StoneSoft Readies Updated Firewall/VPN Software for Mainframes
by Timothy Prickett Morgan

Security appliance and software developer Stonesoft is previewing an update of its StoneGate firewall and virtual private networking appliance software for IBM mainframes. The updated software takes advantage of features in the z/VM platform that hook into the layer of the network stack that resides below the TCP/IP layer, allowing instances of the StoneGate firewall and VPN software to be clustered for load balancing and high availability. READ MORE >

Top Mainframe Stories and Vendor Announcements

(InfoWorld) IBM announced it will add 40 new "innovation centers" to the 100 it already has in locations around the world. The centers feature IBM servers and storage products and are set up to allow customers to test drive specific hardware, software, and services configurations. READ MORE >

(ComputerWorld) American Modern Insurance Group is replacing two aging Unisys ClearPath mainframes with one IBM zSeries mainframe, moving from Unisys and Oracle databases to DB2, and replacing its homegrown core business application. The new system is being built on a service oriented architecture and is projected to cost a cool $62 million. READ MORE >

(ZDNet) From an informal survey taken at a recent Gartner Data Center Conference, 40 percent of the participants described their enterprise data centers as comprised of mainframes running alongside Unix, Linux, and Windows servers. Coincidentally, IBM says 40 percent of its mainframe customers are running Linux on zSeries. Both indicate Linux is a bigger player than most might have expected. READ MORE >

(SearchDataStorage) Early reports from users of z/VM 5.2 praise the increased throughput for virtualized zSeries servers with large storage configurations and the speed at which the system performs. What about working through the bugs? Not that big of a deal according to the early adopters. Could these testimonials have been hand-picked by IBM? READ MORE >

(Press Release) Analytics software giant Cognos and IBM have expanded their existing alliance to include SOA-based solutions. IBM will increase its Cognos consultant capabilities and Cognos will optimize solution performance on IBM hardware--including zSeries--and middleware. READ MORE >

(Press Release) AES announced the beta release of a z/OS-based TCP/IP Monitor and the company claims it will increase the speed and efficiency with which you resolve network problems that can occur in data centers undergoing wide scale SNA-TCP/IP migration. READ MORE >

Chats, Webinars, Seminars, Shows, and Other Happenings

March 27-29 -- Orlando, Florida - The Service Oriented Architecture and Web Services Best Practices conference is designed for organizations looking for ways to create an architecture for interoperability across disparate systems. It will focus on the key steps for implementation, the role of Web services, new models for building applications, and return on investment. Discounts on registration costs are in effect until January 27. LEARN MORE >

April 7-11 -- Chattanooga, Tennessee - The WAVV user group annual conference offers more than 100 educational sessions focusing on the use of VSE, VM, and Linux on IBM mainframe computers. The event also includes a vendor exposition. LEARN MORE >

May 7-11 -- Tampa, Florida - The IDUG 2006 North American Conference is an educational forum for database users across all platforms. The educational program consists of 11 technical tracks, each focused on a particular facet of DB2 usage. IDUG, the International DB2 Users Group, manages several DB2 technology conferences each year. The North American conference is the largest. A vendor expo is included in the event. LEARN MORE >

May 23-25 -- Secaucus, New Jersey - The Enterprise Information World conference will feature educational sessions on topics such as building and managing enterprise information management teams, increasing return on investment by cost effectively meeting regulatory compliance requirements, collaboration technologies and efficiencies, and the intersection of records management and security. LEARN MORE >

June 12-16 -- Atlanta, Georgia - The Transaction & Messaging Technical Conference features the most current information on the CICS TS V3.1 and WebSphere MQ family of products including tips, techniques, and business integration solutions. The agenda includes hundreds of sessions, a product expo, and certification testing. LEARN MORE >