Norway-headquartered product engineering company 99x has introduced AI Hub, a new platform designed to monitor, analyse and improve the performance of artificial intelligence-assisted workflows across business and technology operations.
The launch marks another development in the company’s efforts to integrate artificial intelligence into software engineering and digital product development, while providing organisations with greater visibility into how AI-powered tools and automated processes contribute to operational performance.
The introduction of AI Hub coincided with the recognition of 99x’s agentic AI platform, xians.ai, at the National AI Awards, where it received the distinction of Best Agentic AI Solution in Sri Lanka.
The event also provided an opportunity for the company’s leadership to discuss its international expansion, emerging technological trends and the growing opportunities available to Sri Lankan technology professionals as artificial intelligence transforms the global IT industry.
Senior executives representing the 99x Group participated in the gathering, including Group Chief Executive Officer Odd-Sverre Østlie, Chief Developer Experience Officer Kalana Wijesekara, Chief Operating Officer Shehani Seneviratne and Chief Marketing and Corporate Affairs Officer Chrishan de Mel.
During the event, company representatives outlined how the increasing adoption of AI tools is influencing engineering practices, customer expectations and the future of technology-driven businesses.
A major highlight was the recognition received by xians.ai, the company’s Agent Control Plane developed to support the management and coordination of AI agents.
Chrishan de Mel opened the proceedings by highlighting the platform’s achievement at the National AI Awards, where it was selected as the country’s Best Agentic AI Solution.
The recognition reflects the company’s growing focus on developing technologies that enable organisations to incorporate autonomous and AI-assisted systems into their operational environments.
The platform has also received recognition at the SLASSCOM National Ingenuity Awards, securing an award in the Best Innovation in Internal Processes, Technology or Framework category.
In addition, 99x’s AI-first initiatives received the Overall Gold Award at the Best Management Practices Awards earlier in 2026.
These achievements were highlighted as important milestones in the company’s journey towards strengthening its capabilities in artificial intelligence, software engineering and digital innovation.
As AI applications become increasingly integrated into software development and other business functions, organisations face a growing need to understand whether these technologies are delivering the expected improvements.
99x identified this challenge through its own adoption of AI-powered tools and agents across engineering, customer support and other operational activities.
Although AI technologies can potentially accelerate processes and improve productivity, their effectiveness depends on how they are implemented, monitored and continuously refined.
This requirement contributed to the development of AI Hub, a platform intended to provide greater transparency into AI-assisted workflows and the performance indicators associated with them.
The platform focuses on observability, a concept that involves collecting and examining information about system behaviour to understand performance, identify issues and support informed decisions.
In the context of AI-assisted operations, observability can help organisations assess how AI tools are being used and evaluate their contribution to established business and engineering objectives.
AI Hub is positioned as a solution that allows teams to gain a clearer understanding of their AI-enabled processes, monitor relevant performance measures and determine where improvements may be necessary.
The development aligns with 99x’s AI Development Lifecycle, known as AI-DLC, which seeks to incorporate artificial intelligence throughout the different stages of creating and delivering digital products.
Through this approach, AI is treated as an integrated component of the engineering process rather than a separate technology used only for isolated tasks.
As traditional software development practices continue to evolve, AI-assisted workflows are creating opportunities to improve development speed, support product quality and increase operational efficiency.
However, 99x emphasises that technology adoption must be accompanied by meaningful performance evaluation.
Speaking at the launch, Chief Developer Experience Officer Kalana Wijesekara highlighted the rapid pace at which artificial intelligence is being introduced into professional environments.
He explained that simply increasing the number of AI tools used by an organisation does not necessarily translate into improved results.
Instead, businesses require reliable mechanisms to determine how these tools are functioning, what outcomes they produce and whether they are contributing to organisational goals.
According to Wijesekara, AI Hub is intended to address this requirement by making AI-assisted workflows more transparent and allowing teams to evaluate the performance indicators most relevant to their operations.
The resulting information can support better decisions about refining workflows, improving processes and identifying areas where AI technologies can generate greater value.
The platform’s introduction reflects a broader shift within the technology industry towards evaluating AI investments through measurable outcomes rather than focusing exclusively on adoption.
For organisations incorporating AI agents and automated processes into complex engineering environments, the ability to observe and assess these systems is becoming an important consideration.
Alongside the product launch, 99x shared updates on its international business development and evolving market outlook.
Group Chief Executive Officer Odd-Sverre Østlie discussed the company’s continued expansion across Europe, the Americas and Asia, highlighting the increasing demand for technology partners capable of supporting businesses through AI-driven transformation.
He observed that artificial intelligence is changing what customers expect from companies providing software engineering and technology services.
Businesses are increasingly seeking partners who can accelerate product development, support experimentation and demonstrate how emerging technologies can contribute to measurable commercial value.
This evolution is influencing the relationship between technology providers and their customers, with greater emphasis being placed on long-term collaboration and the ability to respond to changing business requirements.
Østlie indicated that 99x aims to strengthen its position as a long-term engineering partner capable of helping organisations incorporate AI into their products, services and internal processes.
The company’s international expansion also reflects the growing importance of combining specialised engineering expertise with an understanding of how AI can support different business objectives.
As organisations explore new ways to use intelligent systems, product engineering companies are increasingly required to offer capabilities that extend beyond traditional software development.
These include assisting customers in identifying suitable AI applications, developing technology-enabled solutions and evaluating the practical outcomes of implementation.
The discussion also addressed the implications of AI adoption for the global technology workforce and Sri Lanka’s IT sector.
Chief Operating Officer Shehani Seneviratne highlighted the emergence of specialised engineering roles that require professionals to work more closely with customers and their operational challenges.
Among these developing career paths is the Forward Deployed Engineer, commonly referred to as an FDE.
Unlike roles focused primarily on developing software within conventional engineering environments, forward deployed engineers collaborate directly with customers to understand specific business problems and implement appropriate technological solutions.
The position combines technical expertise with communication, problem-solving and an understanding of real-world business requirements.
As AI becomes more widely adopted, such roles could become increasingly relevant to organisations seeking professionals who can connect advanced technology capabilities with practical commercial needs.
For Sri Lankan technology professionals, these developments highlight the importance of building skills that extend beyond conventional programming knowledge.
Expertise in artificial intelligence, systems integration, customer collaboration and solution-oriented engineering may become more valuable as technology companies adapt to evolving market expectations.
The growth of AI-enabled engineering also creates opportunities for professionals capable of understanding how intelligent tools can be incorporated into existing business processes.
Rather than relying solely on traditional development methods, engineers are increasingly being encouraged to understand AI-assisted workflows and the practical challenges associated with implementing them.
For Sri Lanka’s technology industry, maintaining competitiveness in international markets will require continued investment in technical expertise, adaptability and professional development.
99x’s focus on AI-driven engineering reflects the industry’s wider transition towards integrating automation and intelligent technologies into the design, development and delivery of digital products.
The company’s achievements through xians.ai and the introduction of AI Hub illustrate two areas of this transformation: the development of agentic AI capabilities and the ability to evaluate AI-assisted operations.
While agentic AI technologies are designed to perform tasks and support workflows with varying degrees of autonomy, observability platforms help organisations understand and manage the performance of these increasingly complex systems.
Together, these developments highlight the importance of creating AI solutions that can be implemented effectively and assessed against meaningful operational objectives.
The AI Hub launch also reinforces the potential for engineering teams in Sri Lanka to participate in advanced technology development serving international markets.
As global customers increase their investment in AI-enabled products and services, companies with relevant expertise may find additional opportunities to contribute to technology innovation and digital transformation.
The event highlighted 99x’s continuing emphasis on AI adoption, engineering capability development and international market engagement.
With businesses seeking greater productivity, faster innovation and measurable returns from emerging technologies, solutions that improve transparency and understanding of AI-assisted workflows are likely to become increasingly relevant.
Through AI Hub and its broader AI-first initiatives, 99x is positioning its engineering capabilities around the practical application of artificial intelligence while contributing to conversations about the evolving future of Sri Lanka’s technology workforce.
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