Top OS/400 Stories from Around the Web

(IT Jungle) "Old Reliable" may not be the sexiest slogan you could use to sell a product, but it sure as heck beats "Old Unreliable." It's a mystery why buyers don't place a higher premium on reliability. IT provides a good example. There's the hardware, the operating system, the software, and the people with the responsibility to avoid downtime. Starting with servers, the Power Systems are as good as it gets according to this survey. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Most of us stand a better chance of finding gold in the nearest creek than figuring out how IBM's quarterly financial reports relate to the server sales of individual platforms. It's not an exact science, but it helps if you know where to look. If you've found nuggets in particular streams, it's a good idea to go back there again. In this case, it's not a bad idea to let Timothy Prickett Morgan be your guide. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) You either believe what IBM says about the future of the i (code name AS/400) or you don't. Are there reasonable investments being made in the platform or have the lights been dimmed and the development drastically scaled back? IBM may have no louder critic than Bob Cancilla, who says a truly great system is on a very short leash. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Competition is like a razor, but instead of shaving whiskers it shaves costs. A good example can be found among the users of JD Edwards ERP systems where third-party vendors are reducing maintenance costs. With vendors promising a 50 percent cut in maintenance expenses, you have to believe there are companies glad to make deals. Among the deal makers are a healthy portion of JDE shops that run on IBM AS/400s. READ MORE >

(Newsweek) What makes IBM profitable? Investing globally is a big part of it. So is its emphasis on selling business expertise rather than computer technology. That may be a bitter reality for people who are technology oriented, especially those who color themselves true Blue. Inevitably, they will have to learn to separate the bitter from the reality. And the reality is that IBM isn't the only tech company sailing in this direction. READ MORE >

Vendor Announcements, Promotions, and Deals

(IT Jungle) Security doesn't begin and end with encryption, but companies are investing in it for good reason. And it's not just companies that are heavily invested in credit card processing and the handling of sensitive financial information. That just happens to be where the biggest red flag is flying today. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Is there any question that optical data storage is ready for enterprise use? Yes. Despite the inroads made by Ultra Density Optical and the testimonials by companies that swear by it, UDO and now Blu-Ray Disc have struggled to gain market share at the enterprise level. That's not to say the enterprise is out of reach. Buyers are still discovering the benefits and the pitfalls and sorting through the baloney. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) When the customers of an IBM AS/400 barcoding software company speak up about what enhancements they need most, the answer came up: document management capabilities. So report writing, conditional printing, dynamic formatting, and a Web-based document portal have been introduced to fill the needs. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Web application paralysis is practically an epidemic in the IBM AS/400 installed base. Java has a lot to do with that, so development that avoids anything to do with Java will normally get a second look from companies with a plan that's stuck in a holding pattern. If you're in that category, line up here. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) One day you're day dreaming of floating in a swimming pool with a cool drink in your hand and the next day you find your software development project is taking on water and sinking fast. How could things get out of control so quickly? More importantly, how can you prevent this bad dream from becoming your bad dream? READ MORE >

Redbooks, White Papers, and Other OS/400 Resources

(ECC) Desktop computing expenses have received a lot of attention as IT departments are being required to help organizations reduce costs. This paper reveals how some forays into virtualization are masking problems rather than eliminating them. It focuses on a strategy that separates the applications from the desktops. READ MORE >

(Raz-Lee) Guidelines for best security practices related to PCI compliance and the IBM Power i are covered in this report. Of particular note are vulnerabilities related to system exit points and the lack of application data trails. Either one can allow data to be exposed. READ MORE >

(Patrick Townsend Security Solutions) The word "encryption" implies strength and reliability. Or is that just your ill conceived assumption based on old and incomplete information? This brief report includes a current view of encryption and includes questions to ask before you make a buying decision. READ MORE >

(LANSA) This white paper discusses developing real world IBM i applications using Microsoft's .NET Framework. Topics include how .NET can be used to integrate the IBM i with other enterprise platforms like Microsoft SQL Server and SharePoint, the requirements for developing and running .NET applications connected to the IBM i and the most critical enterprise level development issues faced by IBM i .NET applications. 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 27 -- Fort Washington, Pennsylvania - A one-day educational seminar on SQL is being co-hosted by the Delaware Valley Computer Users Group and the Mid-Atlantic Midrange user group. This six-hour seminar is designed as an introduction to SQL on the IBM i, (System i, iSeries, and AS/400) or a review for those needing an SQL refresher course. Topics to be covered include basic concepts, as well as some intermediate and advanced subjects. David Prescott, an AS/400 specialist since 1987, will be the instructor. The sessions begin at 8:30 a.m. and conclude at 5 p.m. and will be held at the Holiday Inn. The course fee is $250 for user group members and $295 for non-user group members. LEARN MORE >

August 27 -- Webinar - A technical overview of BCD's Nexus portal is featured in this online session that provides the step-by-step process of creating a portal while detailing the key features and offering tips for a successful implementation. The event begins at 1:30 p.m. EDT. LEARN MORE >

August 27 -- Fairfield, New Jersey - Guest speaker Trent Seeney will discuss Web development and rendering data and metrics to smart phones such as the iPhone and BlackBerry. An emphasis will be placed designing minimalist Web pages and providing drill-down capabilities. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. and will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. LEARN MORE >

September 1 -- Webinar - Mobilizing IBM i applications to gain access to company information will be the focus of this online presentation hosted by looksoftware. The presentation will include a demonstration of smart phones connected to i OS apps; an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the iPhone, BlackBerry, and other smart phones; and tips for mobile access implementations. The session begins at noon EDT. LEARN MORE >

September 9 -- Webinar - Partition resource utilization and IBM i Performance analysis and capacity planning are the main agenda items during this online session presented by Lloyd Perera, a specialist in IBM i Collection Services performance analysis and capacity planning. The session is scheduled for 8 p.m. CDT. That's 8 o'clock in the evening, which is unusual for a Webinar, but it's coming from Australia. LEARN MORE >

September 9 -- Webinar - Migrating from internal integrated storage to an external storage area network will be discussed in this session, which promises to shed light on the process and the solutions available to IBM i users. Topics to be discussed include System storage products that can be used in an i partition, how to size a storage solution, and the functionality that a SAN can provide. This presentation, by IBM's Chuck Stupca, begins at noon CDT. LEARN MORE >

September 10 -- Maryland Heights, Missouri - Tips on implementing encryption with RPG and WDSc will be presented by Charles Guarino at the monthly meeting of the Gateway/400 Group, a System i user group serving the greater St. Louis area. The meeting begins with lunch at noon and the presentation following lunch. RSVP no later than Monday before the meeting date. LEARN MORE >

September 10 -- Webinar - Web enablement of 5250 screens--including menus, subfiles, and window lookups will be featured in this online session that highlights BCD Presto. This product demo will also show how to enhance screens with images, links, and other user interface changes. The session begins at 1 p.m. EDT. LEARN MORE >

September 10 -- Milwaukee, Wisconsin - Two sessions on control language (CL) and RPG are on the agenda during the monthly meeting of the Wisconsin Midrange Computer Professional Association. Guest speaker is Bruce Vining who will discuss a product he is introducing that provides database, display file, and printer file support to CL in a session at 4:30 p.m. and later, in a session at 7:30 p.m. he will discuss CL and RPG updates that relate to V5R3, V5R4, and V6R1. Vining runs a contract programming and consulting business and is a highly regarded application development expert, author, and speaker. The meeting will be held at Klemmer's Banquet Center located at 10401 West Oklahoma Avenue. LEARN MORE >

September 14-17 -- Indianapolis, Indiana - COMMON Directions and COMMON Focus double up in the Midwest to offer a variety of education opportunities. COMMON Directions will be held Monday, September 14 and Tuesday, September 15. COMMON Focus will be held Tuesday, September 15 through Thursday, September 17. The one day overlap allows attendees of either conference to take advantage of the unique educational opportunities that the other conference offers. Both conference events will be held at the Hyatt Regency Indianapolis. In addition to the educational sessions, this conference also features a vendor expo where attendees can learn about hardware, software, and services innovations. LEARN MORE >