Top OS/400 Stories from Around the Web

(IT Jungle) Now that the System i division has been split in half, with high-end boxes being combined with the System p servers in the Power Systems division, and low-end boxes relegated to the Business Systems Division, calculating System i quarterly revenue is about as easy as catching a fish with a lasso. But it wouldn't be called the IT Jungle if we didn't give it a shot. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) It's no surprise that IBM midrange and mainframe servers hold their value a lot more than X86 Windows gear. But you may not know that this has created a healthy market for used machines. In the months to come, second-hand dealers expect to see a flood of relatively new i5 Model 520s, giving bargain-hunters with no WebSphere requirements a potential gold mine. READ MORE >

(System i Network) The rate of mergers and acquisitions of software and IT services firms continued to pick up speed during the first half of 2007. In the System i world, M&A activity is having a particularly big impact, particularly in the market for i5/OS high availability software. As software companies struggle with the cultural and technical aspects of acquisitions, customers should take a close look at their long-term strategies.READ MORE >

(MC Press) Social mores are loosening the world over as they relate to same-sex marriage. But when it comes to tying the human-cyber knot, the Dutch have taken a commanding lead, as one university researcher in The Netherlands sees no reason why people shouldn't be able to marry their favorite robot. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) In the United States, IT managers figure they're doing pretty good if their annual compensation reaches into six digits. But in Switzerland and Denmark, such salaries are par for the course, as the average IT manager's salary is up to 30 percent higher than on this side of the pond. READ MORE >

Vendor Announcements, Promotions, and Deals

(IT Jungle) You've watched as companies like Red Hat and MySQL have built solid businesses around the open source software model for operating systems and databases, respectively. Now a French company by the name of Talend is attempting to do the same for data integration tools, and it just introduced support for the i5/OS platform. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Computer telephony integration, or CTI, has long been a tool used in the call centers of Fortune 500 companies. With the advent of Voice over IP (VoIP) technology, smaller businesses, including customers of i5/OS ERP vendor VAI, are finding the benefits of integrating their telephone systems with their business applications. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Knowing which users are accessing which files can be extremely valuable from a security perspective. It can also help to assure your organization is complying with new regulations. LogLogic delivers this capability with its log collection and analysis product.READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) What do you have when you get a pre-configured data mart, more than 60 pre-defined reports, a Web-based interface, and development tools for creating your own reports from i5/OS data? Decision Assist--Business Performance, a new suite of business intelligence tools for distributors from New Generation Software. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Customers that run their Lawson ERP software on AIX or HP-UX servers recently gained support for 64-bit computing. But 64-bit support for i5/OS will have to wait, according to company officials. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) While IBM isn't a business intelligence software vendor per se, the IT giant does sell business intelligence application development tools. Last week, Big Blue shipped a new release of its Alphablox toolset that opens the product up to Java and non-Java developers alike. READ MORE >

(System i Network) Spreadsheets have a nasty habit of multiplying like bunnies on your Uncle Bobby's farm. To help control runaway spreadsheet proliferation, companies like Cognos have developed modeling techniques that bring "best practices" approaches to data management. READ MORE >

Redbooks, White Papers, and Other OS/400 Resources

(LANSA) It's one thing to realize the potential benefits of a service oriented architecture, but something else entirely to make a plan and then implement it without risking your company's existing business applications environment and operations. This report offers advice on achieving the SOA goal. READ MORE >

(System Objects) This method of application modernization, using the vendor's software called JACi400, is designed for RPG and COBOL developers to replace the green-screen interface with HTML/GUI. It includes coverage of the process of selecting the database, setting up the application for inquiry, data entry, or update, finalizing specifications, and deploying the application. READ MORE >

(Symtrax) This document covers the topic of computer-based decision support applications and how they can work to the advantage of various departments such as sales, finance, human resources, marketing, production and general management. It examines storage and analytical databases, retrieval and analysis tools, and the implementation of a decision support project. READ MORE >

(IBM) A side-by-side comparison of iSeries and AS/400 models with the new System i Express 515 and 525 models is presented. Included in the comparison are topics such as monthly cost of operations, workload throughput, software maintenance costs, and power consumption. IBM describes this tool as a way customers can find the right replacement system. READ MORE >

Chats, Webinars, Seminars, Shows, and Other Happenings

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

October 26 -- 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 >

November 5-9 -- Orlando, Florida - More than 250 technical sessions ranging from system management and security to VoIP and high availability are on the agenda for the fall 2007 version of the System i Tech Conference. Featured topics include business resiliency, security, and compliance; featured technologies include Java Virtual Machine, BladeCenter to System I storage across iSCSI-based networks, and application development with free-format SQL. LEARN MORE >

November 3 -- Norwalk, California- A hands-on educational session titled "RPG Web Development by Example" will be presented at Cerritos College. This is an eight-hour, class that provides the opportunity to develop browser-based applications using native RPG and SQL, XML, AJAX, and Web services on your own PC. The class is presented by Jim Cooper of SMI North America. LEARN MORE >

November 6 -- Orlando, Fla. - Guest speaker Kyle Wurgler will be talking about integrating IBM BladeCenter and System x servers using the new iSCSI connection to the System i at the Central Florida Midrange Users Group meeting. The presentation will provide a technical overview of the solution and cover the latest announcements concerning Multipath I/O support and virtual storage support for VMware. Wurgler is the World Wide Product Manager for the System i Integration with BladeCenter and System x. This meeting will be held at the Orlando campus of DeVry University. It begins at 6:15 p.m. with dinner at 6:30 and the presentation at 7:15. LEARN MORE >

November 8 -- Maryland Heights, Missouri - An all-day session on disaster preparedness will be presented by Richard Dolewski, an award-winning speaker and noted author on the topic. Dolewski will talk about planning, security, and varying degrees of high availability, among other things. LEARN MORE >