Top OS/400 Stories from Around the Web

(Guild Companies) The captain of the iSeries ship, Buell Duncan, has been replaced after little more than two years at the helm. Coming onboard to take his place is Al Zollar, the former chief at Lotus. Duncan was a skillful communicator who worked well with the customers, partners, and the press. Zollar's 26-year history with IBM has been entirely on the software side. Is this CEO Sam Palmisano's way of saying it's time to start rocking the iSeries boat or is it just business as usual inside the expensive office suites at Big Blue?The reassignment of key personnel will certainly have an impact throughout IBM and particularly within the iSeries division. Get the scoop in the Monday, January 13 edition of The Four Hundred.

(Guild Companies) A recent Gartner report takes a slightly different perspective on the familiar description of the iSeries: ranks high in technology, but low in market momentum. Since 1999, the analysts at Gartner have been maintaining a spreadsheet-based server evaluation model that compares and contrasts the dominant server platforms. The research company's latest server evaluation model was generated for online transaction processing (OLTP) workloads--the type of workload that led many shops to the purchase of an iSeries or AS/400--and this story centers on what those results say about each platform and where OS/400 fits into the mix.

(iSeries Network) Also from Gartner comes a prediction for server sales in 2003. Gartner says sales, in general, will be flat or slightly declining. According to this story, the forecast is for total server sales revenue of $40.4 billion in 2003, which is down from $42 billion in 2002. When the iSeries is singled out, Gartner's projection is for a 10-percent drop.

(MCPress online) Is new iSeries hardware on the way? Buell Duncan, former IBM general manager of mid-market servers, reportedly sent a memo to North American IBM Business Partners announcing new iSeries hardware. According to the article's author, Bob Cozzi, the memo says IBM will announce new hardware in late 2003 and the details will be revealed later this month. This story reports on some of the unconfirmed rumors and offers speculation as to what this could mean to the OS/400 customer base.

(eWeek) IBM Server Group VP, Bill Zeitler, discusses IBM hardware and dismisses the idea of an iSeries-pSeries consolidation. To those who fear an iSeries disappearance, Zeitler says the eServer development strategy is one of convergence not consolidation, and he illustrates that point by talking about the common hypervisor for iSeries and pSeries. In this interview, Zeitler also expounds on grid computing and why IBM will probably remain in the hardware business.

(iSeries Network) With IBM offering both per-user and per-CPU pricing for its new WebSphere Express product, Charles Machalani, the director of business development at application integration provider Farabi Technology, questions when IBM will provide similar pricing models aimed at getting other WebSphere products into small- and medium-sized businesses. And with many of the WebSphere products having different pricing schemes--including WebSphere Host On-Demand's per-user licensing, which isn't compatible with WebSphere Application Server's per-CPU licensing--Charles has a valid point about WebSphere pricing being "muddled."

(Guild Companies) For those who like their industry news the way they like their automobiles--fast and nicely detailed--comes these dispatches from the section known as But Wait There's More: DLB Associates presents its weekly OS/400 PTF updates; Red Hat Linux 7.1 is now available for the entire IBM eServer product line, including several iSeries models; IBM clarifies its support policy on OS/2 Warp Server and Warp Server for e-Business (for those of you who thought they were gone forever); SoftLanding Systems announced that founder and CEO Paul Schlieben has become chairman of the board and Steve Gapp has moved into the role of president and CEO; Perle Software announced the appointment of two new sales and marketing managers; and NetIQ bought Marshall Software of Auckland, New Zealand, for $23 million in cash on the day after it completed its acquisition of security software vendor PentaSafe.

Vendor Announcements, Promotions and Deals

(Guild Companies) Prior to finalizing its acquisition by SSA Global Technologies in December, Infinium Software announced two software upgrades last month, Daily Operations Manager 6.0 and Training Administration for Managers and Employees 10.0. The timing of these releases may have helped reassure Infinium customers that it was "business as usual" even as the company was handing the reigns over to SSA GT. Likewise, it underscored SSA GT's message to Infinium customers: You have little to worry about as Infinium transitions into the SSA GT family.

(Guild Companies) WorksRight Software and Generic Software, two OS/400-centric vendors each with more than 1400 active customers, have merged. The two companies will physically unite when they move into a new facility in Madison, Mississippi, in the spring. Going forward, the combined companies will operate under the WorksRight Software name, but for the time being customers of the respective firms will continue to use the same contact information as in the past.

(Guild Companies) California Software last week announced it has developed an RPG IV compiler for the Linux, Windows, and Unix platforms, enabling customers to migrate modern RPG IV programs to other platforms. The new compiler is available with the company's BABY/iSeries Version 9 package. Last month, the company also announced new releases of its BABY/GUI and LPS Loan Production System products.

(Guild Companies) LANSA, a vendor with 15 years in OS/400 development, announced LANSA 10.0, which is scheduled to ship in the first quarter of 2003. 10.0 expands platform support for the Web server tier of LANSA for the Web by adding Red Hat Linux and Sun Microsystems Solaris as supported platforms. Other features include support for multiple instances of the Visual LANSA runtime environment and a new interface for LANSA's e-Business Frameworks.

(Guild Companies) Australian software developer Mid-Comp International is currently working with OZ Global Software--its American business partner--to attract consultants and build a network of partners in order to sell the company's Java-based Odyssey ERP software in the United States by the middle of the year.

(Guild Companies) Solution400 International recently updated its S4i DASD-Plus software with new features designed to help companies manage OS/400 Integrated File System disk usage. DASD-Plus V6R9 contains 25 different routines that include clearing history logs, compression, and resizing libraries, job queues, and objects on the fly.

(Guild Companies) In News Briefs and Product Shorts, you'll find out about current events such as these: Zephyr Development has been cleared by the U.S. government to export Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) versions of its PASSPORT Web-to-Host, and PASSPORT PC-to-host terminal emulation software to most international countries (click through on the link to see which countries have to do without it); another of the top-of-the-line iSeries 890 servers has been installed, this time in the DeSoto, Kansas, division of the Finland-based Huhtamaki Oyj corporation; Assist Cornerstone will be rolling out its new order management software over the next few months; Business Computer Design, Int'l is offering considerable discounts on its software--including WebSmart, Catapult, and Spool Explorer, but only through January 24; mrc, vendor of application development, report writing, and data warehousing solutions, is offering to create one free working Java servlet application per company, but that deal expires January 15; and NPRO International announced TestIP/400, which shows minimum, maximum, and average response times from a user's terminal to a central OS/400 server.

New Redbooks, White Papers, and Other OS/400 Resources

(Zebra Technologies) Zebra is one of the premier manufacturers of thermal printing solutions for several marketplaces. In the iSeries and AS/400 world, Zebra printers are one of the popular choices for bar coding solutions. Zebra's Service and Support Services Web page provides a resource with links for online support, repair services, product training, user manuals, warranty information, and white papers.

(SoftLanding) One of the problems with WebSphere is that--because its management functions use automated tools inside the WebSphere Administrative Console--it's difficult to automate WebSphere management processes for simple tasks such as starting and stopping a WebSphere server for backup. To solve this problem, SoftLanding created a set of OS/400 WebSphere commands that it uses for its TurnOver software; and the company is offering these tools to OS/400 shops for free from its Web site.

(IBM) Redbook – For those needing insight into OpsNav, IBM now has four Redbooks to assist you. "Managing OS/400 with Operations Navigator V5R1 Volume 1: Overview and More" is the first of several volumes. It introduces users to the Windows-based Operations Navigator program, which IBM bills as the graphical interface for managing OS/400. It covers installation, navigating OpsNav functions, and provides details on specific Operations Navigator components.

(IBM) "Managing OS/400 with Operations Navigator V5R1 Volume 2: Security" introduces readers to OS/400 security and how it can be controlled through OpsNav. This Redbook is a good introduction for those starting out with iSeries and trying to manage it through OpsNav.

(IBM) Redbook – "Managing OS/400 with Operations Navigator V5R1 Volume 3: Configuration and Service" provides a summary of the configuration and service features that OpsNav provides, as well as details on specific features.

(IBM) Redbook - Managing OS/400 with Operations Navigator V5R1 Volume 4: Packages and Products" covers how OpsNav uses packages to send and install multiple objects to different iSeries servers. OpsNav's product function is new with V5R1 and it allows users to define and manage an application similar to the way IBM supports products and manages those products, including providing fix management on multiple systems. This book explains both features.

(IBM and Geac) Redbook – "Geac System21 commerce.connect: Implementation on the IBM iSeries Server" introduces the new Geac commerce platform. This redbook explains how to install, maintain, and integrate these applications on an iSeries box.

Chats, Webinars, Seminars, Shows, and Other Happenings

January 15 and 16 -- Aldon Corporation has two online seminars on the topic of Change Management scheduled. Introduction to Change Management will be presented January 15th, while Introduction to Multi-Platform Change Management will be presented January 16. Check out Aldon's Online Seminar Web page at http://www.aldon.com/events/online.html for details.

January 20 -- The iSeries Nation will host a presentation called "iSeries Strategy and Directions." Anne Lucas, project executive for iSeries, describes the content as an explanation of what it takes to make your server more flexible, agile, and responsive in the on-demand era. Start time is 11:30 a.m. EST. Pre-registration is necessary. For registration information go to http://www.ibm.com/eserver/nation/chate1 and use confirmation code 711730.

January 21 -- The Metro Midrange Systems Association--a Dallas and Fort Worth area IBM iSeries and AS/400 user group--will hold its January meeting at the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport Marriott. The featured speaker is Bill Langston, director of marketing for New Generation Software, and the topic will be "Data Warehousing: What You Should Know Before You Begin." The cost to attend is $20 for members and $25 for non-members, including dinner and presentation. For more information, go to http://www.metromidrange.org/index.htm .

February 10-13 -- Help/Systems will host its twelfth annual iSeries Operations Automation User Conference in Orlando, Florida. The conference agenda ranges from formal discussions on the future of the iSeries to personal development topics. To learn more and register, go to http://www.helpsystems.com/education/userconf.html .

February 10-13 -- Help/Systems will host its twelfth annual iSeries Operations Automation User Conference in Orlando, Florida. The conference agenda ranges from formal discussions on the future of the iSeries to personal development topics. To learn more and register, go to http://www.helpsystems.com/education/userconf.html .

February 16-19 -- IBM PartnerWorld 2003 Conference, New Orleans, Louisiana. This three-day event is designed for IBM Business Partners and IBM executives to network and exchange ideas. For more information, go to http://www-1.ibm.com/partnerworld/pwhome.nsf/weblook/pw2003_index.html .

March 5-7 -- Registration is open for ASNApalooza 2003 in San Antonio, Texas. ASNApalooza is three days of ASNA Visual RPG (AVR) instruction and technical insight. For more information, go to http://palooza.asna.com .

Search400.Com Webinar -- DB2 UDB for iSeries - V5R2 Enhancements to the iSeries' self-managing database. Previously recorded Webcast featuring Doug Mack, product marketing specialist for DB2 UDB, discussing updates to V5R2's database enhancements, DB2 UDB compatibility with SQL stored procedures, and tips and techniques to avoid performance degradation. To listen to the presentation, go to http://search400.com/r/0,,8726,00.htm .