Top OS/400 Stories from Around the Web

(IT Jungle) The user-based pricing on the entry-level i5 515 and 525 servers is being fine-tuned to better fit customers with specific uses. Primarily this comes into play in determining concurrent users as differentiated from all users. Kudos to IBM for quickly making this adjustment based on customer feedback. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) The first of IBM's Power6 servers will be available in two weeks. As predicted, the System p boxes will be the first to get this high performance, high memory bandwidth processor upgrade. IBM has not released a schedule for its other lines to adopt the Power6, but expectations are for a complete roll-out by early 2008. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Aldon, one of the major vendors in the System i application lifecycle development tools business for many years, is the most recent company in the i5/OS ecosystem to be purchased by a private equity firm. Why did Marlin Equity Partners want Aldon and what has this investment company interested in our little corner of the IT world? READ MORE >

(System iNetwork) All wise cracks aside, size really does matter when it comes to salaries. And according to one of the well-known salary surveys that was just released, high tech salaries jumped more than 5 percent in 2006. Good news so far, but does that increase carry through to our System i brothers and sisters? Yes! READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Bad things can happen to good people. One example is a vendor-customer relationship that sours. Life in the data center is no fairy tale with a guaranteed happy ending for the customer or the software vendor. Here's what happened when two high availability vendors and one reseller tried to solve a company's data and application replication needs. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) The title of this IDC report will hit home with a lot of executives--hit home like a wrecking ball. How do you like this? "Selling is dead. It's All About Relationship Management Now." What this is really all about is the widening divide between IT buyers and IT sellers. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Stockholders in IBM are a needy bunch. They need annual earnings per share growth of 10 percent and above and they need assurances that this will not only continue on course but increase according to some well laid out plans. So here are the plans: share buybacks, organic growth in existing markets, expansion in emerging markets, and acquisitions of companies that build the bottom line. READ MORE >

Vendor Announcements, Promotions, and Deals

(IT Jungle) Call center technology, like most anything else you can think of, has its strengths and weaknesses. It is getting a great deal of scrutiny from executives honing in on the importance of call centers in their overall business objectives. They see automation and integration with existing application software as key pieces to the puzzle. Of course, off-the-shelf simplicity is appreciated when it fits the business requirements. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) You may have a tool that gives real-time access to DB2/400, but what if your database access needs include other databases such as SQL Server, DB2 UDB, Oracle, and MySQL? Not a problem. And not a security issue either. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Not all enterprise resource planning applications come from the ERP giants that have conglomerated their way to expansive customer bases. There's a lot to be said for simplicity and service. And, honestly, there are not that many ERP software companies that can get those two things right. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Subversion, the open source software for change management, has accomplished the unimaginable. It has achieved success without being hyped. Success without hype? Who could believe such a thing occurs? After being released three years ago, the number of developers on board this ship is estimated at 1.75 million. A few of those have made quite a name for themselves. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Feeling insecure because you know there are self-inflicted security risks hanging over your AS/400, iSeries, or System i server? Wishing them away isn't going to help, and if any of the top management mentions the word "audit," it would probably hit you like a sucker punch to the belly. Maybe it's time you took a closer look at security software. READ MORE >

Redbooks, White Papers, and Other OS/400 Resources

(Maximum Availability) This report covers key business issues that revolve around the concept of business continuity. Among the issues it touches upon are: data volume and complexity, data loss, downtime, high availability, and disaster recovery. READ MORE >

(Power Tech) The data in this report originates from iSeries security assessments conducted during the past 12 months. It may open your eyes to risks that require attention in your own IT department. Confidential information may not be as protected as you think it is. READ MORE >

(iMessaging Systems) This white paper examines interactive voice response software (sometimes referred to as call routing) and how it works with OS/400-based applications. The description includes examples of how customers can gain automated 24-hour-a-day access to company services and information. Cases are taken from several industries and an ROI analysis based on each example. READ MORE >

(LogLogic) This white paper by the SANS Institute uncovers and defines the importance of proper log management. It includes real-world issues facing the IT community, best practices of log management, traditional vs. new high-performance commercial solutions, and the capturing of all log data messages including informational levels. READ MORE >

(BOSaNOVA) When it comes to data security, it is necessary to take steps beyond firewalls, virtual private networks, and intrusion prevention systems. That's why the topic of data encryption has gained so much attention. This white paper looks at risk assessment and regulatory compliance while make a strong case for encryption. READ MORE >

Chats, Webinars, Seminars, Shows, and Other Happenings

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

May 20-25 -- Orlando, Florida - IBM's Impact 2007 conference features WebSphere and service oriented architecture (SOA) as the stars. Hear the story from IBM, analysts, and companies that have implemented SOA. There will be 325 sessions and labs and three separate tracks are designed for business leaders, IT executives, and technical personnel. LEARN MORE >

May 20-25 -- Las Vegas, Nevada - This year's expanded Interop 2007 IT Conference puts its educational focus on interoperability. A partial list of session topics include: application delivery, collaboration, security, service oriented architecture, storage, unified communications, virtualization, and VoIP. More than 200 educational sessions will be offered. There will also be intensive full-day and two-day courses for CIOs, security executives, and networking management to name a few. The expo area features more than 400 exhibitors. Keynote speakers include Microsoft's Senior Vice President of Server and Tools Business, Bob Muglia; Nortel's President and CEO Zafirovski; and Cisco System's Chairman and CEO John Chambers. LEARN MORE >

June 6 -- Webinar - Database administration, index management, and the capability to analyze database objects and recommend best practices using software from Centerfield Technology will be the topic of this online session. Managing SQL indexes and logical files on the iSeries and System i get special attention. The benefits of Centerfield's soon-to-be-released HomeRun software will also be highlighted. LEARN MORE >

June 18-22 -- Scottsdale, Arizona - The IBM System i Spring Technical Conference features excellent training sessions on topics ranging from server consolidation and WebSphere to PHP and VoIP. Other topics include: Java Virtual Machine, free-format SQL in RPG applications and enhancements to CL, workload management, and database-performance management and index-maintenance tools. Educational sessions are geared for IS managers, programmers, system analysts, administrators, and operators. LEARN MORE >