Top OS/400 Stories from Around the Web

(IT Jungle) SAP has had great success selling its software to the world's biggest enterprises. Can it build on that success in the fertile fields of the small- to mid-size market? The big (really big) fish in the small pond business model frequently does not work, but SAP is altering the traditional game plan and going with the software as a service approach. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) SAP is taking a page out of the AS/400 playbook when it comes to marketing and selling its new A1S application suite. Rather than go the direct sales route, the software giant is putting it in the hands of the reseller network. Seems like a smart idea because those resellers have inroads into businesses that are uncharted on SAP sales maps. READ MORE >

(MCPress) While the arm wrestling match for market share between open-source IDEs was won some time ago by Eclipse, the soon-to-be released version of NetBeans may re-ignite a longstanding competition. READ MORE >

(System iNetwork) Is our higher education system bringing home failing grades, particularly in subjects relating to information technology and business? One employment recruiter who specializes in the System i market says the dearth of new talent entering the IT field is the fault of the industry, not higher education. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Some people do their best work when their backs are up against the wall. Performance under pressure--like a big hit in the ninth inning to win a big game at the end of the season. Or better yet, deploy a Web-based reporting system that interfaces with multiple host systems, and do it in three weeks. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Instead of creating an RPG Web solution, IBM decided to make EGL its strategic path. What happened to the natural browser-based interface to RPG? EGL is a warmed-over 1980s mainframe code generator previously known as Cross System Product. Which programmers did IBM survey before putting this plan in place? READ MORE >

(System iNetwork) It's possible that IBM's independent software vendors will more actively package System i hardware with their applications. This would be the total solution approach that harkens back to the glory days of the AS/400. READ MORE >

Vendor Announcements, Promotions, and Deals

(IT Jungle) Not every application modernization project entails hardware upgrades and the services of consultants to put it on the fast track to success, but for a great many of them it becomes part of the equation. Sometimes it's necessity and sometimes it just makes sense. Thinking of the project in these terms from the beginning and financing it in a leasing arrangement rather than a purchase might put wings on your otherwise grounded modernization plans. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Maybe it should be a competitive event with a trophy, champagne, and cash prizes awarded to the winner. The world's fastest green-screen terminal operator would be that amazing combination of speed, agility, and complete coolness under pressure. High-speed navigating in an ocean of green screens is a remarkable talent, but it falls woefully short when compared to software that automates and integrates. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) This goes beyond bang for the buck. I think this qualifies as "the bomb," if anyone uses that term anymore. The cost is a meager 200 bucks. The benefit is an automated spool file distribution utility that is the integral piece in a system that archives reports within a MAPICS enterprise resource planning package. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Why use PHP to develop Web applications on the System i? The answer begins with interoperability. PHP apps will also run on Linux, Unix, and Windows servers. Developers can also access multiple databases as well as call existing RPG programs. Good points. Now on to the rest of the story. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) For those of you who are learning your way around the WebSphere IDE and the application development tools for RPG, Java, COBOL, XML, Web, and Web services, here are few other conveniences that will not cost you a thing. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) When you own and operate large hotel and convention center complexes, reliance on the System i and its highly regarded application software packages is almost automatic. Like following through with guest relations as a top priority, you don't mess with success. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Big Blue got out the clippers recently and took a little bit off the top of prices for user-based software access on its new Capacity BackUp (CBU) editions. Price reductions are always a good thing, but it also leads to the assumption that the boxes aren't selling particularly well. READ MORE >

Redbooks, White Papers, and Other OS/400 Resources

(IBM) This Webcast from the IBM archives discusses team-based collaboration advancements that are available in the Web 2.0-based Lotus Connections and Lotus Quickr. An emphasis is placed on improving communications with employees, business partners, and customers. READ MORE >

(MKS) Requirements may be the most critical aspect of the software development cycle. More than 60 percent of software projects in the U.S. fail and poor requirements are one of the top reasons. This paper examines requirements management and how the company's Integrity software can help in areas such as parallel development, versioning, and base lining. 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 >

(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 >

(Vision Solutions) If you aren't exactly sure how much one hour of downtime costs your organization, this white paper will assist in determining that figure and provide suggestions for effectively managing this risk.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 28 -- 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 >

October 2-4 -- Minneapolis, Minnesota - Building on the skills of RPG and DB2 database developers is the focus of the RPG and DB2 Summit, a three-day conference organized by a consortium of some of the leading independent System i gurus. Educational sessions will be presented by Susan Gantner, Jon Paris, Paul Touhy and Skip Marchesani, as well as other IBM and independent subject experts. Session topics include: new RPG skills, AJAX and XML for RPG programmers, iSeries Navigator, Remote Systems Explorer, creating and managing database objects using SQL, query optimizer, database engines, stored procedures, and triggers. For a complete list of topic areas, check out the sessions link on the event home page where a link to registration information can also be found. LEARN MORE >

October 2 -- Irvine, California - A one-day session of interactive group exercises and discussions on topics that include core business alignment, bringing vision to project success, building great project teams, and application acquisition and integration will be presented by noted System I speakers Bob Tipton and Dave Ellison. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. and the sessions begin at 8:30 LEARN MORE >

October 3 -- Mississauga, Ontario, Canada - Dr. Frank Soltis, Chief Scientist for the System i, will be the guest speaker at the monthly meeting of the Toronto User Group. His session on future directions for the System i will begin at 7 p.m. There will also be a session focused on business intelligence, with guest speaker Robert Eckersley, Alliance Manager for Information Builders Canada, beginning at 5 p.m. LEARN MORE >

October 10 -- Webinar - Tracking and reporting changes to database files for regulatory compliance management or internal control requirements is the focus of this session hosted by ProData Computer Services. This session will feature ProData's software, DBU Audit, and explains how it improves upon DBU change logs by storing the data in journals rather than spooled files. The 30-minute event begins at 2 p.m. CDT. LEARN MORE >

October 10 -- Webinar - Extending legacy applications to increase functionality and intuitiveness will be discussed in this online presentation by David Brault, product manager at LANSA. Highlighted in this session will be several examples of businesses that have transformed applications quickly and without major disruptions to their users. The event is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. CDT. Additional Webinars, featuring additional customer deployments, will be held October 23 and November 15 and 28. LEARN MORE >

October 14-17 -- Columbus, Ohio - The COMMON Focus 2007 workshop conference event is set up for 15 all-day educational workshops each confined to a specific topic. Attendees can attend only one workshop per day, and each workshop will include a combination of lecture and lab presentations. Areas of concentration include modernizing RPG applications, implementing i5/OS security, WebSphere Development Studio, PHP, disaster recovery, SQL, and systems management. A complete listing of workshops is available on the event Web page. There will also be a vendor exhibition area. LEARN MORE >