ABL Re-emerges to Launch OS/400 Emulator for Smart Phones
by Alex Woodie

We haven't heard much from ADVANCED BusinessLink (ABL) for a few years, but last week the company broke its long silence to introduce a new product designed to provide users with access to OS/400 applications from smart phones, PDAs, and sub-compact notebooks. Called Strategi mobileACCESS, the OS/400 host-based emulation solution introduces new technology that addresses some of the pitfalls of mobile computing, such as navigating host applications with small screens, the lack of function keys, and dealing with dropped sessions due to spotty wireless network coverage. READ MORE >

IBM Brings i5/OS Forms Package to U.S.
by Alex Woodie

There's a new electronic document management software package in town, and it's being sold by none other than IBM. The product, called Coginord Mapping Suite, was developed in France specifically for OS/400, and today it's helping users with all types of servers break the reliance on pre-printed forms and distribute business correspondence electronically. Bill Shaffer, IBM's System i print guru, sees the product picking up where Infoprint Manager and Designer leave off, and says it will capture a big share of the U.S. market. READ MORE >

Arnold Logistics Finds EDI Flexibility with Boomi
by Alex Woodie

As a full-service logistics provider, Arnold Logistics of Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, needs to remain flexible to meet its customers' needs. That desire for agility was the primary reason that it developed its own warehouse management system on the OS/400 platform, which enables it to tailor specific IT solutions for each of its clients. When it came time to install a new EDI and business-to-business communication solution, the company found a product in Boomi's EDI System that matched the flexibility of the rest of the IT department. READ MORE >

TomorrowNow Expanding Third-Party Maintenance Business
by Alex Woodie

These are heady times for TomorrowNow, the SAP subsidiary that offers users of Oracle's ERP and CRM products technical support and product maintenance for about half the price Oracle charges. Yesterday, the company announced its user base grew by more than 50 J.D. Edwards, PeopleSoft, and Siebel users over the summer, and now its CEO, Andrew Nelson, is considering expanding TomorrowNow's coverage into other ERP markets where consolidation has irked some users, notably Infor's growing collection of ERP products. READ MORE >