Server Sales Decline for the Second Straight Quarter
by Timothy Prickett Morgan

In the server market, it is not called a semester but rather a quarter, and it isn't a report card but rather a slice of the revenue and shipment pie. But, nonetheless, every quarter when the analysts at Gartner and IDC hand down their market share statistics for server sales, it feels a bit like report card day, complete with its joy and loathing. Just before the Memorial Day holiday, when Big Iron was on hiatus, it was report card week for the first quarter of 2006, and the grades were mixed. Depending on who you ask, server sales are either flat or down. READ MORE >

Top Mainframe Stories and Vendor Announcements

(Enterprise Journal) Analysts are not particularly IMS friendly as their long-term trends do not look favorably on the mainframe. They say companies should be planning their DBMS migrations now. At the same time, IBM is not shy about investing in IMS enhancements and it would seem that any changes in the IMS market are not accompanied by a sense of urgency. READ MORE >

(SearchDataCenter) VMware, the server virtualization provider, has released a software suite that combines virtualization and management software. Company president Diane Greene says the idea is to map a set of applications to a large pool of resources rather than tied to any specific operating system. READ MORE >

(IBM) Big Blue has two new products and two new versions of existing products with features to assist database administrators and system programmers in managing aspects of DB2 and IMS database environments. IBM says the tools are another step forward in autonomic computing, where computers become increasingly self-managed in terms of performance monitoring, managing data, and taking responsibility for decision-making and initiating action. The products become generally available June 9. READ MORE >

Chats, Webinars, Seminars, Shows, and Other Happenings

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 >

June 12 -- Phoenix, Arizona - The Tivoli Information Management (InfoMan) for z/OS Users' Conference will feature topics such as ITIL, ITSM, knowledgebase management, Web 2.0, and InfoMan integration with third-party applications. Included will be demonstrations of Tivoli Enterprise Portal, Tivoli Service Level Advisor, and the IBM Configuration and Change Management Database. LEARN MORE >

June 14-16 -- Boston, Massachusetts - The IDC IT Forum & Expo examines IT issues and aims to provide solutions with the potential for immediate implementation. The event will feature dedicated tracks in the areas of financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, maximizing flexibility and responsiveness, aligning IT with business objectives, information management and access, and emerging technologies. Workshop topics include leadership skills, integrating compliance into business processes, SOA implementation, and open source implementation. There will also be a vendor expo area featuring software and service providers. LEARN MORE >

June 22 -- San Francisco, California - The IDC Virtualization Forum is designed to explain how to effectively exploit computer resources. The Forum presents IDC's view of the many forms of virtualization and how the effective use of this technology can help IT and business executives address the need to cut costs, support a changing dynamic environment, and optimize use of IT resources. The program features end-user case studies that provide practical information that can be put to use. Areas of focus include the commoditization of hardware, virtual environment software, and the deployment of distributed applications. LEARN MORE >

July 8-12 -- San Diego, California - The 2006 Enterprise Security Solutions & RACF Users Training Conference emphasizes technical education for current and future data security challenges in business and government. The event features more than 140 classes taught by leading security practitioners, professional instructors and experts. It includes a vendor expo and offers the opportunity to network with industry experts and peers. Continuing education credits can also be garnered throughout the conference. LEARN MORE >

August 13-18 -- Baltimore, Maryland - The SHARE User Events feature IBM technical training tailored for enterprise-class IT professionals. Educational sessions focus on real-world solutions that meet business challenges and influence future IT product development. In addition to the first-class training, SHARE presents a great opportunity for networking with other professionals who work at some of the world's leading organizations and have insights into the technology and products that companies and jobs are depending on. All SHARE User Event sessions and events will take place in the Baltimore Convention Center. LEARN MORE >

October 20 & 21 -- Chicago, Illinois - The Network and Systems Professionals Association annual conference, NaSTEC, features educational tracks on large systems/mainframes, distributed systems, and professional development and includes 24 total sessions. Topics include IT compliance, TCP/IP network health checks, and security, as well as others. LEARN MORE >