OutSystems has indefinitely extended the lifespan of version 11. Previously, it was communicated that O11 would be supported at least until 2029, implying that customers would need to transition to the new cloud platform ODC (OutSystems Developer Cloud). That deadline is now off the table.

This change in course is significant for the OutSystems community. It removes the migration pressure from organizations that were still uncertain about the business case for a rapid transition to ODC. Customers can confidently continue investing in their O11 environment without fear that their core systems will soon become end-of-life.

At the same time, ODC remains the forward-looking cloud platform where new innovations are built (such as AI agents and Mentor). For those already on the path to ODC, nothing changes. CoolProfs’ “Road to ODC” approach remains intact. At the same time, we are now focusing on helping customers maximize the benefits of O11 and strategically preparing for ODC in the long term.

Faster Time-to-Market, Higher Quality

The OutSystems 11 platform is excellent but lacks some automation in the deployment of applications. Two terms often come up: CI/CD and SDLC.

CI/CD stands for Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment. Developers continuously publish their code to a central environment. Once the code is approved, it is automatically deployed to test or production environments.

SDLC stands for Software Development Life Cycle. It is a structured approach to software development. Together with a good Way of Working, the principles of CI/CD and SDLC ensure:

• Faster delivery of new features
• Fewer errors due to automated tests
• Higher quality through incremental releases and continuous feedback
• The agility to quickly respond to market changes
• More efficient development teams 

The CoolProfs Way of Working

The CoolProfs Way of Working is a structured approach focused on continuously planning, building, testing, and improving software solutions. By following the steps, you ensure a predictable, manageable, and scalable development process. The CoolProfs SDLC-Suite (see below) is the technical implementation of this approach. But tools alone are not the solution. We can guide your development teams in the methodology and show the benefits it offers. Our Way of Working facilitates your teams in their desire to become faster, better, and more efficient, making it easy to bring software to production daily, if desired.

The CoolProfs SDLC-Suite 

To help customers fully benefit from the OutSystems 11 platform and address the limitations in the CI/CD area, CoolProfs has developed its SDLC-Suite.

Why Implement the SDLC-Suite?

O11 can be used for many years to come. At the same time, it is important not to stand still. The CoolProfs Way of Working and SDLC-Suite leverage the existing investment while preparing your teams and your OutSystems environment for the future.

• Reap the benefits of faster deployments, less manual work, better test integration, and continuity in releases.
• Teams remain in their comfort zone while gradually improving their methodology.
• Avoid disruption for end users: everything remains the same for them, except they get new features faster!
• Cost efficiency: a rapid migration to ODC comes with costs for rebuilding, retraining, and possibly higher cloud costs. Use O11 longer and spread those costs.

What Are the Benefits?

Important benefits of adopting the SDLC-Suite are shown below.

• The SDLC-Suite enables automatic, parallel deployments. Automated tests are provided (in combination with a suitable test program), so software does not move to the next environment if the tests fail. Reference customer: a.s.r. insurance.
• An efficiency improvement of at least 20% in development output is possible. You can do more with the same number of developers. Reference customer: PGGM (pension management).
• Faster releases, better time-to-market: with frequent deployment, features reach the end user faster. Reference customer: PGGM, where they went from monthly to daily deployments.
• Lower recovery costs: automated tests and quality checks in the pipeline ensure built-in code quality. Fewer defects in production mean fewer incidents and fewer hotfixes.

The Road to ODC

It is important to emphasize that this does not mean you should ignore ODC. Look at the benefits of this platform and prepare for a gradual transition. For this, apps need to be loosely coupled, for example. A hybrid approach is also possible: keep business-critical apps on O11 while developing new, innovative apps in ODC. The use of the CoolProfs SDLC-Suite prepares your teams for CI/CD as in ODC and saves time. This allows them to:

• Do more with the same number of people.
• Refactor apps for ODC, making them easier to migrate later.
• Build new, innovative applications in ODC immediately and gain experience.