News Briefs and Product Shorts

EXTOL Enables Customization with Business Integrator for UCCnet Services 2.6

EXTOL last week announced a new release of Business Integrator for UCCnet Services, an application that helps manufacturers and distributors synchronize their product data with retailers and other companies. Extol says it has improved the setup and security of the product with this release, including a new point-and-click configuration and customization process to adapt the product to the different needs of users. "Most data synchronization offerings take a 'one size fits all' approach," says Jim O'Leary, vice president of product management for the Pottsville, Pennsylvania, company. "Our solution takes the opposite approach by providing a variety of features that make the software adapt to the customer's business." In addition to improved setup and security, Business Integrator for UCCnet Services also contains updated support for UCCnet Network 1.1, including modifications to support Lowe's suppliers and the fast moving consumer goods industry, as well as enhanced integration with back-end application data sources, the company says. Business Integrator for UCCnet Services version 2.6 runs on OS/400 and is available immediately. The software works with the Global Data Synchronization Network (GSDN), the new name that refers to a combination of the old UCCnet data synchronization effort and the Transora data synchronization effort. Last month, UCCnet and Transora merged their organizations into a new group called 1Sync, which calls itself a "not-for-profit company." (In other head-spinning, name-changing news, the Uniform Code Council has become the GS1 US, and IBM is now referring to itself as "Microsoft.")

IBS Renames ERP Suite, Begins Roll-Out of New Version

In more name-changing news, Swedish OS/400 software developer International Business Systems last week re-christened its ERP software suite with the introduction of IBS Enterprise 6.0. In addition to the new name, the new release of supply-chain focused ERP software, which was formerly called ASW, features a number of enhancements, including new workflow routines for the CRM module, new planning and forecasting modules, a new integration tool for connecting IBS Enterprise processes with external systems, new business intelligence capabilities, and a new customizable Web-based user interface that spans the entire product suite. The new version will start to roll out during the fourth quarter of 2005, with worldwide availability complete by mid-2006, the company says. The product suite will initially be offered in an RPG version for i5/OS, and will be followed by Java versions later in 2006 for Windows, Linux, and Unix operating systems. If IBS' expansion from RPG and OS/400 to Java and distributed systems is a shock to you, go back and read "IBS to Port OS/400 Apps to Unix, Windows, and Linux" from a May issue of The Four Hundred.

SSA Global Renames Technology Architecture to Open Architecture with Version 5.1

In yet another example of name-changing, SSA Global last week unveiled a new release of its strategic Java-based middleware product that's designed to provide a standardized way for its customers to access and build upon their core ERP applications including ERP LX (the OS/400-based ERP products that SSA owns, including BPCS, PRMS, PRISM, and Infinium) as well as ERP LN (the Baan product line). The middleware, which was introduced as Technology Architecture 5.0 earlier this year, has been renamed Open Architecture, and released at version 5.1. SSA Open Architecture 5.1 features new unified user management and single sign-on capabilities, in addition to other administrative enhancements, the company says. SSA has also delivered a new Eclipse-based component called SSA Studio, which is used for modeling and customizations, in addition to enhancements to the SSA Portal Studio and SSA Collaboration Services components. SSA says it Open Architecture is a key element of its strategy to enable customers to build service orientated architectures. "By delivering an open, standards-based technology platform, we are helping customers avoid the long-term costs of proprietary technology platforms and instead cost-effectively capitalize on the business advantages of a service-oriented architecture," says Cory Eaves, the company's chief technology officer. SSA made the announcement last week from its Global Client Forum in Orlando, Florida, the same city where the COMMON conference was held last week.

Kronos Sweeps iSeries Central into New Division, Gets to Work on zSeries Software

Kronos, which sells workforce management software for IBM's iSeries, Windows, and Unix servers, announced the creation of an IBM Solutions Division at the COMMON conference in Orlando, Florida, last week. The IBM Solutions Division will be responsible for the development of Kronos' iSeries Central, an OS/400 application that automates time clock management and provides other human resource functions, as well as new solutions that will run on IBM's zSeries mainframes using DB2, which Kronos also last week announced that it would be developing. There is also a new version of iSeries Central on the horizon, says Larry Cassella, sales manager of iSeries products for the Chelmsford, Massachusetts, company. The new version will incorporate technology that Kronos obtained in a recent acquisition. In other company news, Mark Ain, Kronos' founder, chief executive, and chairman, is stepping aside from day-to-day operations and handing the chief executive reins to his younger brother, Aron Ain, who is currently its chief operating officer. Paul Lacy, the company's chief financial officer, will take the role of president. These changes will become effective Monday, October 31, 28 years to the day since Kronos was incorporated. Mark Ain, who is remaining as the company's executive chairman, has helped shape the labor management software market for three decades. Last year Kronos had $451 million in revenues.

Solimar Improves OS/400 Fonts with iConvert 9.05

It's been a while since we've heard from Solimar Systems, a San Diego-based developer of output management and workflow software for iSeries and other platforms. But last week we received word of iConvert version 9.05, a new release of its Windows-based software that converts IPDS data streams to PCL, PDF, PostScript, and TIF formats. With this release, Solimar says it is expanding its font-handling capabilities for data streams generated by OS/400 servers that are destined for printers or electronic document presentment systems. "The enhanced functionality provides organizations with a rich palette of fonts to improve the document flexibility of the AS/400," the company says. This release also introduces the capability to transform JPEG images within IPDS files when converting the data streams into PDF and PostScript formats. iConvert 9.05 is available now.

ISVs Pre-Announce a Slew of Products at Fall COMMON

There were a ton of new OS/400 and i5/OS products announced at the COMMON conference last week in Orlando, Florida, and we intend to cover them in Four Hundred Stuff as soon as we can. However, most of the new tools and applications unveiled last week are still in some stage of development, so unless you enjoy being a beta tester, or reading about early releases, you are not missing out on a whole lot at this point. In the coming weeks, we are going to bring you news of new OS/400 tools and applications that you can actually buy and start using right now, and tell you about what new stuff vendors are working on for release down the road in October, November, December, January, and beyond after we run out of stuff that's available now.