IBM v PSI: The Operation Was a Success, But the Patient Died
by Hesh Wiener

On July 2, IBM and Platform Solutions (PSI) ended the legal battle IBM had initiated on November 29, 2006, without a scintilla of nobility. IBM capitulated, buying its way out of the legal morass by acquiring PSI, possibly for as much as $240 million. A portion of this sum went to PSI's lawyers; the rest went to the company's investors and, possibly, to its employees. PSI capitulated, too. In return for the money, PSI employees, investors, and representatives took a vow of secrecy. Both sides called the result a victory. What else would they say? READ MORE >

Top Mainframe Stories from Around the Web

(InfoWorld) The contentious lawsuits hurled back and forth between IBM and Platform Solutions (patent infringement versus antitrust) have come to end now that IBM has purchased PSI and its computer technology that allows z/OS to run on non-IBM mainframes. The president of the Computer and Communications Industry Association called this outcome "a black-hole acquisition" that "sucks the life out of the market and destroys the matter." READ MORE >

(TechWorld) Would companies that are not running on mainframes be willing to try out a test environment to determine whether it is a good fit? We'll see. A system supplier in the United Kingdom is offering its data center to prove the advantages of centralized computing. As you know, mainframes are painted with a broad brush as being too big and too expensive. Changing opinions is not an easy thing. READ MORE >

(eWeek) The application release process can be a workflow nightmare even with the change and configuration management protocols in place. It's a highly collaborative process dependent on excellent communications that keeps developers from walking all over each other. Schedules need to be met and costs need to be contained. Here's help. READ MORE >

(Intelligent Enterprise) To improve business intelligence capabilities on the mainframe, IBM bought Cognos. Six months after that acquisition, IBM has released Cognos 8, a suite of BI tools that runs on Linux on System z mainframes. Getting a better handle on data is hugely important to mainframe customers, so look for IBM to market Cognos software with great vigor. READ MORE >

Chats, Webinars, Seminars, Shows, and Other Happenings

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

August 10-15 -- San Jose, California - Service oriented architectures and the "SOA journey" as well as server virtualization and the benefits that big iron provides in terms of efficiency and reducing energy consumption are the key topics that will be discussed at the next SHARE user group meeting and expo, held in the heart of Silicon Valley. LEARN MORE >

August 25-28 -- Chicago, Illinois - The IBM Energy Efficiency Initiative takes center stage at the "See Blue, Think Green Technical Conference that brings together technical experts and business leaders. Sessions will concentrate on best practices in energy efficiency, innovative power and cooling technologies, and eco-friendly asset disposal services. There will also be technical sessions and hands on labs featuring IBM's most recent System announcements (including Power Systems, Mainframe Systems, Storage System, and Modular Systems) to present platform-specific topics. LEARN MORE >

October 13-17 -- Las Vegas, Nevada - The IBM System z Expo will include more than 300 sessions featuring z/OS, z/VM, z/VSE, and Linux on System z. There will be an emphasis on the z10 Enterprise Class server, WebSphere application server, DB2, CICS and IMS support, GDPS and Parallel Sysplex support, service oriented architecture, virtualization, and data center energy efficiency. LEARN MORE >