Top OS/400 Stories from Around the Web

(IT Jungle) Readers of the Four Hundred Monitor e-mail newsletter have a lot of common interests. At the top of that list are RPG applications, DB2/400 databases, and the IBM i operating system. You also have a lot of shared history and quite likely some similar questions about the future. In the IT business people like to talk in terms of roadmaps. This is a good time to take a look at one. READ MORE >

(The Register) Open source advocates will love this. Let's consider the ramifications of making IBM Lotus Notes and Domino an open source project. It could capture more new business than Notes/Domino currently garners. And it could also stimulate the N/D application development environment with additional languages and scripting environments. Hey, isn't IBM an open source advocate? Well, only up to a point, right? READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Based on our daily diet of economic turmoil reports, it's not surprising that many people would jump to the conclusion that any information about the job market in 2009 is going to be (take your pick) dismal, dreary, or depressing. But don't assume the worst. According to the most recent job forecast put together by CareerBuilder.com, IT is among the few areas where managers expect to add employees in the coming year. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Amidst the most recent financial reporting at IBM's friendly competitors at Oracle comes the claim from Chairman Ellison that his company is the equal of IBM in terms of revenue generated from middleware and that Oracle's middleware business is outpacing IBM's. According to Oracle, more than 80,000 middleware customers are in the fold. READ MORE >

(The Register) The most stimulating conversations in Washington, DC, these days have to do with the economy. Heaven knows a little stimulation there is in order. Infinitely debatable is how best to stimulate. How about an IT stimulus package that includes expanding broadband, advancing computerized healthcare record-keeping, and installing smart grid technology for a more efficient distribution of electric power? READ MORE >

(St. Louis Post Dispatch) Making green decisions has more to do with money than it does the environment. Although reducing power consumption and saving money while doing it (roll IBM commercial with Wizard of Oz music and frolicking cartoon animals), has the attention of many executives, the investment is being weighed against other considerations. READ MORE >

(MCPress) Rather than stepping in the mud by attempting to predict what's ahead in 2009, here's an author that's giving advice on what not to step in as you make your way through the upcoming year. Consider it a flashlight and enterprise computing a cave. READ MORE >

(MCPress) The Frank Soltis retirement interviews continue, and even though he's officially retired from his illustrious IBM career, Soltis admits he's not driving off into the sunset. The Power Systems community will still be seeing and hearing from the legendary Dr. Frank. And I suspect people will still pack meeting rooms and auditoriums wherever and whenever he speaks. He and his computer are both highly reliable. READ MORE >

(The Motley Fool) For those who appreciate humor at the expense of Microsoft, this short piece comparing the Windows Vista to Windows ME is something to relish. While citing InfoWorld's description of Vista as "the second-worst technology flop of all time," the article also notes Microsoft's ability to come back after making mistakes. READ MORE >

Vendor Announcements, Promotions, and Deals

(IT Jungle) Protecting corporate IP and customer data is a top priority for a lot of companies regardless of tighter budgets and increased emphasis squeezing more value out of fewer resources. If security is your responsibility, you are probably looking for more controls and expanded views into your System i activities. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Online analytical processing (OLAP) capabilities are often a major component of business intelligence solutions. Due to vigorously growing demands for analyzing huge volumes of data and supplying it to more employees throughout the enterprise, companies are turning to OLAP solutions to overcome scalability and performance issues. For those accessing Oracle Essbase along with DB2/400, here's some news that's worth your time. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Managing truck fleets requires the ability to manage time and miles. From Reno, to Fargo, to Chicago, to Buffalo, truck routing software is responsible for getting deliveries made in a timely and cost efficient manner. Looking for the road to automation with a cost-reducing rider? This is it. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) This week the enterprise service bus stops here. Before you get onboard, you might want to know where the ESB is going to take you and how long before you reach your destination. If you have integration, interoperability, EDI, or SOA on your mind, here's what the product management chief at EXTOL International has to say about the topic. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Barcode technology has been around longer than the IBM AS/400. And for those of you who remember those days, you're not exactly a pup anymore either. Barcoding, like other things that have weathered a few storms, has proved that things don't just get older. They often times get better. READ MORE >

Redbooks, White Papers, and Other OS/400 Resources

(Bytware) It's not only Windows users who need to worry about viruses. The IBM i, OS/400, AIX, and Linux systems are also at risk and could be the source of infections. This Webcast covers viruses and malicious code threats and explains how they pertain to compliance on IBM Power Systems. READ MORE >

(Vision Solutions) "The State of Resilience and Optimization on IBM Power Systems," is a 20-page report that focuses on disaster recovery expectations, DR technologies, and the state of systems management. It's based on survey data from more than 2,000 technical professionals and executives involved with the management of IBM i and AIX environments. READ MORE >

(SafeData) This report covers data backup topics such as selecting the correct recovery option, avoiding common data-protection mistakes, and cutting costs without compromising data protection. The focus is on small to mid size businesses that have invested in a data availability and recovery solution yet remain vulnerable. READ MORE >

(ARCAD) An archive of Webinars pertaining to topics such as testing productivity and automation, change management for application modernization, multi-platform deployments, managing ILE development, application analysis, and WDSc and RSE are available for viewing in exchange for your e-mail address. These recorded sessions are presented by well known experts Ray Bernardi and Trevor Perry. READ MORE >

Chats, Webinars, Seminars, Shows, and Other Happenings

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

January 8 -- Webcast - Securing and encrypting critical data to avoid data theft due to network intrusions, theft of portable devices, and unauthorized access by internal employees will be the topics discussed in this online presentation by industry expert and Chief Encryption Architect of Linoma Software Bob Luebbe. Attendees will receive a white paper on the topic of deploying solutions to protect information assets from theft and misuse and the elimination of technical obstacles facing both management and IT departments using encryption technologies. The session begins at 1 p.m. EST. LEARN MORE >

January 8 -- Wauwatosa, Wisconsin - Bruce Guetzkow, the information services director at United Credit Service, will be the guest speaker at the Wisconsin Midrange Computer Professional Association meeting. His first presentation, at 4:30 p.m., highlights free and inexpensive software options that run on the System i. His second presentation, at 7:30 p.m., highlights a collection of techniques Guetzkow has come up with over the years to tackle more tasks in less time. In between the two sessions is dinner and networking with the members. The meeting will be held at Alioto's Restaurant located at 3041 North Mayfair Road. LEARN MORE >

January 18-22 -- Orlando, Florida - Lotusphere, the biggest Lotus event of each year, brings together developers, administrators, IT and business professionals looking for collaborative software and solutions. It includes presentations on the latest innovations, hands-on training, and networking discussions, as well as the latest word on Lotus products and strategy. LEARN MORE >

January 20 -- Irving, Texas - Guest speaker at the monthly meeting of the Metro Midrange Systems Association, a user group for the Dallas and Fort Worth metro areas, is Ken Frei, a former AS/400 programmer who is currently working in project management. His presentation topic is Microsoft Project, which is project management software that assists managers in planning, assigning resources, tracking progress, managing budgets, and analyzing workloads. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. with dinner at 6 and Frei's presentation at 6:45. MMSA meetings are held at the Radisson Hotel DFW South. LEARN MORE >

January 20 -- Oak Brook, Illinois - The featured topics at the monthly meeting of the OMNI User Group will be the IBM i developer's road map and a step by step approach when moving from RPG to a service oriented architecture. Both topics will be presented by IBM's Alison Butterill at the IBM offices. Free pizza for attendees. LEARN MORE >

January 20 -- Costa Mesa, California - A presentation on RPG and Web development will be the highlight of the regular monthly meeting of the OCEAN User Group. The guest speaker is Aaron Bartell, a senior software developer for Krengel Technology, who specializes in Web services on the AS/400 and Java development. Meetings are held at the IBM offices and begin at 3 p.m. LEARN MORE >

January 20 -- Atlanta, Georgia - An overview of EGL and Web application technology from IBM Rational will get top billing at the Atlanta Mid-range Computer Users monthly meeting. The guest speaker Stefano Sergi, IBM Rational's worldwide sales executive for EGL technology, will be4 the guest speaker. The event is scheduled from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. LEARN MORE >