Unisys Announces New ClearPath Mainframes, Development Tools
by Timothy Prickett Morgan

Server maker Unisys makes a lot of its money either directly or indirectly from its mainframe base, and just like IBM, it has to keep rolling out more powerful machines so customers can handle growing workloads. To that end, today Unisys is beefing up its two ClearPath mainframe lines with faster machines. The company is also rolling out a toolset created internally that can take high-level application models and kick out Java, .NET, and COBOL applications. READ MORE >

Top Mainframe Stories and Vendor Announcements

(MCPMag) On planet Microsoft, most of the natives go about their daily lives blissfully unaware of the mainframe's existence. So it is until the realization that things like disaster recovery and business continuity plans are important aspects of the real business world. When Windows networking folks are introduced to the mainframe, this is how it goes. READ MORE >

(BMC) More often than not, surveys provide the results the survey sponsors want to hear. But we all seem to be curious about what the next one will reveal and whether it coincides with what we already believe. This one tells us the mainframe will continue in its prominent role for large enterprises and that those firms will increase their investments in that platform. Find out more about pain points and complexity concerns here. READ MORE >

(Advanced Software Products Group) A new cryptographic toolkit for z/OS has been designed to encrypt data at rest, which allows FTP files to be directly sent from the point of origin on the mainframe while ensuring their security through to decryption--as opposed to only during transmission. The software vendor expects it to fulfill organizations' B2B and internal crypto requirements. It comes with certification by The National Institute of Standards and Technology. READ MORE >

(Active Reasoning) Active Reasoning has extended platform support for its DB2 database monitoring software to include z/OS and z/Linux. The capabilities will include monitoring changes to the schema of a database, the value of content within the database, as well as building a comprehensive inventory of database tables and content for IT control reporting and archiving. The software previously supported OS/400, Solaris, AIX, HP-UX, plus Windows 2000/2003 and NT. READ MORE >

Chats, Webinars, Seminars, Shows, and Other Happenings

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 >

August 28 & 29 -- San Francisco - BMC UserWorld puts the focus on BMC products that are primarily designed for service management and database management. In addition to a variety of learning tracks, the conference also provides access to BMC executives, customer support representatives, and R&D gurus. An emphasis is placed on product tips and techniques, as well as the proven strategies that enable IT to proactively address business requirements such as lowering costs, driving revenue, and mitigating risk. LEARN MORE >

September 11-14 -- Baltimore, Maryland - The WebSphere Portal Technical Conference is set up to provide IBM's technically oriented product details and hands-on training, along with presentations of customer case studies and best practices from Big Blue's product architects and developers, IBM Business Partners, and customers. Sessions will be organized according to the following tracks: new features in WebSphere Portal, Portal basics, Portal development, and Portal administration. 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 >