Top OS/400 Stories from Around the Web

(NewsFactor) IBM's cloud computing initiative has turned out to be a little too blue for the likes of some. While the delivery of software and services via the Internet is widely supported, it seems that worries about political overtones and corporate agendas are raining on an otherwise sunny community. Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and members of the Cloud Computing Interoperability Forum have withdrawn their support. READ MORE >

(CNET) While no one is pretending it never happened, the fireworks that exploded after the release of IBM's cloud computing manifesto have diminished somewhat now that short fuses have been, at least temporarily, snuffed. To quell the rocking boat, comments from the participants focused on shared goals and broad community collaboration. Let's say for the time being order has been restored. READ MORE >

(InformationWeek) So far Linux has not had a major role for many users in the System i camp. In the short term, that's not likely to change. But in the long term, Linux and open source technologies may be seen as the route to less expensive technologies and savings that enterprise users will no longer be able to ignore. IBM believes it. Do you? READ MORE >

(ServerWatch) If Hewlett-Packard, Dell, and Fujitsu have all turned away from making a deal to buy Sun, why do the odds seem to favor IBM bringing Sun into its world? Opinions are plentiful. One possibility entails Sun SPARC-based platforms running on IBM Power Systems with Solaris and AIX combined in a common code base. READ MORE >

(eWeek) Across the board at IBM, people are losing their jobs. From where the top executives at Big Blue sit, this is business as usual and referred to as "Resource Action." The latest resource action began last week on Black Thursday as the most vocal IBM employee group calls it. That organization, Alliance@IBM, is projecting as many as 10,000 workers may lose their jobs in 2009. READ MORE >

Vendor Announcements, Promotions, and Deals

(IT Jungle) If you were running a software company with 4,500 System i customers, how would you choose to modernize your green-screen applications? As you know, there are many options to choose from. When you have a long and successful track record with IBM customers there's a certain instinct that asks the question "What would Big Blue do?" In this case, you'll be surprised at the answer. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Transportation management systems are literally and figuratively the engines that power supply chains. From people to produce, if it needs moved from one place to another there's a TMS playing a big part. Software that runs on IBM's System i plays a huge role in keeping those big wheels turning. Here's how technology is being applied to pull a heavier analytical load. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) You might think that companies with considerable investments in ERP and product lifecycle management software would not rely on Microsoft Excel to collaborate with supply chain partners. That's sort of like staying at a nice hotel and sleeping on the floor. You can come up with quite a few reasons why that doesn't make sense. OK, maybe you like Excel, but you don't have to give up those things when considering alternatives and there's much to be gained. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) One less headache is how a lot of IT decision makers would describe the outsourcing of data backup and recovery. This is particularly true in the small to mid size companies where running an IT department has become too cumbersome, too complex, and too expensive. Whether you require traditional tape-based solutions, a vaulting option, or a specific level of disaster recovery or high availability, working with a service provider could cure what ails ya. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Trucking applications that run on the IBM i (and all the previous names the platform has had) are plentiful. This is a business where the IBM midrange workhorse has been dominant since the Peterbilt was just a pup. In some areas, however, we are seeing new cross-platform development featuring the .NET platform. READ MORE >

Redbooks, White Papers, and Other OS/400 Resources

(LANSA) As organizations plot strategies that make use of existing applications while meeting modern technology and business challenges, application modernization initiatives are becoming more common. Generally these projects are weighed against the prospect of total system replacement and application rewrites. This white paper, written by Paul Conte, provides guidelines for dealing with the challenges, requirements, and demands that come along with application modernization. READ MORE >

(Seagull Software) This Aberdeen Analyst Insight examines best in class companies using legacy modernization--especially re-engineering and leveraging existing applications in place--to minimize costs and risks, while maximizing return on investment and agility. It reviews the top business pressures driving legacy modernization, the advantages and disadvantages of various legacy modernization tactics, and provides recommendations. READ MORE >

(BCD) This white paper discusses PHP as a technology and as a productive method for transforming legacy applications to Web applications or creating new Web applications from square one. It explains the popularity of PHP, how it is different from other technologies, and uses the company's WebSmart PHP as the focal point for Web application development. READ MORE >

(Bytware) Although you might think that only Windows users need worry about viruses, the IBM i, OS/400, AIX, and Linux systems in your network are also at risk and could even be the source of infections. This downloadable Webcast covers viruses and malicious code threats, how criminals use malicious code, how viruses gain access to systems, regulatory requirements for virus protection, and how to mitigate the virus threat. READ MORE >

(ProData) Even years after the U.S. government enacted Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPPA, and other regulations, companies continue to define and redefine business processes and functions that touch sensitive data within their organizations. This white paper examines how journaling and auditing tools can greatly simplify the job of continuously providing regulatory compliance. READ MORE >

Chats, Webinars, Seminars, Shows, and Other Happenings

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

March 31-April 2 -- Delavan, Wisconsin - The 24th annual Wisconsin Midrange Computer Professionals Association (WMCPA) Spring Technical Conference will be held at the Lakelawn Resort. It begins Tuesday night at 6 p.m. with an experts' roundtable discussion titled "The System i; IBM's best kept secret. Will it survive in a Changing IT World?" Sessions and labs are scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday. A sample of the educational topics that will be presented by some of the System i community's top experts include: security, backup and recovery, RPG, PHP, XML, CL, and SQL. A tentative agenda featuring these and more topics can be found online. Registration fees for WMCPA members are $350 for one day and $425 for two days. For non-members, the fees are $475 for one day and $550 for two days. LEARN MORE >

April 2 -- Webinar - A product demo of BCD's Nexus Portal will include a technical overview and a walk-through of creating a portal. Key features are highlighted along with step-by-step procedures. The event begins at 2 p.m. EDT. LEARN MORE >

April 2 -- Webinar - If your programmers used IBM's APIs to encrypt data on the System i, then your organization is at risk of failing audits and risking sensitive data if you don't have adequate key management, security controls and audit trails in place. During this online session, topics of discussion will include the latest PCI standards and requirements for protecting sensitive data and managing encryption keys. The dangers that are often found in home-grown encryption solutions will also be discussed. This presentation is hosted by Linoma Software and includes a demonstration of its Crypto Complete product. The session begins at 1 p.m. CDT. LEARN MORE >

April 6-8 -- Framingham, Massachusetts - The annual Northeast User Groups Conference will feature more than 100 sessions and five tracks that will focus on RPG and programming tools such as RPG, SQL, Java, PHP, RDi, and EGL; database technology including SQL and DB2 Web Query; systems management (topics such as security, upgrades, performance tuning, and backup/recovery; Web development including Web services, PHP, and Java; and topics involving management and professional development. The two-day registration fee is $500. Extended hands-on labs and in-depth seminars are available Monday, April 6, for an additional fee. LEARN MORE >

April 8 -- Webinar - Taking RPG applications to the Web is the focus of this online session hosted by ProData. Topics of discussion include creating Web apps that access AS/400 files and programs, leveraging existing RPG skills, embedding HTML and JavaScript into RPG code, and using a graphical development environment. ProData's RPG Server Pages product is featured. The session begins at 2 p.m. CDT. LEARN MORE >

April 8 -- Webinar - Gaining a composite view of customers, orders, products, and inventory by integrating data that's now held in information silos is the topic of this online session. An emphasis on accessing key performance indicators using business mashups will be presented. David Brault, LANSA product manager and speakers from iSeries organizations DEMCO and STRATTEC will explain how composite applications improve productivity, streamline business processes, and reduce costs. This session begins at 11 a.m. CDT. LEARN MORE >

April 9 -- Webinar - This technical session examines the decision to make existing green-screen applications available as Web applications and whether to Web enable them using refacing technology or to rewrite them as separate Web applications that reuse as much of the RPG code as possible. This session begins at noon EDT. LEARN MORE >

April 9 -- Maryland Heights, Missouri - Business intelligence and reporting tools get top billing at the monthly meeting of the Gateway/400 Group, a System i user group serving the greater St. Louis area. Special emphasis is on an open source tool called Flex. Guest speakers are Barb Brown and Craig Jacquez. The meeting begins with lunch at noon and the presentation following lunch. RSVP no later than Monday before the meeting date. LEARN MORE >