communicated support of the 9.2 version of EnterpriseOne through 2032!
JD Edwards has evolved from an IBM platform specific accounting package to a full-fledged ERP system supported by one of the largest technology corporations in the world. It is capable of integrating with any system by utilizing the Orchestrator, which allows for calls into and out of JD Edwards to interface with IoT devises, EDI systems and much more. JD Edwards remains a viable solution today and into the future and is well positioned to continue supporting business for a long time.