OpenText has moved all of its own software engineering teams from Jira to its own OpenText Core Software Delivery Platform (SDP). Around five million records and more than ten million comments were migrated, without a single release cycle being missed. This is interesting not just as a vendor story: it shows why consolidating on one platform is an architecture decision and not simply a question of tools.
The starting point: too many tools, too little visibility
Through numerous acquisitions, OpenText had built up many different systems for requirements, development and testing over the years. The result is familiar to many IT organisations:
- Fragmented workflows: Every team works in its own tool, with its own fields, statuses and rules.
- Manual interfaces: Information is copied between systems or synchronised through one-off integrations.
- Lack of transparency: An end-to-end view from requirement to release is hardly possible.
- Security and compliance risk: Checks, approvals and evidence are spread across several tools and are hard to trace.
OpenText therefore opted for a clear architectural approach: one shared platform for the entire software lifecycle and the complete replacement of Jira.
The migration in figures
- Around 5 million records were migrated from Jira, including their history.
- More than 10 million comments were moved as well, so that the context of decisions is preserved.
- Migration in waves: The teams were migrated step by step, around 400 users at a time. Until their wave, teams continued to work in Jira as usual.
- No missed release cycle: Product development continued throughout the entire migration.
- Several thousand developers now work on the platform, across all software engineering teams.
What the platform delivers technically
API-based integration
The platform is connected to the existing toolchain: CI/CD pipelines, source code management systems and security scanners. Builds, commits and test results come together where requirements and defects are managed.
Security by design
Security checks are built directly into the delivery pipeline, for example static and dynamic code analysis and the checking of open source components. Policies are enforced automatically, and every step can be traced through audit trails. This matters for regulated industries, because evidence no longer has to be gathered from several systems.
Consistent governance
Roles, permissions and workflows are defined consistently across all teams. New teams start with proven templates, and reports across team boundaries become comparable.
Scalability for distributed teams
The platform is designed for many teams working in parallel at different locations, with global access and a high level of concurrency.
Developers as direct sources of feedback
A side effect OpenText particularly highlights: its own developers use the platform every day and report back what is missing or gets in the way. This feeds straight into the product that customers use as well.
“Our developers are now not just users but also direct sources of feedback. That improves our products and strengthens our customers’ trust.”
Yaniv Sayers, ADM Chief Architect, OpenText
What this means for your toolchain
Many companies are facing this question right now. Atlassian is retiring its Data Center products: from 28 March 2029 there will be no more updates or support for them. Read more in our article Atlassian Data Center ends in 2029: the options available now. If you have to decide anyway, take the opportunity to look at the entire toolchain, not just at replacing a single tool.
These questions help with the assessment:
- How many tools are involved in the software lifecycle? And how many interfaces hold them together?
- Where is evidence for security and compliance created? Can it be compiled at the push of a button?
- Are there consistent roles and workflows or does every team work by its own rules?
- How important is where it runs? Cloud, your own data centre or hybrid, for example for regulatory reasons.
- Which data has to come along? History, comments and links are often more valuable than expected.
Consolidating on one platform is not an end in itself. It pays off where many teams, many interfaces and high traceability requirements come together. For IT architects, DevOps leads and engineering leads, it is then a lever: technical, organisational and cultural.
How we support you
provalida is an OpenText Silver Partner and an Atlassian Silver Partner. We know both worlds from many projects and therefore give impartial advice: whether Atlassian Cloud, OpenText Software Delivery or a hybrid approach. We analyse your toolchain, plan the migration in stages and support the transition so that your releases keep running. Find out more on our pages about Software & DevOps and Atlassian. If you would like to know which approach suits your organisation, get in touch. The initial consultation is free of charge.
Sources: OpenText customer story OpenText trusts OpenText and OpenText blog Atlassian Data Center end-of-life.