News

Agile Project Manager Adds Git and GitHub Integration

• By John K. Waters
• November 6, 2013

Developer tools and solutions provider Telerik has released a new version of its TeamPulse agile project management software that is integrated with the open-source Git version control system and the GitHub repository. TeamPulse R3 also introduces a new REST API, adds a new .NET SDK, and provides the ability to tag items with end-user "personas," the company said.

But the Git/GitHub integration is the key upgrade in this release, commented Christopher Eyhorn, executive vice president of Telerik's ALM tools group. "Whether its GitHub or your own installation of Git, we now support the ability to associate comments, check-ins, and work with GitHub or any Git repository natively [in TeamPulse]," he said.

This integration addresses an aspect of Agile in the enterprise that has proven tricky to manage. Agile projects involve people at all levels of an organization, from developers to business users. Consequently, effective project management software needs to provide a high level of transparency. Integrating TeamPulse with Git/GitHub "bridges the gap between those people with that level of transparency into development projects without getting in the developers' way," Eyhorn said.

He also points to the new REST API, which gives companies the ability to integrate TeamPulse into existing systems. "If they want to surface data into their own customer Web portal, they can now use the REST APIs to push and pull data," he said. The ability to assign specific personal profiles -- personas -- to work items allows developers to "take a more customer-centric approach in creating and deploying relevant functionality enhancements," the company said. And the new .NET SDK provides developers with the ability to create custom applications and widgets from data generated by the TeamPulse management software.

The overall goal of this release is to integrate the Agile project management system with the most popular developer technologies to ensure that "a customer-centric development practice is top of mind" for the TeamPulse user community," Eyhorn said.

"The enhancements are pushing our major theme, which is adaptability," he added. "We want TeamPulse to adapt to your project and your style of doing things, not the other way around. That can be seen in the integrations, the customizable views, depending on your role, and being able to see projects across your organization."

The Palo Alto, Calif.-based developer tools and solutions provider's is well-known for its support of Microsoft's Team Foundation Server (TFS). TeamPulse offers source control integration and a two-way synchronization of work items with all versions of TFS. The company reached beyond its .NET roots in 2011 with the release of the Kendo UI, a front-end development framework for building applications and Web sites with HTML5 and JavaScript. This summer, the company released the first version of Icenium, a software bundle for developing and managing cross-platform mobile iOS and Android applications using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. The company also makes automated testing tools and Web content management systems.