Top OS/400 Stories from Around the Web

(IT Jungle) According to IBM, this is not an announcement letter, but, hey, that's for you to decide. The Smart Cube Power System 520 does, in fact, exist, and IBM evidently wants people to know about it, but for the love of Pete, just don't consider this an announcement or anything of the sort. It looks to be an important piece of the Blue Business Platform, which IBM unmistakably announced back in May. The System i configuration of this is worth a closer look, but don't tell anyone at IBM that you read about that here. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Ah, the good old days ain't what they used to be. Remember when server upgrade paths were as open and freewheelin' as the wild west, and any AS/400 could be upgraded to any other AS/400? The midrange computer users, who could easily calculate the upgrades costs, all happily sang "Don't Fence Me In." (Maybe not, but it fits my wild west theme.) Across the IT landscape, upgrade paths are a lot more narrow these days, and regrettably people are being fenced in. READ MORE >

(System iNetwork) Talk with seven System i supporters about the "what next" scenarios involving the platform in its new Power Systems role and you'll find points of view that reflect what I would call a continuing but cautious enthusiasm. The loyalty is still evident, but even though the word "exciting" gets used frequently, it sounds a little hollow. IBM's seeming indifference to the product might have something to do with that. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) In a weak economy, companies often put cost-cutting measures on the table because, on the other side, sales increases are not falling in line with what they had been when the economy was vigorous. Where is the cost-cutting blade most likely to come down? A good place to start is in the shipping department, where wasteful spending is not that difficult to find and fix, if you have the right tools. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) You can't take it with you is just another way of saying enjoy life before your time runs out. However, for one IBM exec it means you can't take that job at Apple. Big Blue is determined to prevent one of its Power Systems experts, whose head is filled with significant and highly confidential trade secrets, from moving into a key role in the design and production of Apple servers. READ MORE >

(System iNetwork) David Slater, the retired IBM product and marketing manager for iSeries application development products, slips on his evangelist robes to explain why software as a service (SaaS) should be considered by small businesses as an alternative to buying and supporting applications. Slater suggests that a thoughtful review of the associated costs for SaaS will uncover cost savings that open the door to otherwise unaffordable applications. READ MORE >

Vendor Announcements, Promotions, and Deals

(IT Jungle) Business intelligence is like cleaning your filing cabinet so you can actually find what you need when you need it. There are a boatload of BI tools that range in functionality and price from basic to "through the roof," but in practice what people want are reports in a convenient format that are easy to read and understand. Dashboards provide that convenient visual interface. Don't make this harder than it needs to be. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Managing source code, for a lot of companies, is about as futile as pushing a string, a tactic not known for producing good results. In application development and code maintenance, if you want to be in control, there better be a few things that are being monitored such as issue and bug tracking, version control, code branching, and release management. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) If one database is good, two must be better. And there are a lot of companies with more databases than executive expense accounts. Access to a single DB2/400 database just doesn't seem to whitewash the fence these days. If you need expanded coverage that includes any or all of a long list of frequently used databases, here's something that will help you get it done, and you don't have to learn new skills with each db you access. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Maybe you've heard the rumors that COBOL-ers have been put on the endangered and threatened species list. Apparently you have a better chance of finding a Key Largo wood rat than COBOL programmer. Clearly this is a looming danger, because COBOL is arguably the most widely used programming language in the world. Is anyone going to do anything about this? You betcha. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) The JD Edwards EnterpriseOne ERP software, which runs on i OS, Unix, and Windows operating systems, has a new online "best practice center" for customers interested in developing a service oriented architecture using Oracle's Fusion middleware and other technologies. The portal site contains Webcasts, tutorials, technical articles, and blog postings. READ MORE >

Redbooks, White Papers, and Other OS/400 Resources

(MKS) Organizations modernizing their application development efforts using Websphere Development Studio Client (WDSC) for System i or Rational Developer for System i (RDi) can increase their development productivity while gaining control and visibility over the application development process. This white paper discusses software change management challenges and advises how MKS Integrity for IBM i can facilitate the process. READ MORE >

(Quadrant Software) Here's a list of live and recorded events that examine the cost reductions and productivity increases associated with paperless process management. Among the topics are distributed document management, document imaging, workflow efficiencies, streamlining business processes, and lean accounting. READ MORE >

(Vault400) This resource library page features information on data security and online backups, and managed services relating to vaulting. It includes links to a white paper, trade publication articles, System i data sheets, and other sources of disaster recovery information. READ MORE >

(IBM) This white paper outlines how the financial services sector can take a leadership role by generating revenue through green investment, by reducing IT costs and achieving energy efficiency, and by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It also describes how organizations can develop a roadmap to help extend their energy and environment policy to all aspects of the business 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

November 6 -- Webinar - This technical-oriented session provides a demonstration of WebSmart PHP, BCD's rapid PHP Web application development software. In the course of this one-hour online presentation, there will be a focus on creating a PHP application on your System i in five minutes, editing HTML with WYSIWYG and text-based tools, reviewing the key PHP code for a subfile application, and securing PHP applications and providing a framework with BCD's Nexus portal. This Webinar is useful for people who are new to WebSmart PHP and for anyone considering PHP for Web application development. The event begins at 2 p.m. EST. LEARN MORE >

November 6 -- Webinar - As FTP becomes more widely used to exchange sensitive data with customers, banks, vendors, and other trading partners, the security risks become a bigger issue as well. FTP can also become programmer-intensive and unmanageable as more and more FTP scripts have to be written and maintained. This session by Linoma Software's Chief Architect Bob Luebbe will feature Linoma's Go Anywhere secure FTP product and will cover topics such as simplifying and automating FTP transfers without programming, encrypting FTP transfers, managing keys and certificates, creating detailed and understandable logs, and providing automatic error notifications. The session begins at 11 a.m. CST. LEARN MORE >

November 11 -- Beaverton, Oregon - A presentation on the IBM i announcements will be the highlight of the regular monthly meeting of the Cascade iSeries User Group. Guest speakers are Mark Ruberry and Denny Insell. The meeting will be held at the IBM offices, 15400 S.W. Koll Parkway. The meeting time has yet to be announced. LEARN MORE >

November 11 -- Southfield, Michigan - An introduction to the Hardware Management Console (HMC) for the System i will be presented at the regularly scheduled local user group meeting of the Southeast Michigan iSeries User Group. Guest speaker is Allyn Walsh, a senior IT specialist with IBM. His presentation will emphasize the control and management of multiple servers and various operating systems via remote user interfaces. The meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. and will be held at IBM Southfield offices located at 18000 West Nine Mile Road. LEARN MORE >

November 12 -- Webinar - Creating real-time System i Web reports and queries with graphical drill-downs will be the focus of this presentation that features BCD's Clover Query software. Topics covered include creating real-time reports with level breaks and totals, creating create Flash charts and graphs over System i data, building executive dashboards with drill downs and exporting data to Excel spreadsheets, securing and managing reports using BCD's Nexus Portal, and understanding why Clover Query is an affordable alternative to DB2 Web Query. The event begins at 12:30 p.m. EST. LEARN MORE >

November 13 -- Webinar - A session titled "Query/400 Migration Planning" is being presented by New Generation Software. It will focus on determining the cost of deploying IBM's DB2 Web Query as well as the NGS alternative, NGS-IQ. Topics to be covered include pricing, licensing, and maintenance terms. LEARN MORE >

November 13 -- Maryland Heights, Missouri - The Gateway/400 Group, a local user group in the Greater St. Louis area, is hosting a one-day educational session titled "Beyond the Basics with SQL," which will be presented by the well-known DB2 for i OS expert Skip Marchesani. This event is scheduled from 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the Graphic Communication Banquet Facility located at 105 Progress Parkway. RSVP by November 10. LEARN MORE >

November 13 -- Kent, Washington - The Pacific Midrange Systems Association meeting features two sessions. The first is PHP on System i, presented by Duncan Kenzie of Excel Systems, and the second pertains to recent IBM Power System announcements, presented by IBM's Mark Ruberry. The meeting begins at 11:30 a.m. LEARN MORE >

November 14 -- Kenosha, Wisconsin - The Third Annual Fall Conference will offer educational tracks on topics that include DB2, DB2 Web Query, RPG, and WDSc. Each track will provide a full day of sessions. A complete agenda is available online. This event is co-hosted by of the Wisconsin Midrange Computer Professional Association and Gateway Technical College. It's being held at the college located at 3520-30th Avenue. LEARN MORE >