IBM Buys Softek to Bolster Data Migration Offerings
by Timothy Prickett Morgan

IBM announced yesterday that it would pay an undisclosed sum to acquire Softek Storage Solutions, one of Big Blue's partners in the area of data migration between different servers, operating systems, and storage arrays. Softek has been a partner of IBM's for the past decade, and is a privately held company located in Vienna, Virginia, that has been able to sell over 10,000 licenses of its Transparent Data Migration Facility--a product that already carries an IBM-esque, mainframe-style name. READ MORE >

Top Mainframe Stories from Around the Web

(IT Jungle) The IT labor pool seems to have sprung a leak. With fewer people in the pool, demand has increased and, guess what, salaries have increased as well. That means if you aren't getting the raise you think you deserve, it's not a bad time to shop your services. READ MORE >

(Red Herring) You've read about Platform Solutions Inc. in Big Iron before today. PSI is the rogue mainframe manufacturer with hardware that runs IBM's z/OS mainframe operating system as well as Windows, Unix and Linux. A palsy-walsy relationship with IBM was not expected, and an antitrust lawsuit wasn't exactly a total surprise either. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) IBM is teaming with Ricoh to create a shared printing business that will evolve into Big Blue's complete divesture of its high-end printer business that makes continuous forms, cutsheet printers, and document processing software that integrated with its mainframe systems. When IBM walks away in three years, it will have $725 million stuffed into its Big Blue pockets. READ MORE >

Chats, Webinars, Seminars, Shows, and Other Happenings

See our full calendar of events at
http://www.itjungle.com/big/big-calendar.html

January 31 -- Webinar -- Tips for making your enterprise portal successful with IBM WebSphere Portal Enable for z/OS, Version 6.0, are featured during this session. Discover how the mission-critical capabilities of the z/OS platform can be used to support your strategic business. This presentation is aimed at a technically savvy audience. The event begins at 11 a.m. EST. LEARN MORE >

February 5-9 -- San Francisco - The RSA Conference rolls out more than 220 sessions and 19 educational tracks with a focus on security. Keynote addresses include perspectives from the executives of top companies and an expo area featuring more than 300 vendors add to this highly respected event. LEARN MORE >

February 11-16, 2007 -- Tampa, Florida - SHARE User Events offer technical training tailored for enterprise-class IT professionals. The focus is on real-world solutions that meet business challenges. This event is an opportunity to influence future product development and preview current and future solutions from IBM and other leading technology providers. LEARN MORE >

Febraruy 21 -- Webinar - Before developers can enhance and integrate a complex portfolio of mainframe applications in a service oriented architecture, they need to understand the business assets that are invested in them. This session, which begins at 11 a.m. EST, includes material for both a technical and business audience. LEARN MORE >

March 6 -- Tampa, Florida - This technical briefing, WebSphere Live for SOA, is a one-day forum that emphasizes and explains why service oriented architecture (SOA) is a key differentiator for the success of companies of all sizes across all industries. It is aimed at a technical audience. LEARN MORE >

March 8 -- Southfield, Michigan - This technical briefing, WebSphere Live for SOA, is a one-day forum that emphasizes and explains why service oriented architecture (SOA) is a key differentiator for the success of companies of all sizes across all industries. It is aimed at a technical audience. LEARN MORE >

April 23-27 -- Orlando, Florida - IBM system management products are the highlight of the Automated Operations Technical Council conference, where sessions are presented by representatives from IBM software development teams and their customers. The focus is on the mainframe environment, but extends out into the enterprise. The AOTC is a closed conference, with attendance by invitation only. Contact your IBM field representative for more details and an opportunity to attend. LEARN MORE >

May 6-10 -- San Jose, California - The International DB2 Users Group conference, known as IDUG 2007 North America, offers training and education on topics that include including DB2 for Linux, Unix, Windows; DB2 for z/OS; Informix; Java; Websphere; and XML. LEARN MORE >