AURA Keeps Classic IBM i PHP Toolkit Alive
by Alex Woodie

IBM i shops that have relied on, and grown to appreciate, the old PHP Toolkit that IBM is replacing with a new open source solution will be pleased to hear that AURA Equipments is keeping the product alive. In fact, the French software company is rolling out a new release of the classic PHP toolkit--now called EasyCom for PHP--that addresses some of the shortcomings that led IBM to banish it in the first place. READ MORE >

PowerTech: IBM i Security Still Needs Work
by Alex Woodie

The results from PowerTech's latest State of IBM i Security report are in, and the results are mixed. While the software company's survey shows signs of improvement in some areas, such as the average number of users with unfettered system access, there are still areas of grave concern to security professionals, who have almost come to expect a lackadaisical approach to security from IBM i customers. READ MORE >

New Conference Specializes in DB2 for i and SQL
by Dan Burger

SQL is not shorthand for squirrel. And if that's just about all you know about it, you need to get out a little more often. Companies that haven't changed the design, configuration, and implementation of their database systems since the cell phone was invented have a few lessons to learn about IBM DB2 for i (DB2/400) and SQL. Coincidentally, that's what the folks at System i Developer had in mind for a new conference called DB2 for i Directions. READ MORE >

WebSphere Application Server 8 Brings Easier Install
by Alex Woodie

A new installation framework in the forthcoming WebSphere Application Server (WAS) version 8 will provide customers with faster load times and simpler implementations of Java applications. WAS version 8, which IBM plans to ship the third week of June, also offers support for Java version 6. For IBM i shops, WAS version 8 marks the first release of the middleware that doesn't work with the old Java virtual machine. READ MORE >