Top OS/400 Stories from Around the Web

(MCPress) For the past two-plus years, Mark Shearer has been the general manager in the System i division. Now that System i is divided into two business units, Shearer has a slightly different role. In this interview, he explains why the changes were made and what's in store for System i, i5/OS, and the ecosystem that includes users, vendors, business partners, and the potential for adding new customers. READ MORE >

(iSociety) Mark Shearer's Fireside Chat covers the System i reorganization, i5/OS on a Power6 blade server, user-based pricing across the entire System i line-up, the Rochester Lab, Academic Initiative, and lots more. You can read the transcript of this question and answer session here. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) If timing is everything, then bad timing is . . . hmmm, something else . . . and that's not particularly good. The announcements of the System i being split into two divisions, the schedule for the System i rollout of Power6 servers, and the news about i5/OS V6R1 seemed to be out of synch. Some of this mistiming can be blamed on product delays and some may be attributable to the spin doctors. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Serial Attached SCSI disk drives in the 2.5-inch form factor are on the way, my System i friends. This is particularly good news for those of you who are already lining up for the new Power6-based System i 570 server, which becomes available next month. They will see performance gains that the others won't. But that doesn't mean the rest of the System i users are powerless in their search for storage improvements. They get a goodie bag, too. READ MORE >

(MCPress) Upgrade paths usually get some attention whenever a new server line is announced, so with the Power6-based i570 on the horizon there are a few things to keep in mind. Come December, IBM will discontinue upgrades from the Model 825 to the Power6 Model 570. On April 1, 2008, owners of the Models 870 and 890 will be in that same boat. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Welcome back to "Let's Make a Deal." On stage is BluePhoenix Software, an IBM business partner in the mainframe market. They've chosen what's behind curtain number one, and it's Amalgamated Software of North America, better known as ASNA. AS/400, iSeries, and System i users know the ASNA name because it has been developing and marketing visual programming and systems software for specific to this platform for the past 25 years. The sale of ASNA is pending, but the final arrangements should be worked out in a week or two. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) A recently completed report by the Environmental Protection Agency forecasts that electricity usage by servers and data centers could nearly double by 2011 if changes are not made in terms of efficiency built in to the servers and the way data centers are operating. Demand for energy is increasing. Demand for power management better gain some significance starting now. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) When it comes to off-the-shelf ERP systems compared to homegrown, there's always going to be questions about the levels of customization. Here's the story of a company with an ERP system that was outdated and suffering from limited functionality. Inventory control was one of the top priorities in a new system, and now that replacement system is up and running. Much of it is out of the box software, but certain things needed that custom touch. READ MORE >

Vendor Announcements, Promotions, and Deals

(IT Jungle) That old horse, Query/400, is about to be put out to pasture. That doesn't mean it's being sent to the glue factory. It just means its replacement, DB2 Web Query, is the front-runner now. DB2 Web Query is built for modern business intelligence and is closer to a revolutionary advancement than an evolutionary enhancement. As a side note, some existing Query/400 customers will be in a position to get DB2 Web Query as a free upgrade. Could be you. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Like ham and eggs, PHP and MySQL just aren't as good when they're not paired up with one another. Most of the existing commercial PHP applications were developed to use the MySQL database. So if you're finding a place for PHP in your development plans, MySQL Enterprise for i5/OS, a new package of software and support services for System i customers, should be on your radar screen. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) System administrators don't use crystal balls to predict and plan for the demands on system resources. (Go ahead and prove me wrong.) So what are the predictive capabilities that are within your power? Jobs that eat up DASD and CPW are a couple of things to watch, but what is the extent of your forecasting abilities? READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Two of the common denominators for in-progress portal projects are human resources in a business-to-employee relationship and a self-service aspect. And because IBM has found SAP human resources management as a major cog in these developments, it has released a Workforce Management Accelerator to speed the portal-building process. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) One way to streamline business operations with software is to add tax management to a solid ERP suite of products. Because of near-constant changes in tax laws, tax rates, and tax compliance requirements, it can be a burden just keeping up with this evolving scene. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Outsourcing enterprise resource planning systems is an appealing option for some companies. ERP is a heavy load, so having a contracted company do the lifting in that area means more time and energy can be focused on doing the first job at hand--developing and selling products and services. That's why you are in business in the first place. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) When organizations make the decision to migrate i5/OS applications to another platform, it could be done for all the wrong reasons or it might make perfect sense. If migration is meant to be, then the quest to accomplish that with the least amount of pain and expense becomes the quest. Got any ideas about how to do that? Here's one. READ MORE >

Redbooks, White Papers, and Other OS/400 Resources

(IBM) To start learning the ins and outs of DB2 Web Query for System i, check out this FAQ document produced by IBM. It provides an overview of the product's features and capabilities, a comparison with Query/400, and other useful background information. READ MORE >

(MySQL) Interest in MySQL is growing along with the interest in PHP among the System i developer crowd. Find out what MySQL database users are doing based on a variety of survey responses posted on this site. Two examples: What database connectors/APIs are use or are you planning to use with MySQL? And, how do you backup your production MySQL databases? Many more insights to be found. READ MORE >

(PowerTech) 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 >

(BCD) Portals are being used to access enterprise information, applications, and documents through Web browsers. It's a way to organize content and consolidate security and user information. For those who are exploring portal technology, this beta program featuring BCD's Nexus would be a good way to become familiar with the landscape. READ MORE >

Chats, Webinars, Seminars, Shows, and Other Happenings

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

August 9 -- Houston - IBM's Hardware Management Console will be the focus of a presentation during the Houston Applications Systems Group monthly meeting. This month the meeting begins with dinner at 5:45 p.m. and the presentation at 6:30. It will be held at HAL-PC, 4543 Post Oak Place Drie, Suite 200. RSVP required. LEARN MORE >

August 12-17 -- San Diego - IBM technical training tailored for enterprise-class IT professionals will be featured at the SHARE user conference. More than 700 technical sessions and hands-on labs will be presented by industry experts, top developers, and experienced users. Session topics range from implementation of new software releases to in-depth views of the latest technologies. Session topics will include services-oriented architecture, Web services, ITIL, and mobile computing. A preconference workshop on DB2 for z/OS is also on the agenda. If you don't know about SHARE, you should. It has been educating IT professionals since 1955--the longest history of any IT user group. LEARN MORE >

August 15 -- Webcast - The new DB2 Web Query tool is in the spotlight during this session presented by Doug Mack, IBM's System i DB2 product marketing manager. This event is presented by iSociety, the online System i community. Membership is free, and it is required to gain access to this session, which begins at 1 p.m. CDT. LEARN MORE >

August 15 -- Webinar - A session highlighting retail topics such as customer service, returns management, cross-selling and up-selling, balancing inventory with customer demands, reducing bottom-line costs and improving supplier and customer communications will be presented by industry expert James Dion and hosted by software vendor VAI. Dion is an internationally known author and consultant. The event begins at 2 p.m. EDT. LEARN MORE >

August 20 -- New York, New York - The CRM Acceleration Summit is a one-day event focused on customer relationship management best practices. Session topics include expanding typical CRM uses, structuring CRM around your customer approach; implementation, customer data management, and user adoption; and maintaining customer focus within your IT strategy. The event is hosted by CRM software vendor SugarCRM. LEARN MORE >

August 22 -- Salinas, California - A seminar for food processors and distributors will be held from 8:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the John Steinbeck Center in this Central California town. It is hosted by software vendors VAI and AG Business. The agenda includes breakfast and a software demonstration followed by a question and answer session. Topics of discussion include traceability, food safety and security. LEARN MORE >

August 22 -- Webinar - Document management for accounts receivable will be the focus of this session, which is intended to go beyond substituting electronic documents for paper documents. Hosting this one-hour event is ACOM Solutions, developer of integrated document management solutions for the iSeries/System i and Microsoft Windows environments. ACOM officials say this session, the third in a series, will go into issues such as document design and production, storage and recovery, document delivery, document retention, and the complementary technologies that are involved in blending these disparate functions into an integrated whole. Earlier sessions in the series are available for viewing at the ACOM Web site. This session begins at 11 a.m. PDT. LEARN MORE >

August 28 -- Webinar - A session on business and financial performance management for the transportation industry is being presented by New Generation Software. Content focuses on the IBM System I server and how to obtain business analytics and reporting solutions to better manage operations and lower costs. Topics of discussion will include how the NGS-IQ business intelligence solution addresses the needs of a CIO in maintaining data integrity and performance; a CFO with timely access to financial data viewable through dynamic Web dashboards; and a CEO with quick deployment, affordable cost, and minimal upkeep. Examples of NGS-IQ performance and financial dashboards and OLAP models, Microsoft Excel-based reports, and other functions of the product line are included in the presentation. LEARN MORE >