In the world of process automation, the upcoming end-of-life for Camunda 7’s has prompted many organizations to evaluate their future. This period of change naturally leads to questions and research. As the primary service and support partner for Operaton, the open-source successor to Camunda 7, we at uubato have guided many teams through this evaluation process.
In doing so, we’ve noticed a pattern. The journey of exploring Operaton is often one of discovery, where initial concerns give way to a series of powerful “aha!” moments. These aren’t just technical details; they are fundamental realizations about the project’s philosophy, its trajectory, and its vibrant ecosystem.
This article is for those of you currently weighing your options. We want to share the most common and impactful insights that emerge when you look closely at what Operaton truly represents—not just as a piece of software, but as a path forward.
Realization #1: The Transition is an Update, Not a Painful Rewrite
The first and most significant realization for almost everyone is the sheer simplicity of the migration itself. The word “migration” often conjures images of costly, time-consuming projects involving extensive code changes and data transformation. This is not the case with Operaton.
Because Operaton is a direct fork of Camunda 7, it maintains complete compatibility with the BPMN, CMMN, and DMN standards you already use. More importantly, it preserves the core Java API. The “aha!” moment comes when a technical lead opens their pom.xml file and understands that the migration primarily consists of changing the groupId of their dependencies from org.camunda.bpm to org.operaton.bpm and adjust the artifacteIDs.
Your business logic, process definitions, and service tasks remain valid. The database schema is compatible. The moment a team realizes they can prove the success of their transition by simply running their existing test suite against the new engine, a wave of relief washes over them. The fear of a risky, large-scale project is replaced by the reality of a manageable and low-risk update.
Realization #2: The Focus is on Progress, Not Just Preservation
Initially, some view a fork as a project frozen in time — a simple effort to keep an old version alive. The second major realization is that Operaton is the exact opposite. It’s a project driven by the desire for progress and modernization. The development team isn’t just maintaining the status quo; they are actively improving the health of the codebase for the future.
This becomes clear when you look at the project’s activity. The team is systematically tackling technical debt, removing deprecated code, and phasing out support for outdated environments. By embracing modern Java versions, moving towards Jakarta EE, and adopting current best practices, Operaton is becoming a leaner, more secure, and more maintainable engine. This isn’t about clinging to the past; it’s about building a robust foundation for the next decade. The insight here is powerful: moving to Operaton isn’t a step back to a preserved version of Camunda 7; it’s a leap forward to a revitalized and future-proofed engine.
Realization #3: Enterprise-Grade is a Service, Not a Software Tier
A common point of hesitation is the perceived loss of “Enterprise” features. But this leads to a more nuanced realization about what “enterprise-grade” truly means. It’s not just about a specific feature flag in a software license; it’s about having access to timely security patches, expert support, and guaranteed operational stability.
This is precisely the role uubato plays in the ecosystem. The realization is that you are not losing enterprise capabilities; you are sourcing them from a more specialized and dedicated partner. We provide comprehensive commercial support contracts that ensure your business has the safety net it needs. For specific functionalities previously exclusive to the enterprise license, we offer robust and actively developed alternatives. This modern, unbundled approach is often more flexible and efficient. You get a best-in-class open-source engine from the community, and best-in-class support and services from uubato — the experts who are core contributors to the project.
An Invitation to Shape the Future: Join the Operaton Movement
The final and perhaps most profound realization is that Operaton represents a return to the roots of community-led open source. Unlike a vendor-driven project, Operaton’s roadmap and priorities are shaped in the open, by the users and contributors who depend on it. This transparency and collaborative spirit creates an incredible opportunity, and it leads us to an important call to action.
The strength of an open-source project is its community. To ensure Operaton continues its impressive trajectory of progress and innovation, it needs you. We invite you to become part of this journey, as your skills and passion can directly influence the future of a tool used by thousands.
For the Developers: If you are a Java developer with a passion for robust, open systems, we need your expertise. You can make a tangible impact by helping to tackle issues, reviewing pull requests, or contributing new features. Getting started is as simple as visiting the Operaton project on GitHub, exploring the issue tracker, and engaging in the development discussions. Every line of code helps build a better engine for everyone.
For the Broader Community: Contributions are not limited to code. You can provide immense value through what we call ideal support. You can help by testing beta releases and providing detailed feedback, improving the documentation to make it easier for new users to get started, or writing blog posts and sharing your success stories to spread the word. Even participating in forums and helping other users with their questions strengthens the entire ecosystem. Every bug report, every documentation edit, and every public mention is a vital contribution.
Conclusion: A Future Built on Confidence and Collaboration
Exploring Operaton is a journey from uncertainty to confidence. It begins with the relief of a simple migration and deepens with the understanding that the project is focused on progress, backed by enterprise-grade services from uubato, and driven by a true community spirit.
This is more than just a replacement for Camunda 7. It is an opportunity to be part of a vibrant, open, and collaborative future.
Discover the Operaton project for yourself, and when you need a professional partner to ensure your success, contact us at uubato. We are here to support you every step of the way.
