Top OS/400 Stories from Around the Web

(IT Jungle) Why Lotus Notes and Domino 8 does not offer native DB2/400 support remains an unanswered question. If you read the blog written by Rob Ingram, the Domino product manager, you'll learn that "Lotus is very committed to the System i." You'll also learn that the "resources and time required for a complete implementation of NSFDB2 on System i are very significant." In other words, there are alternative ways to implement NSFDB2 on System i. Use one of those. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Just a few weeks ago, IBM was calling attention to its recent track record of listening to customers and adding product enhancements based on customer feedback. And COMMON, the international user group, issued a press release noting how pleased it was with IBM for setting up a communications channel with its members. Although that worked commendably well on the hardware side, the disconnect on the software side threatens to give Big Blue a black eye. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Aldon sits atop the application lifecycle management software business in the i5/OS and OS/400 environment. Almost four months ago it was acquired by a private equity firm and its top executives started on a growth and expansion plan that involves additional software company acquisitions. Anyone who thought Aldon was all done in the System i market will be surprised to see what's coming next. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Sizing up the giants of the ERP software business is a tall order, so to speak. But you will find loads of information in this comparison report conducted by the analysts at Aberdeen Group. Total cost of ownership is the ultimate gauge by which this evaluation is made. More than 600 manufacturing companies were included in the survey. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Meanwhile, the analysts at IDC were giving out report cards that ranked vendors in the data warehousing software business. The IDC analysis breaks down the data warehousing tools market into tools that generate data warehouses and tools that help manage them. Oracle and IBM lead the field in terms of sales. READ MORE >

(MCPress) Guest writer Duncan Kenzie adds his two cents worth to the topic of integrating data by using service oriented architecture and Web services technology. His advice includes a complete analysis of the existing technology in your organization before deciding whether to scrap it, salvage the most useful parts, or build upon its strengths. READ MORE >

(SearchCIO) When it comes to ROI on SOA, almost two-thirds of the projects are DOA. How do you get a better return on investment? "The key is that services need to be built in such a way that they can get leveraged in different contexts, and that you provide an agile platform for business processes," says Maja Tibbling, the lead enterprise architect at Con-Way, a huge freight and logistics company. READ MORE >

Vendor Announcements, Promotions, and Deals

(IT Jungle) Is customer relationship management software in for a change? One new vendor with a product based on open source programming will likely create quite a stir. But will it have a lasting effect or will it fade into the shadows? Its best chance is in the mid-market, a segment where CRM applications have yet to take hold. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Database encryption could save your potatoes. The damages from a data loss can be widespread and deceptively costly. Some organizations have had no choice but to undertake complex encryption processes, while others have been standing on the sidelines knowing they need to get in the encryption game, but not knowing how or when. The task that was once overwhelming has taken a turn for the better. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Application modernization is about extending programs to users beyond the reach of proprietary systems. It's a priority for many organizations in the System i and System z installed bases. So it really is not a surprise that two companies with specializations in each of those platforms merged in order to expand upon what they do best. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Data quality is not a line item on anyone's balance sheet. But improving data quality has a positive effect on many of the categories that do show up on a balance sheet. It increases people productivity, asset management, and sales, just to get the conversation going. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) OS/400- and i5/OS-based ERP systems are among the most trusted and most popular back-end systems deployed in the midrange market. A common shortcoming, however, is to get that data onto Excel spreadsheets. If streamlining this portion of your ERP system could be useful to your organization, check this out. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Enterprise service buses are gaining popularity in data centers because they are a foundational tool for building service oriented architectures and for stringing together Web services and other application integration protocols. When teamed with an existing J2EE application server, SOA projects typically become much easier to implement. READ MORE >

Redbooks, White Papers, and Other OS/400 Resources

(Payment Card Industry) The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) details the security requirements for credit card merchants, service providers, and processors. Any organization that stores, processes or transmits cardholder data is required to comply with the PCI DSS. This assessment questionnaire, developed by the PCI, helps organizations determine how well they are complying with the PCI DSS. READ MORE >

(Informatica) Poor data quality leads to breakdowns in the supply chain, bad business decisions, and inferior customer relationship management. To gain a better return on the data investment at your company, the data needs to be managed better. The Informatica library includes white papers on topics such as improving data quality, data integration with a service oriented architecture, and calculating return on investment. READ MORE >

(iWay) Technical staff frequently talks about the need for service oriented architecture, but rarely in terms that business managers understand. This white paper sums up the benefits of service oriented architecture and show ways to avoid the danger of implementing technology for technology's sake. READ MORE >

(IBM) For those interested in SQL, this white paper covers the enhancements to DB2 for i5/OS (DB2/400). Of particular note is the Expression Evaluator component and the performance boost it provides to stored procedures, functions, and triggers. READ MORE >

Chats, Webinars, Seminars, Shows, and Other Happenings

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

September 7 -- Webinar - This 15-minute session explains how to convert AS/400 spooled files to fully formatted Excel spreadsheets without programming and without circumventing AS/400 security by using SpoolFlex software. Topics of discussion will include e-mailing reports directly from the AS/400 and archiving copies on the network server. The event begins at 2 p.m. EDT. LEARN MORE >

September 10 -- Jacksonville, Florida - Guest speaker Susan Yoskin will discuss DB2 Web Query for System i at the Central Florida Midrange Users Group meeting. The presentation will cover the new Web-based query and report-writing tool and include demonstrations of the report and graph modules as well as modules relating to On Line Analytical Processing and dashboard building. The event will take place at the IBM offices, 4601 Touchton Road, and begins at 5:30 p.m. E-mail benbrower@comcast.net for more details and reservations.

September 11 -- Orlando, Florida - Guest speaker Susan Yoskin will discuss DB2 Web Query for System i at the Central Florida Midrange Users Group meeting. The presentation will cover the new Web-based query and report-writing tool and include demonstrations of the report and graph modules as well as modules relating to On Line Analytical Processing and dashboard building. The event will take place on the campus of DeVry University and begins at 6:15 p.m. LEARN MORE >

September 11 -- Beaverton, Oregon - A presentation on the IBM WebSphere DataPower SOA appliances will be the highlight of the regular monthly meeting of the Cascade iSeries User Group. Guest speakers, IBM's Brian Bell and Marc Adlam, will explain how these products can help simplify, secure, and accelerate an XML and Web services deployment. The meeting will be held at the IBM offices, 15400 S.W. Koll Parkway between 1 and 3 p.m. LEARN MORE >

September 12 -- Webcast - This session titled "Practical Application Modernization," intends to highlight how the word modernization causes confusion in the System i industry. Midrange expert and award-winning speaker Trevor Perry will outline an approach to modernization that aims to reduce confusion and illuminate modernization goals using an example relevant to companies with applications implemented over many years on System i. Managing change as applications are modernized means using new tools, and bringing cross-platform development teams together. Ray Bernardi, Solutions Architect at ARCAD Software, will demonstrate ways to organize development and ensure application integrity -- whether you are working with RPG, RPGLE, SQL, Java, .NET or other Web technologies. LEARN MORE >

September 13 -- Webinar - Encrypting database fields on the System i, secure key management, and audit trails are among the subjects to be discussed in this session hosted by Linoma Software. The company's latest product, Crypto Complete, will be prominently featured. Crypto Complete is designed to automate the encryption process. This session begins at 11 a.m. CDT. LEARN MORE >

September 13 -- Milwaukee, Wisconsin - Making modifications to third-party applications and then dealing with product updates is the topic of the day at the monthly meeting of the Wisconsin Midrange Computer Professional Association. Guest speaker is Christopher Burns, director of client system modernization at the GEMKO Information Group. Burns is well versed in the areas of custom programming, modernization, networking, database, web development, the IFS and Windows integration. This session will focus on "Externalization," which he describes as "getting ample equivalent custom function without altering the vendor's source code." Two sessions are on the agenda. The first begins at 4:30 p.m. The second begins at 7:30. In between is dinner and networking with the members. LEARN MORE >

September 13 -- Maryland Heights, Missouri - IBM's Jacqueline Jansen will discuss the DB2 Web Query for System i product at the monthly meeting of the Gateway/400 Group, an iSeries user group serving the greater St. Louis area. LEARN MORE >

September 13 -- King of Prussia, Pennsylvania - A presentation on network resiliency relating to disaster recovery will be highlighted at the quarterly meeting of the Delaware Valley Computer Users Group. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. at the offices of Strohl Systems. LEARN MORE >

September 13 -- Kent, Washington - The Pacific Midrange Systems Association meeting features a session on DB2 Web Query this month. Guest speaker is IBM's Doug Mack. His presentation will include an overview of this new tool and he will cover such topics as reporting and graphing, improving the look and functionality of existing Query/400 reports, and creating dashboards. The meeting begins at 11:30 a.m. LEARN MORE >