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“The current geopolitical tensions, rapid technological advancements, changing regulations, consumer expectations and market dynamics— AI only adds to this complexity, the most fundamental challenge is trust,” John Ainsworth, EVP and General Manager, Application and Data Platform, Progress
As the enterprise landscape embraces rapid digital modernization, John Ainsworth, EVP and General Manager, Application and Data Platform, Progress is leading from the front—empowering organizations to thrive in an AI-first world and enabling enterprises harness AI responsibly. In the past years, Progress has accelerated its AI innovation agenda and is on track to become a $1 billion software company, with a bold strategy that includes targeted acquisitions and innovative growth initiatives. With over three decades of global software experience and a people-centric leadership approach, John orchestrates a product and engineering powerhouse driving intelligent, secure, and scalable enterprise applications.
In this exclusive interview, John shares candid insights into the next wave of AI-driven transformation—touching on data modernization, harnessing the role of Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG), reducing technical debt, unlocking developer innovation, and Progress’ strategic R&D contributions from India.
Beyond individual product enhancements, how is Progress approaching the integration of AI across its entire product ecosystem to ensure cohesive and synergistic functionalities for enterprise clients?
AI has been integral to our strategy and product roadmap for many years. Our early focus on data as a critical component for AI-driven applications has positioned us ahead of the curve. Today, our AI-powered solutions help automate complex tasks, enhance data analytics and significantly improve decision-making while maintaining the level of data security and trustworthiness of responses that enterprise customers demand. With Progress our customers have the tools, processes and expertise to fully leverage AI’s potential.
To further transform our product portfolio to support our customers with their AI journeys, we recently appointed Ed Keisling as our Chief AI Officer. He is shaping our AI-first approach as we align our product offerings to the rapidly evolving needs of our customers. We are confident that we are well-positioned to help our customers succeed in today’s fast-paced tech and business landscape.
With the launch of Progress Data Cloud, how does this platform facilitate enterprise modernization, particularly in terms of simplifying data operations and accelerating AI initiatives?
As global businesses scale their data operations and embrace AI, they need a robust cloud data strategy for innovation and growth. Progress Data Cloud simplifies and accelerates AI initiatives by integrating data sources, repositories, applications and workflows into a mutli-model AI-ready data platform. This integration provides a comprehensive view of customers, operations, and assets, enabling better decision-making. By leveraging semantic AI modeling and classification, we scale human expertise and promote data accuracy and consistency across the enterprise. Our platform maintains uniform security, delivering traceable and auditable results that enhance operational efficiency and strategic insights- without the burden of managing complex infrastructures.
In the face of rising data complexity, security concerns, and legacy system limitations, what are the most pressing challenges enterprises are dealing with today—and how is Progress leveraging AI to help organizations modernize, secure, and extract greater value from their existing infrastructure?
I’d add to your list the current geopolitical tensions, the rapid technological advancements, constantly changing regulations, consumer expectations and market dynamics. AI only adds to this complexity.
The most fundamental challenge is trust. Trust in AI outcomes relies on using appropriate and relevant input data and having mechanisms to validate answers. With our solutions, organizations can leverage subject matter expertise to create knowledge models that guide AI use, improving outcomes. Proprietary information, crucial for differentiation, must be securely integrated with AI models. Techniques like Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) allow private data to be effectively leveraged to facilitate accurate and relevant responses. With Progress Data Platform, organizations have a solid database management system capable of generating top-quality AI responses, while also protecting their reputation and intellectual property investment.
Many enterprises grapple with technical debt hindering their digital transformation. What strategies does Progress recommend for organizations to effectively manage and reduce technical debt while integrating modern AI solutions?
Many businesses overlook both the untapped potential and security vulnerabilities hidden within their existing systems. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), warehouse management and human resource management solutions contain valuable rules, logic and data that, when leveraged, can drive AI-powered efficiency and intelligence. At the same time, technical debt poses a significant risk, exposing organizations to security threats and operational inefficiencies. As a global software leader in building, deploying and managing AI-ready enterprise systems, we have helped organizations extract greater business value while keeping pace with evolving user expectations.
By modernizing existing enterprise applications into more secure, intelligent and efficient AI-powered solutions, businesses can maximize their past investments while ensuring they are prepared to meet future demands. To be effective, modernization efforts should always be aligned with business goals to ensure maximum intrinsic value. Modernization is a continuous journey, and our technology, including Progress OpenEdge, Progress Telerik and Progress Kendo UI, can support organizations at various stages. We work closely with our customers to assess their current technology and skills, recommending the right approach for their needs and business goals.
Considering Progress' extensive developer community, how is the company enhancing the developer experience to foster innovation and streamline the development of AI-powered applications?
Businesses are rapidly integrating AI into their products and services, presenting developers with a significant opportunity to innovate. Leveraging Generative AI can automate complex tasks and enhance productivity, boosting cost-effectiveness and end-user satisfaction. With each release of our developer tools, Progress OpenEdge, Progress MarkLogic, Progress Telerik and Progress Kendo UI, we're taking app development to the next level, empowering developers to build tomorrow’s AI-powered apps today. Our technology continues to evolve, keeping our 4-million developer community at the forefront of what is needed to deliver great digital experiences that drive business outcomes.
As AI continues to reshape digital experiences, what is Progress' vision for the future of AI-driven user interactions, and how is the company preparing to meet evolving customer expectations?
As AI continues to reshape digital experiences, we see a future where user interactions are seamless, personalized and highly efficient. AI is revolutionizing what is possible in creating digital content and experiences, and any organization not leveraging it will be at a significant competitive disadvantage.
Using our Digital Experience products, organizations can rapidly build and deploy human-centered, AI-powered digital experiences that are memorable and intuitive. Our content and experience management platform, Progress Sitefinity, is at the forefront of innovation, providing advanced tools to deliver digital experiences that enable organizations to compete and win in an AI-driven world. More broadly, by integrating AI across our product ecosystem, we deliver cohesive and synergistic functionalities that meet evolving customer expectations.
India has been a significant hub for technological innovation. Can you share insights into any recent collaborations or innovations emerging from Progress's Indian operations that are contributing to the company's global AI and data strategies?
Progress' R&D centers in Hyderabad, Bengaluru and New Delhi are strategic innovation hubs that play a crucial role in the company's global success. These centers are developing industry-leading technologies for application development, database management, data connectivity, DevOps and DevSecOps, which are leveraged by thousands of enterprises worldwide.
Two months ago, I visited Hyderabad and was truly impressed by the vibrant energy and innovation within the local developer community. Our strong network of partners and customers, who depend on our technology to drive their businesses, further highlights the dynamic growth in the region. I am excited to see this momentum continue and look forward to unlocking even more opportunities for Progress in India.
