Top OS/400 Stories from Around the Web

(IT Jungle) IBM still wants an executive who is responsible for Power Systems, the hardware most often associated with IBM AIX, but also happens to power that other operating system known internally as IBM i. We hope he can make it to the COMMON conference this year. You know, spend some time with the users and the ISVs. Maybe talk about the IBM i roadmap in some detail. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) What makes Watson so smart? Even if you didn't watch the highly hyped Jeopardy! match, you've no doubt heard that Watson trounced a couple of the brightest quiz show bulbs made of flesh and bone. Yes, Watson is a monster when it comes to devouring huge quantities of data, but how was this IBM machine created to cleverly compete and win at this game? READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) As advocates of the IBM i platform, the companies that choose to run Lotus Domino on these boxes are a hard core bunch. You could try to talk them into migrating off the platform, but you'd have better luck trying to talk a schnauzer out of a butcher shop. Here's an i witness account of business in the Lotusphere. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) IBM has encouraged i5/OS and IBM i shops to adopt PHP for application modernization, and has been pretty successful in those efforts. Most companies that have chosen that strategy are familiar with Zend Core and Zend Platform, the primary PHP runtimes for IBM i servers (Linux and Windows servers, too). So what happens when Zend stops supporting the Core and Platform runtimes in July? READ MORE >

(IBM Systems Magazine) Steve Will, prolific writer and chief architect of the IBM i, has contributed an article titled "System 360: From Computers to Computer Systems" to the IBM 100 Icons of Progress website. Although there's no line drawn between the System 360 and the AS/400--or its current manifestation the IBM i--in the Icons of Progress article, Will points that out the family resemblance in his "You and i" column found here. READ MORE >

(Innovation Coach) Innovation is a seductive charmer. At its best, when combined with time-tested best practices, it leads to dramatic successes. But it can also cover up a reinvention of the wheel, for which a hefty price is usually paid. Here's a lesson in haste and poor planning that reveals how potentially fatal mistakes get made. READ MORE >

(MCPress) In an IT Jungle article a few months ago, Harold Moss, the chief technology officer of cloud security at IBM, emphasized that a greater effort toward security was put into the cloud than most companies made to their on-site systems. The recently concluded RSA conference and the results from a large security workforce survey add more details to this discussion. READ MORE >

Vendor Announcements, Promotions, and Deals

(IT Jungle) Manufacturers and distributors aren't the only companies fully intent on tightening their supply chains. They're just better at it than most other businesses. Having a single application that can provide demand planning, sales forecasting, production scheduling, supply and material planning, and inventory optimization is a useful tool that should be integrated with an ERP or financial package. You can explore more on that topic here.READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) What do you call a company that invests in IBM i servers, carves them into multiple logical partitions, and then rents the LPARs on the open market? That's part of what a managed service provider does these days. And it seems there's increasing interest in this idea from companies that are tired of buying hardware and software, and would prefer a pay-as-you-go arrangement. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Security as a service is another of the managed services being offered to companies that are uncomfortable with their own abilities to safeguard company secrets. Regulatory compliance has pushed some businesses in this direction, but management at some companies is just weary of carrying around the security monkey and never being certain that everything is under lock and key. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Web applications are continually being hammered by relentless cyber crooks. High performance firewalls are available, but they remain underutilized. This could be great timing for the open source community where collective intelligence is being used to build protection that is unmatched. READ MORE >

Redbooks, White Papers, and Other OS/400 Resources

(Infor) Better business planning depends on some key ingredients: a leaner supply chain, optimized asset and energy management, improved planning cycles, and more precise and consistent customer management. This report puts the emphasis on eliminating waste and improving productivity by replacing outdated IT systems. READ MORE >

(CCSS) Solving the most challenging issues plaguing systems management gets the spotlight in this best practices guide for systems managers, which features CCSS software. The value of this publication is the emphasis on identifying and detailing the types of problems that can occur, their consequences, and providing solutions on how best to resolve them. READ MORE >

(PBS) Watson is a cluster of 90 Power7 750 computers. It has 2880 processors and more than 15 TB of main memory. The 750 is the same Power server you could get to run IBM i, or AIX, or Linux, or all three OSes at once. The PBS television show NOVA to a look at how Watson works. You can watch "The Smartest Machine on Earth" here. READ MORE >

(Qualys) If application security monitoring and defense received more attention, much of the worry over system and data vulnerabilities would disappear. This paper explains how an open source-oriented security community could design, build, and deploy a universal application security sensor with a framework that could be used by all those concerned with application security monitoring READ MORE >

(SEA) This repository of recorded webinars includes topics such as managing messages and resources on the IBM System i and compliance-related security in a multi-system or LPAR System i environment. READ MORE >

Chats, Webinars, Seminars, Shows, and Other Happenings

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

February 24 -- Webinar - Some Web application developers just want a browser-based graphical user interface on their existing green-screen applications. Others want to add additional user interface elements such as drop-down menus and links. And in some cases it's important to add new functionality by adding fields and validation, for instance. This presentation demonstrates how these different levels of Web enablement can be accomplished using BCD software. The session begins at 1 p.m. CST. LEARN MORE >

February 24 -- Webinar - Legacy application modernization covers many interpretations, methodologies and implementations. This presentation helps choose a modernization method based on factors such as business initiatives, application architecture, time, cost and skills. The session will focus on LANSA products and extending the life of existing applications while meeting current and future business requirements. The session begins at 1 p.m. CST. LEARN MORE >

March 2 -- Webinar - Automating, securing, and managing file transfers while complying with regulatory compliance mandates will be discussed in this online session hosted by Linoma Software. Bob Luebbe, Linoma's chief architect, will discuss file transfer security and scheduling, key management, encryption, and file audit trails while using the latest software from his company. This presentation begins at noon CST. LEARN MORE >

March 3 -- Webinar - IBM i forms software varies in terms of features and deployment time and expense. This 30-minute presentation hosted by Quadrant Software highlights the benefits of integrating electronic forms, document management, fax, and email technology. The session begins at 1 p.m. EST. LEARN MORE >

March 8 -- Webinar - Maximizing IBM i applications through Web Services gets the focus in this presentation that provides an overview, examples, and customer case studies to make its points. Also on the agenda is integration of existing applications with applications running on other platforms. Service enablement, business process integration, and component-based development with services are additional topics that will be discussed. The session begins at 10 a.m. GMT in Europe and is repeated March 9 at 2 p.m. EST. It is hosted by looksoftware and the guest speaker is subject matter expert Trevor Perry. LEARN MORE >

March 9 -- Webinar - Understanding the differences between local and remote high availability, disaster recovery, off-line backups begins with recovery objectives. In this session, Eric Hess, an executive IT specialist in IBM's Advanced Technical Skills organization, offers his insights based on more than 30 years of IBM experience with Power System solutions. Hess has brought his subject matter expertise to presentations at the POWER Systems Technical University, user group meetings, IBM Tech Talks, and Web events. This presentation begins at noon CST. LEARN MORE >

March 9 -- Webinar - Maximizing IBM i applications through Web Services gets the focus in this presentation that provides an overview, examples, and customer case studies to make its points. Also on the agenda is integration of existing applications with applications running on other platforms. Service enablement, business process integration, and component-based development with services are additional topics that will be discussed. The session begins at 2 p.m. EST. It is hosted by looksoftware and the guest speaker is subject matter expert Trevor Perry. LEARN MORE >

March 9 -- Webinar - Companies in the rental business--tools, construction equipment, party supplies, amusements, and other goods--have to have their own IT tools to manage their businesses. Getting a handle on business processes, improving access to information, identifying opportunities for expansion, and understanding economic drivers all depend on quality information on which to make better decisions. This presentation by VAI highlights IT's role in areas such as reservations and allocations, financials, equipment servicing, sales order processing, inventory management, purchasing, and CRM. The presentation begins at 2 p.m. EST. LEARN MORE >