News Briefs and Product Shorts

Bytware's StandGuardAV Can Now Detect Patched Programs on OS/400 V5R2

Bytware recently introduced a new version of its StandGuard Anti-Virus software designed specifically for OS/400 V5R2. The software, which provides a native OS/400 virus scanner (based on McAfee's antivirus engine and virus signatures) for detecting infected IFS files, previously had different feature sets for OS/500 V5R2 and i5/OS, also known as OS/400 V5R3. Advanced StandGuardAV features such as Object Integrity Scanning, which can detect whether a user is running a "patched program" that has modified IBM digital signatures and could pose a security risk to the user, and which was previously only available for i5/OS, are now available for V5R2 users. Other features now available for the earlier OS release include: improved management of product and virus definition updates; an enhanced GUI; the capability to work in mixed V5R2/V5R3 environments; menus in English, French, and Japanese; and improved configuration options, the Reno, Nevada, company says. The upgrade to the new V5R2 version, which was announced in early July, is available to StandGuardAV 1.11 users at no cost, the company says.

FormScape, Create!form Gain EnterpriseOne Certifications from Oracle

Oracle has certified a pair of document and content management solutions from FormScape and Bottomline Technologies to work with the latest release of its J.D. Edwards EnterpriseOne software. The certification of FormScape's Windows-based Covus version 2.1.1 software with the Windows version of EnterpriseOne version 8.11 means EnterpriseOne users can rest assured that Covus has proved it can handle the inbound image processing, document storage and retrieval, and standard output management functionality within EnterpriseOne environments as advertised. Likewise, companies running EnterpriseOne 8.11 in OS/400 or Linux environments can feel good about integrating their ERP systems with document management software from Bottomline's Create!form business unit, which has enjoyed a close working relationship with the J.D. Edwards organization for many years. In addition to the certification of Create!form 3.1 for the OS/400 and Linux versions of EnterpriseOne version 8.11, other versions of Create!form have also been tested and certified for J.D. Edwards applications, including Create!form 3.0 with the Windows version of EnterpriseOne, and Create!form 2.7 with J.D. Edwards World A7.3. J.D. Edwards World, of course, only runs on OS/400.

NLynx Launches Upgradeable Windows-Based Thin Client

NLynx Technologies this month launched a new Windows-based thin client designed to expand in functionality as the user grows. The new Minit-6750 builds on the features and capabilities of its predecessor, the Minit-6000, with a powerful 533 MHz VIA processor, Microsoft CE.NET 5.0 operating system (an upgrade to the Windows XP/e OS is optional), and a range of emulators. Most importantly, however, the Minit-6750 is equipped with PCI and PCMCIA expansion slots, giving the user the capability to add features and attach devices as they see fit. "This unit is targeted at users where future needs are perhaps currently not well defined and where there is the possibility that potential upgrades or extra performance may be required in the future," says NLynx president, Dennis Bowler. "Market feedback has identified a strong need for a thin client with the upgrade potential of the Minit-6750 and we have carefully priced it such that [its] power and multiple upgrade paths are very compelling."

Playtex the Latest Company to Outsource iSeries Management to Connectria

Playtex Products is the latest OS/400 shop to tap Connectria for remote monitoring and administration of iSeries servers. Earlier this month, the St. Louis company announced it will be providing 24/7 coverage for Playtex's iSeries environment, including batch job processing and alerting of job suspensions or interruptions, PTF and upgrade management, maintenance scheduling, and data backup services. In addition to watching over its iSeries environment, Connectria will be managing Playtex's Integrated xSeries Server environment, which the Westport, Connecticut, consumer goods company has embraced as a way to consolidate its Windows storage requirements, the IT services company says. Connectria has been expanding its iSeries hosting business quite rapidly of late. Earlier this summer, the company announced Louis Vuitton, a French manufacturer of luxury consumer goods, and Ecko Unlimited, a New York designer of clothes for hip urban youths, had also signed contracts establishing or expanding Connectria's management of its OS/400 servers. Other OS/400 shops using Connectria's services include Siegel-Robert, a mid size industrial manufacturer; Intrav, which sells exotic travel packages; Dallas Airmotive, which specializes in the overhaul and repair of turbine engines; and Sabreliner, a manufacturer of jets. In addition to iSeries expertise, Connectria also hosts organizations' Domino, Unix, Windows, and Linux systems.

CNX Brings ATOMIC Planning System to BPCS

Companies that rely on BPCS can now take advantage of CNX's ATOMIC planning and execution system. ATOMIC, which stands for Automated Total Order Management and Inventory Control, is a suite of OS/400 products designed to help companies improve shop floor and materials management by streamlining the flow of information among the production, distribution and back office departments. ATOMIC had previously been deployed almost entirely by users of the PRMS application, which is similar in many respects to BPCS, and which is also owned by SSA Global. Now, with version 3.4, unveiled this month, ATOMIC supports PRMS through version 10 as well as full RF compatibility with BPCS 4.05CD. While ATOMIC 3.4 is a worthwhile release in that it supports BPCS for the first time, the biggest ATOMIC release in recent memory was version 3.3, which became generally available in May 2004, and which introduced a completely redesigned Radio Frequency (RF) module and brought major enhancements to the Master Production Schedule (MPS) module that automates the creation and maintenance of work orders in real-time, among other enhancements.

Mid Size Chinese Banks Targeted with High Availability Bundle from Vision and Vanda

Vision Solutions yesterday announced a new high availability software bundle targeted at small to mid size banks in China. The bundle includes ORION, Vision's high availability software for iSeries and pSeries servers, and VisionBanking Core, a banking application from Vanda Group, a Hong Kong-based provider of software and services for financial services companies in Asia. Stephen Massey, executive vice president of worldwide sales for Vision, says Chinese banks now have a way to ensure the integrity of their customers' data, while still getting support from a local provider. "As Chinese banks emerge in worldwide markets, they need to modernize business processes and infrastructure to strive against the competition from foreign banks, and high availability is of paramount importance to this," Massey says. Ernest Choy, senior vice president of the greater China region at Vanda Group, agrees. "There is currently tremendous movement within the Chinese banking industry and banks are both consolidating and experiencing growing demand on data and information management. As such, high availability is a crucial component of any banking solution," Choy says. Vanda Group, which is a unit of Hutchison Telecom, whose stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, has more than 100 VisionBanking Core customers in China. Its reach extends beyond mainland China to Southeast Asia through a network of 300 service providers.