News Briefs and Product Shorts

DPS Announces New Releases of E-Business and PocketPC Applications

Data Processing Services is shipping a new release of Flash, an e-business storefront and self-service extension that works with its OS/400-based distribution application, Extend, as well as with other ERP programs. Flash 6.0 adds the capability to run on Linux servers, in addition to previous support for OS/400, Windows, and Unix servers. Another major new feature is the capability to publish browser-like product catalogs on stand-alone CD-ROMs, allowing distributors to replace expensive printed catalogs with electronic lists. These catalogs contain an abundance of information, including customer-specific pricing, customized HTML catalog pages, product availability, product attributes, and the inclusion of links and PDF documents. The Indianapolis, Indiana, company has also announced a new release of DPS PocketFlash, an application that extends the data and functionality in Flash to PDAs running Microsoft's PocketPC application. DPS is holding a Webinar tomorrow, February 25, at 11:00 a.m. EST to discuss the new features in PocketFlash 2.0. You can register at www.dpslink.com.

Iowa Manufacturer Installs Movex on iSeries to Streamline Business Across 60 Countries

Kemin Industries, a Des Moines, Iowa, manufacturer of nutritional ingredients for food, pharmaceuticals, and animal feed, has selected Intentia's Movex Food and Beverage applications to improve its business. Dan Heiderscheit, the company's worldwide IT director, said Kemin Industries needed to consolidate information, enhance collaboration, and improve visibility across its manufacturing, distribution, customer service, and research and development operations in eight market-specific business units that serve six markets in nearly 60 countries. "With a global system, we can standardize our business processes, procedures, and terminology and enable information to flow to the right people at the right time, so they can make timely, informed decisions," he says. Kemin plans to implement virtually all of Intentia's Movex Version 12 business process applications for 300 employees, and will also install Movex Workplace, a powerful new Web-based user interface. The Java-based Movex application will run on a new iSeries.

Iowa College Picks iSeries to Teach E-Business, Linux, and Web Development

If colleges offered students access to iSeries servers and programming tools, like they do for Windows and Unix platforms, the argument goes, the iSeries would have a better chance of attracting young programmers and extending its already legendary run. OS/400 was already taught at the computer science department of Western Iowa Tech Community College, and as a result of the recent purchase of a new iSeries server, the college plans to offer new courses in Linux and WebSphere. A computer science instructor at the Sioux City, Iowa, college says that the server will increase students' employment options by exposing them to state-of-the-art server technology and e-business applications, according to the online edition of the Sioux City Journal.

Bostech Supports New XML Standard for Retailers with EAI Software

Bostech has added support for Web services and XML schemas designed specifically for the retail industry in a new release of its application integration software for OS/400 and other platforms, ChainBuilder Version 4.0. Bostech, founded several years ago by a former member of a Big Five accounting firm to provide low-cost, easy-to-use integration software for small and midsized businesses, has found success recently by entering into OEM agreements with ISVs, which then embed ChainBuilder into their applications. In particular, the Indianapolis, Indiana, company has found success in the market for retail applications, and counts OS/400 merchandise management system vendors Island Pacific and CommercialWare as OEM partners. New capabilities in ChainBuilder 4.0 include support for Web services, as well as native XML Schema message support, including the schemas required to support the new IXRetail standard for retailers.

Evergreen Adds New XML, E-Mail Features to iSeries Report Downloader

Evergreen Interactive is shipping a new release of iSeries Report Downloader, a utility that allows users to download OS/400 data to PCs. With Version 10, the Downloader adds the capability to download OS/400 report content into XML documents, while keeping spool file attributes as metadata within the document. Evergreen says this capability should be useful for archival and retrieval of spool files. Also, automatic addressing of e-mailed iSeries reports allows OS/400 content to be automatically forwarded, either as an e-mail message or as an attachment, by Downloader's new capability to extract e-mail addresses embedded in iSeries spool files. Additional features include support for OS/400 Version 5 password security level 2, and support for Microsoft Excel 2003. Downloader supports many target programs, including Excel, Word, Outlook, Notes, PDF, plain text, and HTML documents. The software, which starts at $395 per seat for TCP/IP or $149 for SNA, also includes formatting, search, and naming capabilities.

Florida Hospital Automates with HMS on iSeries

Patients being checked into Springbrook Hospital in Brooksville, Florida, will rest easy knowing their data is being handled securely by an iSeries server running Healthcare Management Systems' HMS suite of software. Last week the software developer announced that the psychiatric facility had licensed its patient accounting, electronic billing, advanced security, electronic medical records, general ledger, and accounts receivable modules, which are being installed on a new iSeries server. HMS also announced that it has been designated a premiere business partner by IBM. The Nashville, Tennessee, software developer turns 20 this year, and has 400 customers.