News Briefs and Product Shorts

Tango/04 Introduces New Domino Agent for VMC 6.0

As promised, Tango/04 Computing Group has started rolling out additional monitoring agents that plug into its new VISUAL Message Center 6.0. A new Lotus Domino agent unveiled last week enables Tango/04 customers to bring monitoring of Domino-based e-mail, Web sites, and applications into VMC 6.0's view. The Domino agent was developed by a Dutch Tango/04 business partner, PST Business Solutions, and supports OS/400, Windows, and Linux operating systems. Two versions of the Domino Agent have been created: an add-on version, for customers who already own VMC 6.0 and want to monitor their Domino environment, and a "lite" version of VMC 6.0 with the Domino Agent, to monitor the Domino environment only. Both versions watch for Domino events and categorize them into one of five categories, including fatal, failure, warning high, warning low, and normal. Messages can be sent using Secure Socket Layer (SSL) or plain-text messaging. VMC 6.0 provides business service management capabilities and is designed to combine the monitoring of IT infrastructure, applications, and business processes to create a more wholesome view of how these interdependencies affect service levels. Tango/04 launched VMC 6.0 last month (see "Tango/04 Delivers Affordable BSM, or 'Tivoli for the Rest of Us' ").

Quadrant Boosts E-Document Integration with Formtastic 5.3

Quadrant Software last week announced the release of Formtastic 5.3.0, the latest release of its electronic forms package for iSeries servers, as well as new features in Formatter, an optional add-on that can reduce the length of reports by up to 75 percent, by eliminating redundant data. The focus is on integration with Formtastic 5.3, as several enhancements have been made that enhance the automation, archiving, and customization across this line of products, particularly as it interacts with Formatter. The optional Formtastic Checks module has also been enhanced and now allows users to save and file all MICR checks in TIF and PDF formats, while the Formtastic design tool, called DesignerPro, gains a new WYSIWYG print preview that will make it easier for forms designers to get it right. Finally, Quadrant has standardized on a single security code for allowing users to access all of their products, instead of different codes for each solution. "Formtastic 5.3.0 makes it easier to use all of our solutions together while simultaneously maintaining their modular nature," says Gary Langton, the founder and president of Quadrant Software.

Canon Launches New Multifunction Printers for Departmental, Small Businesses

Canon U.S.A. launched seven new multifunction printers last week, with prices ranging from $3,800 for the smallest office machine to $50,000 for the largest on-demand printer. The new production-level imageRUNNER 105+/9070/8070/85+ multifunction printers are networked peripherals featuring Canon's latest Image Platform architecture, including integration with Web-based information systems, enhanced security and encryption capabilities, Canon's proprietary Multifunctional Embedded Application Platform technology, and AS/400 connectivity. The new imageRUNNER 8070 is an 80-pages-per-minute multifunction printer designed for large departments, whereas the new imageRUNNER 85+ provides similar functionality and has the same cost ($28,000) in a scanner-less configuration for print-only environments. The new imageRUNNER 9070, a 90-pages-per-minute multifunction printer that costs $39,000, and the 105+, which offers 105-pages-per-minute print speeds and costs $50,000, are both designed for central reproduction departments with increased output speeds and high duty cycles. The new imageRUNNER 2230/2830/3530 family is designed for the small business and the corporate workgroup environment, and cost between $3,800 and $7,200, and run at 22, 28, and 35 pages per minute respectively.

Programmable Foot Switches Can Take Over Mouse Clicks, Keyboard Functions

Operating a computer today is a predominantly a hands-oriented activity, but it doesn't have to be. A company in Washington state called Kinesis makes programmable foot switches that allow users to perform mouse and keyboard functions with their feet. The company has been making its switches, which are PS/2 and USB compatible, for medical applications since 1998. Last month the company rolled out a new variety of foot switch, called the Savant Elite, which it hopes will be a hit among office workers, programmers, data entry personnel, and accountants, along with medical and dental offices. "Not only can you perform mouse clicks with your feet, but you can move any heavily used keyboard activity to your feet, thereby reducing the workload on your upper body," says Jon Biggs, the company's director of sales and marketing. In an OS/400 environment, it could be used to stem mouse fatigue in data entry activities. The Savant Elite switches are available with one to four switches, and cost from $99 to $149.

Teacher's Union Finds Answer to Improved Member Communication, Plus Three

Plus Three, the New York City company that helped to build former presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry's online fundraising presence, has landed a new client in the form of the 160,000-people strong United Federation of Teachers union. The union was looking to enhance the way it used the Web to interact with its members, but it didn't want to disrupt the back-end systems that it already had in place, including an OS/400 membership management application. "We selected Plus Three after a careful examination determined it had the technical know-how we needed to successfully integrate new features with our IBM iSeries and tailor it all for our members' needs," says Bill Stamatis, the union's Web content director. UFT members can now go online to submit member forms, enroll in the union, manage health care benefits, and request information. Timely and topical information can now be quickly and efficiently disseminated by the union through a new content management, while a new course registration system allows members to view available seats and sections in real time, and then register and pay for the courses online. Finally, Plus Three implemented a new e-mail system that's connected to the Web site and helps to manage large e-mail lists.

IBM Highlights PC Success at Swift Transportation

A reliance on ThinkPad notebooks and ThinkCentre desktops has been instrumental in facilitating quick and painless growth for Swift Transportation, a large trucking company based in Phoenix, IBM announced last week. In addition to the IBM PCs (a money-losing business that IBM is trying to unload on the Chinese company Lenovo), an iSeries server running Linux, Windows, and OS/400 has also helped Swift to handle shipment orders, tracking, and billing, according to IBM. But really it's about the PCs. "IBM PCs have been building blocks to our success in satisfying customers and growing our business," says Michael J. Beaudry, Swift's information technology services manager. "With the help of [system integrator] Insight's expertise in PC acquisition, integration, and configuration, we have begun a process to standardize Swift's information technology desktop and server infrastructure using IBM hardware." IBM bestowed another honor upon Swift, which runs a network of 35 terminals, 6,900 tractors, and 49,600 trailers, and has won various "carrier of the year" awards from major manufacturers and retailers over the last two years. Swift purchased IBM's 100-millionth PC. It was an IBM ThinkCentre S50 desktop. No word yet on what iSeries model it is running.