IBM Sues PSI: You Say Emulate, We Say Litigate
by Hesh Wiener

On Wednesday, November 29, IBM sued Platform Solutions, asserting PSI had infringed IBM patents and was in breach of the ICA agreement under which PSI licenses IBM software. PSI develops clone mainframe computers based on Hewlett-Packard's Integrity Itanium servers, to which it adds firmware and software; the resultant systems can run IBM mainframe software. IBM asked the court to confirm the propriety of its decision to terminate PSI's software licenses, to block PSI from using IBM's patented technology, and to confirm that IBM's actions are neither anticompetitive nor in violation of antitrust laws. If IBM succeeds, PSI is dead. READ MORE >

Happy Holidays from All of Us at IT Jungle

It is hard to believe that another holiday season is upon us again. But, because our brains slow down as we age, the world seems to go by faster and faster. This is also why children move so fast and are so impatient; they have much higher cycle times and it has taken, as far as they are concerned, a painfully long time for the holiday season to return. READ MORE >

Top Mainframe Stories and Vendor Announcements

(IT Jungle) Rocket Software's low-profile status in the mainframe market may be in jeopardy since the firm is in the process of buying Seagull Software, a company with an installed base of approximately 10,000 customers. Roughly half of Seagull's revenue comes from mainframe customers. Another hefty portion is derived from the company's OS/400-based users. Rocket will use this acquisition, and the suite of SOA tools, to move higher in the software stack. READ MORE >

(CRN) The lawsuit IBM filed last week alleging Intel-based IBM mainframe clones produced by Platform Solutions infringe on patents protecting z/OS and OS/390 operation systems is being described as having "no legal merit" by the company that has already closed some deals and is in the midst of an early ship program for the big iron that IBM calls mainframe "emulator systems." READ MORE >

(TECHWORLD) IBM sits atop the enterprise computing hardware market in terms of revenue. Not surprisingly, the mega-dollar mainframes factor into this in a big way. Well, actually, it might come as a surprise to those who say the mainframe's time has come and gone. On the contrary, IBM says new customer growth proves the mainframe is doing quite well. READ MORE >

(CIO) There is no shortage of articles pertaining to service oriented architecture (SOA). However, what is seldom discussed is the importance of security in the mix of service and messaging interfaces. Access control and issues regarding authorization need to play a big role in the planning. READ MORE >

Chats, Webinars, Seminars, Shows, and Other Happenings

December 3-8 -- Reno, Nevada - Performance and capacity management for enterprise computing systems is the focus for CMG2006 hosted by the Association of Systems Management Professionals. Session topics include software performance engineering, stress/load testing, benchmarking, BPM, BAM, and new technologies such as service-oriented architecture, and Web services. Specialized content is also provided for operating systems that include z/OS, Linux, Unix, and Windows. 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 >