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In This Issue
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We Bring It All Together So You Don't Have To.
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Top OS/400 Stories from Around the Web
(Guild Companies) Last week, IBM announced new iSeries machines that added improved iron to the iSeries line, revamped the iSeries pricing and packaging model, changed the OS/400 software stack, reduced the number of software tiers, and changed 5250 interactive capability packaging. This week, IBM released some pricing information on these models and features, and Timothy Prickett Morgan is crunching the numbers. Tim's article provides the lowdown on pricing, including normalized base pricing, charts comparing 2003 iSeries hardware pricing versus 2002 pricing, analysis of how much cheaper 5250 pricing really is, what's the real value of OS/400's new software stack, and more. To truly understand the intricacies of iSeries pricing, make this article a priority.
(Guild Companies) With few exceptions, IBM's refreshed iSeries lineup has been very well received by the reseller community. Resellers like what IBM's cooking up with the new across-the-board price cuts and the $10,000 entry-level iSeries 800. They like the inclusion of standby processors as a standard item, and they especially like the new packaging, which shifts attention away from the interactive tax. Overall, they say, it's a good way to start breathing new life into the box and allowing it to compete with Windows and Unix.
(Guild Companies) With the latest iSeries announcements, IBM's Software Maintenance program has replaced Software Subscription for iSeries technical and software support. More significantly, any customer who buys a new iSeries machine will also buy one year of Software Maintenance, if they want to stay current with OS/400 V5R1, V5R2, and all future versions of the operating system. And you won't have the luxury of buying it later, because Software Maintenance is included on your bill, just like any other prerequisite cost of a base system. Read this article, because it includes a table that compares Software Maintenance pricing versus Maintenance After License pricing for all of IBM's new software tiers.
(Guild Companies) IBM's new interactive pricing policy for 5250 iSeries applications forces customers to either pony up big bucks for OS/400 Enterprise Edition and get unlimited 5250 CPWs or convert 5250 applications to batch and run OS/400 Standard Edition. Standard Edition will be cheaper than the Enterprise Edition, but it won't support green-screen 5250 applications. All of which leaves the question of what will the thousands of ISVs that developed green-screen OS/400 applications do to avoid penalizing their customers by forcing them to purchase Enterprise Edition? IBM has an answer to this problem. It's called WebFacing, and it now runs in a batch subsystem for new servers only.
(The 400 Group) Once the initial "wow" reaction to the iSeries announcements wore off, customers started looking for and finding the "gotchas" in IBM's new iSeries models and their associated offerings. Among the things, customers are concerned about are paying more for 5250 support on new models compared to older models, having to pay a second time for bundled software packages that had already been purchased for older hardware, and deep discounts on Software Support Line that will be eliminated when it's bundled into the new Software Maintenance plan.
(Guild Companies) Why do people care about IBM's financial numbers? Because--according to this article--IBM accounts for about one-tenth of all IT spending worldwide and with its partner channel added in, Big Blue probably accounts for a quarter of the estimated $1 trillion that goes into IT budgets each year. This alone casts a different shadow on IBM's recent fourth-quarter numbers, but Midrange Monitor readers might be more interested in how IBM tried to explain away its pathetic drop in iSeries sales in the fourth quarter. You might also want to read some of the analysts' numbers that estimate how well iSeries did against IBM's other platforms in 2002.
(Guild Companies) This week's But Wait, There's More section had a number of interesting tidbits that illustrate how the traditional OS/400 marketplace is changing. First, there's the story of how Jacada's former director of product marketing Rob Morris, just took a job as vice-president of marketing and sales with competitor ClientSoft. SBB Group, the Australian developer of the UC4 job-scheduling utility, recently launched a new American subsidiary, UC4 Software. OS/400 ERP vendor CommercialWare announced it intends to acquire Capture.Net Technologies, a software company that develops a suite of integrated front-office and back-office software for retailers; CommercialWare also announced it will rebrand the companies' two product lines. iSeries VAR Direct Data Corp. has signed on with CRM software developer Clear Technologies' distributor channel in a deal where VAR Direct resells Clear Technologies' CRM suite and provides integration services for OS/400 shops in the East and Midwest. OS/400 security software developer PowerTech Group announced an alliance with Internet Security Systems; the two companies will integrate PowerTech's PowerLock suite with ISS' RealSecure Protection Platform. And former SSA Global Technologies' executive Tom Lowry has taken over North American sales responsibilities for Baan, an ERP software organization now owned by Ivensys.
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Vendor Announcements, Promotions and Deals
(Guild Companies) Bytware is ramping up its security initiative with a new white paper, free access to its OS/400 auditing tool, and a new release of its OS/400 security policy management and enforcement system, StandGuard 2.3. This assortment of information and tools is designed to help companies identify where their OS/400 servers are most exposed, design a security policy that calls for gradually ratcheting up protection, then enforce those policies to eliminate unwanted access from both within and outside of the company.
(Guild Companies) DCSoftware last week launched the ReorgWizard, a new OS/400 file reorganization utility that gives users greater control over the amount of resources consumed by file reorganization. The ReorgWizard features a "throttle" menu option that lets administrators assign the number of records the ReorgWizard should process before taking a one-second break. With a setting of 0, the process runs full-speed ahead (incurring substantial overhead along the way). If the throttle setting is 1, the ReorgWizard will perform a complete record reorganization at the rate of one record per second, and the overhead will decrease accordingly.
(Guild Companies) OS/400 ERP giant J.D. Edwards & Company last week announced it will be delivering a series of application bundles that can be up and running on iSeries servers in half the time it normally takes to load JDE software. J.D. Edwards says the three new bundles for manufacturing, distribution, and financial operations will include "business process templates" that provide pre-configured technical setup support for the company's latest J.D. Edwards 5 suite of software on iSeries servers. The new modules are slated to ship in March.
(Guild Companies) ProData Computer Services recently issued a new set of programmer productivity tools, the RPGIV Templates. The templates are a suite of 15 programs with accompanying source-code. They provide basic functionality, such as file maintenance, inquiry, and error-handling, as well as more complex subfile processing programs. In addition to providing these basic functions, ProData wants the RPGIV Templates to serve as a series of templates from which programmers at small development shops can to learn to write solid RPG IV code.
(Guild Companies) This week's News Briefs and Product Shorts section covers current OS/400 events including how Maines Paper & Food Service benefited by using both Manhattan Associates' OS/400-based warehouse management system and Vocollect's slick voice technology. VillageEDOCS, a fax service provider, and Resolutions, a document management software company, have formed a partnership to deliver Resolutions' forms management software as an outsourced service; the alliance also integrates VillageEDOC's data center services with Resolutions' software. Miami Children's Hospital has successfully deployed LXI's Media Management System to better satisfy government requirements for 28 years of patient record retention. Momentum Utilities announced its JacanaForms electronic forms package for the iSeries is now available for $8,000. Wyse Technology introduced Winterm 3820 TX, a wireless thin-client tablet computer for workers who need mobile access to server-based applications. And iSeries training specialist Manta Technologies is now making its library of courses and exams available over the Web; the new online delivery method, called MantaNow, provides students with access to any of Manta's 100 iSeries training courses or exams for three days.
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New Redbooks, White Papers, and Other OS/400 Resources
(IBM) IBM eServer e-catalog – This e-catalog site contains Adobe Acrobat versions of selected IBM Winter 2003 catalogs. Here you can find the 2003 IBM eServer midrange servers products and services catalog, which is dedicated to IBM's iSeries products as they existed before the January 20 announcement. Although a high percentage of catalog material is sales-related, this massive (50 pages) on-line brochure offers some interesting tidbits hidden among the advertising, and it's a handy guide for looking at the iSeries line in total and understanding what's available for our favorite black box. Find this catalog and some other catalogs at http://www-1.ibm.com/servers/eserver/ecatalog/ .
(IBM) IBM eServer iSeries College – This Web site contains a downloadable set of lectures and slide shows by IBM personnel spotlighting a number of iSeries topics, including business intelligence, Domino, Linux on iSeries, and WebSphere. Registration is required to access the information. For more information, go to http://www.ibmweblectureservices.ihost.com/servlet/Gate/Offering?action=requestlogin&customer=ibm&offering=lsow .
(IBM) Redbooks Domain, ITSO iSeries Technical Forum V5R2 Presentations on the Web – Presented by the iSeries University and the International Technical Support Organization (ITSO), this site presents iSeries Technical Forum V5R2 information. Presented in Adobe Acrobat format, the presentations include both the speakers' slides and the speakers' notes in a downloadable format. To check which presentations are available, go to http://publib-b.boulder.ibm.com/Redbooks.nsf/Portals/AS400Custom1 .
(Snap-eBooks, Inc.) Free eBook – Introduction to VisualAge for RPG – This is a free copy of one of the iSeries-based electronic books that Snap-eBooks sells. Written by industry expert Shannon O'Donnell, the book uses photographs and code samples to demonstrate how to use RPG programming to build Windows applications. For more information or to download, go to http://www.snap-ebooks.com/VisualAge%20for%20RPG%20eBooks.htm .
(SoftLanding Systems, Inc.) White Paper – A Unified Approach to iSeries Application Testing - This white paper shows iSeries users and developers how to build a comprehensive systems-testing program. Using charts, diagrams, expert advice, and user quotes, SoftLanding discusses the approach to testing. It includes problems that occur during the process, and how to develop best-testing practices. To download this paper, go to http://www.softlanding.com/testbench/download-wp.htm .
(SoftLanding Systems, Inc.) White Paper – Paul Conte's Software Development Survival Guide: Five Steps from Chaos to Control – Written by industry expert and software development guru Paul Conte, this paper describes five practical steps to make your development process more reliable and predictable. Paul maintains that--by using the techniques outlined here--you can build better software more efficiency for less cost with less risk. To download this paper, go to http://www.softlanding.com/cmm/download-5step.htm .
(T.L. Ashford) Free Reference Guide for Bar Code Labeling – This is a 52-page book that is designed to help readers obtain an overall understanding of bar code labeling and compliance topics. Chapters include: The 10 Commandments of Bar Code Labeling, Bar Code Symbologies, and a Glossary of Terms. To download this book, go to http://www.tlashford.com/frames/home_frameset/home_frameset.htm .
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Chats, Webinars, Seminars, Shows, and Other Happenings
Now through February 28 -- IBM presents "iSeries and the e-Business on Demand Era," a half-day traveling road show presented in 72 venues across North America. IBM will discuss its 2003 product strategy and explain how the iSeries delivers an on-demand computing environment to manage multiple operating systems, including WebSphere, Linux, Windows, and OS/400. Registration is free. Go to http://www-1.ibm.com/servers/eserver/education/ondemand/ for more information and dates that the show will be presented in your area.
February 2-April 4 -- IBM is offering a series of WebSphere workshops at worldwide venues, including Toronto, Canada; Melbourne, Australia; Singapore, Singapore; Makuhari, Japan; and Zurich, Switzerland. Topics includes WebSphere and MQ Series integration; Web Services; CrossWorlds; B2B; and EAI. For details about particular workshops, go to http://publib-b.boulder.ibm.com/Redbooks.nsf/portals/WebSphereWorkshops .
February 3-5 – The Washington Area Midrange Users Group is presenting an "AS/400 and iSeries Security Fundamentals" full-day seminar with Wayne Evans, iSeries security expert. Wayne will discuss ways you can more effectively manage critical security issues on your AS/400s. Cost is $250 for non-members and $225 for members. The seminar will be presented in Richmond, Virginia, on February 3; College Park, Maryland, on February 4; and Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, on February 5. For more information, go to http://www.wash-midrange.org/evans0302.html .
February 4-26 – Business-to-business integration vendor Tamgroup will present a number of Webinars on iSeries and B2B topics during February. Seminars topics include an overview of IBM's latest iSeries announcement, Portal 101 and Portal 201, B2B Integration, and Content Management. Go to http://www.tamgroup.com/www/registration.jsp?iSeries=1 to register.
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 12 -- Software Developer DPS, Inc. is hosting a Webcast for wholesale distributors titled "Technology that works for Distributors." See how Courter Company reduced expenses by $100,000 annually and Franklin Machine Products landed a major new customer. All attendees will receive a complimentary sleeve of golf balls (same brand that's used by Tiger Woods) and will be entered in a drawing for a TaylorMade 360Ti driver at the conclusion of the Webcast. Register at http://www.dpslink.com/webinar/feb12midrange.html .
February 16-19 -- IBM will be hosting PartnerWorld 2003, its annual conference and expo in New Orleans, Louisiana. The three-day event allows 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 with an emphasis on the RPG development environment for Microsoft's .NET platform. For more information, go to http://palooza.asna.com .
March 9-13 -- The COMMON User Group presents its Spring 2003 Conference & Expo in Indianapolis, Indiana. COMMON is an excellent setting for OS/400 professionals to get the technical information they need to do their jobs. It is an opportunity to meet industry experts, attend hands-on labs, exchange information with fellow professionals, attend a multitude of educational tracks, and get real-world solutions at the vendor expo. COMMON has been the finest venue for OS/400 education over the last two decades, and it's still going strong. For more information and registration, go to http://www.common.org/Conferences/conf.html . Anyone who registers by February 4 will receive an early bird discount of $200.
April 30 to May 2 -- RPG World, an iSeries programmer education event presented by some of the top authorities on RPG and iSeries application development, will be held in Orlando, Florida, from April 30 to May 2. This event features educational presentations on RPG, web development, and general iSeries application development. For more information, visit http://www.rpgworld.com .
June 15-18 –- The 2003 iSeries & AS/400 Connection Conference – presented by Barsa Consulting Group, LLC, and Tramenco – is offering four days of intensive iSeries-based education at the Registry Resort in Naples, Florida. Aside from beach access to the Gulf of Mexico, this conference features iSeries educational tracks focused on application development, Java, SQL, e-business, operations, and security. It also features many of the most knowledgeable speakers in the iSeries & AS/400 industry, including Dr. Frank Soltis, Al Barsa, Jr., Allison Butterill, Wayne O. Evans, Susan Gantner, Janet Kruger, Jon Paris, Jim Sloan, and Howard Arner. For more information and registration, go to http://www.tramenco.com/naples/ .
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Editor: Joe Hertvik
Managing Editor: Mari Barrett
Publisher and Advertising Director: Jenny Thomas
Advertising Sales Representative: Kim Reed
If you have a resource, event, or any other interesting item that you want to see publicized in Midrange Monitor, send an email to Joe Hertvik
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