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OS/400 Edition
Volume 2, Number 11 -- March 21, 2003
   In This Issue

We Bring It All Together So You Don't Have To.

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Top OS/400 Stories from Around the Web

(The Four Hundred) IBM senior executives coughed up some interesting tidbits at COMMON last week. Comments that got our attention included how IBM sold so many Green Streak machines that it couldn't fulfill all of it's orders in 2002; how IBM can still make money on the new machines in spite of the deep discounts it is offering; and plans involving independent software vendors. Have you wondered whether IBM will ever allow Oracle to run in an iSeries partition?
(Lotus Advisor) IBM is rushing out a critical fixpack for the latest Lotus Notes and Domino 6.0.1 upgrade, released in February. Big Blue has identified a small list of 6.0.1 problems that this unscheduled fixpack addresses.
(The Four Hundred) Part marketing campaign and part outtakes from The Sopranos, IBM's town hall meeting at COMMON featured magic lamp TV commercials, cost cubes, Al Barsa praising OS/400 V5R2, and make-believe threats (we think) against anyone accusing IBM of putting a hit on the iSeries. IBM cleared the COMMON agenda for this meeting, but was it worth it?
(The 400 Group) Here's another story on IBM's town hall meeting, but the more interesting items are published in the sidebar interview with COMMON president Robert Boyson, who talks about putting the fun back in COMMON, conference attendance, and changes to future conferences.
(Search400.com) In yet another story on COMMON's opening sessions, Al Zollar provided IBM customers with a glimpse of the iSeries' role in IBM's e-business on-demand strategy.
(iSeries Network) Although last week's COMMON conference saw less than record crowds, many exhibitors reported more traffic walking past their booths, which they credited to a few key changes that COMMON implemented this year.
(IDG) IDG reported that some iSeries users will not benefit from IBM's new software pricing and upgrade options. According to IDG, many people believe the changes generally reduce complexity and increase cost-effectiveness, but they also think that some small and midsized shops could face unexpected price increases. IBM's Ian Jarman was interviewed for this story and has some interesting things to say.
(MC Press Online) According to recent figures released by Nate Viall & Associates, salaries for AS/400 and iSeries managers in the United States are 5.4 percent higher than one year ago, and AS/400 and iSeries programmers are registering an increase of 4.4 percent. But don't pop the champagne cork just yet. There are a few things you should know before you hit the boss up for a raise.
(The Four Hundred) Unix and Linux operating system maker SCO Group has filed a lawsuit against former partner and one-time Unix ally IBM, accusing Big Blue of willfully distributing Unix intellectual property to the Linux community. SCO also accused IBM of undermining the Unix market with anti-competitive business practices. SCO is seeking $1 billion in damages and is requesting a jury trial in its home state of Utah. To make things nastier, SCO is giving IBM 100 days to settle or face revocation of its licenses to Unix.
(Software Development Times) Here's an article to print and keep handy the next time someone talks about Microsoft providing a lower total-cost-of-ownership. In a recent survey, IDC discovered that, for groups of 300 to 400 users, mainframe computers offer the lowest TCO, that PCs are the most costly to own, and that midrange platforms, like OS/400 and OpenVMS, fall somewhere in between. But the biggest difference is in training, which makes up about 50 to 70 percent of the total cost of ownership.
(CNET News.com) Microsoft warned customers on Monday about a security hole in Windows 2000 and the company's Web server software that allows online attackers to take control of corporate servers. Because Internet vandals are actively exploiting this vulnerability, Microsoft is advising customers to apply a patch or use a workaround as soon as possible to defend against an attack.
(CNET News.com) Senate lawmakers say they will try again to outlaw Internet gambling in the United States, while other experts say the U.S. should try to regulate the $4 billion industry. Lawmakers, you gotta love 'em. It's not like they have more important things to think about, do they?

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Vendor Announcements, Promotions And Deals

(Guild Companies) Business Computer Design Int'l has added some "autonomic"-like features to its Catapult software, the company's OS/400 spool-file splitting, conversion, and distribution utility. With Version 4.0, the company has introduced what it calls intelligent routing, which allows Catapult to automatically split a report and send the segments to the appropriate printer, fax, or e-mail address, or save them to the OS/400 Integrated File System.
(Guild Companies) In spite of advancements in PCs and the Web, terminal vendors continue to evolve their products and make them more useful to companies that deploy host-based OS/400 applications on iSeries and AS/400 servers. At COMMON last week, BOSaNova and Affirmative Computer Products both launched new product lines aimed solely at the thin client and Ethernet terminal marketplaces.
(Guild Companies) Damon Technologies has introduced RPG Server Pages (RSP), which allows developers to create dynamic Web content by inserting RPG code in HTML tags. Damon believes RSP will be well-received because it eliminates the need for programmers to learn graphical languages like Java.
(TechWeb) PeopleSoft has unveiled the latest version of its enterprise portal, Enterprise Portal 8.8, which features an upgrade that integrates instant messaging into a new tool for locating business resources. PeopleSoft will integrate IBM Lotus Sametime and Yahoo Messenger technology into the product during the second quarter, and will integrate Microsoft's Greenwich real-time collaboration in the fourth quarter.
(Guild Companies) SoftLanding Systems announced TurnOver for WebSphere Studio last week. TurnOver for WebSphere Studio includes a series of plug-ins that provide RPG, COBOL, ILE, and SQL support, source and object control, cross-referencing, developer work lists, change history, check in/check out, compile and promotion capabilities--all from the WebSphere development environment.
(Guild Companies) Tango/04 Computing Group has introduced a new version of its flagship iSeries and Windows systems monitoring software, VISUAL Message Center 5.0. The new version can receive messages from Unix and Linux platforms through the Linux/Unix Adapter, one of the optional agents that users can purchase and deploy. Also included are new graphical customization capabilities that Tango/04 has added to its business impact maps.

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

(CCSS and Search400.com) The white paper Message Management on the IBM eServer iSeries examines problems and solutions with networked message management in an iSeries environment. This white paper also discusses one of CCSS's product solutions, QMessage Monitor, which was created to combat messaging problems and to help operations staff manage messages.
(Client Server Development) The AS/400 and SQL Reference Pages contain links to several different Web sites with SQL client/server information. There are subsections that provide information about using SQL, as well as performance information, tips, and procedures and functions.
(IBM) Redbook -- The IBM WebFacing Tool: Converting 5250 Applications to Browser-based GUIs discusses how Web-application conversion works, how to customize a Web interface, performance considerations, and more.
(Zebra Technologies) Tired of looking for different printer drivers for running Zebra printers in a Windows environment? Check out Zebra's Universal Windows Printer Driver, which supports more than 50 Zebra printer models. The Universal Driver is compatible with the ZPL II, EPL 2, and CPCL printer command languages, found on Zebra printers currently shipping.

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Chats, Webinars, Seminars, Shows, and Other Happenings

March-July -- Aldon Computer Group will present its user group tour at various user group meetings throughout the United States. Aldon will discuss the latest in IS management tools and techniques, focusing primarily on software development, testing, and support solutions for the iSeries and for multiplatform technologies. Go to www.aldon.com/events/user_tour.html for a list of meetings that Aldon will attend.


March 25 -- PowerTech Group and Penton Technology Media present the "Sound Strategies for iSeries Security" Webcast, featuring Pat Botz and John Earl. Topics include an overview of network access protection, V5R2 security enhancements, and virus and mailware protection. To register, go to the Penton Media OnStage Web site.
March 26 -- SoftLanding Systems will host a Webcast on its recently announced change management plug-ins for WebSphere Development Studio Client. TurnOver plug-ins embed full RPG, COBOL, ILE, and SQL support in the WebSphere Development Studio IDE. Register at www.softlanding.com/websphere/live-event.htm to see the TurnOver plug-ins working live and online.
March 26-27 -- The Wisconsin Midrange Computer Professional Association will present its 18th annual technical conference at the Abbey in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Top industry experts, including Bob Cozzi, Jim Sloan, Carole Miner, Jon Paris, Susan Gantner, and Robert S. Tipton, will present a wide variety of classes on several different aspects of OS/400. Go to www.wmcpa.org/conf.html for more information.
March 27 -- iSeries Nation presents "The ABCs of Installing WebSphere Application Server Express on iSeries," a conference call hosted by Robin Clark and Mike Martin. Topics include positioning, installation, set up, and where to go for additional resources. Go to the iSeries Nation Web site to register.
April-May -- iSeries professionals in the greater Washington, D.C., area can take advantage of a continuing series of technical seminars organized through the cooperative efforts of two local user groups: Washington Area Midrange and Mid Atlantic Midrange. WebSphere and WebFacing (April 14, 15, and 17) and Web development (May 19, 20, and 22) are next on the list. Go to www.wash-midrange.org/seminars.html for details and a list of upcoming seminars and locations.
April-June -- Bytware is conducting several workshops to help customers take advantage of the most valuable features of Bytware's monitoring, security, and paging products. Workshop topics include MessengerPlus, StandGuard, and MessengerConsole. Go to www.bytware.com/edu.htm for more information.
April 7-9 -- Northeast IBM User Groups will present its 13th annual iSeries and AS/400 user group conference at the Sheraton Framingham Hotel in Framingham, Massachusetts. More than 20 well-known speakers, including Frank Soltis, Allison Butteril, Ian Jarman, Susan Gantner, and Jon Paris, will present three days of classes on WebSphere, WebFacing, SQL, Client Access, RPG coding, iSeries futures, Java, and more. A vendor expo and IBM certification tests will also be offered. Go to www.neibmconf.com for more information.
April 30-May 2 -- RPG World, an educational event for iSeries programmers presented by some of the top authorities on RPG and iSeries application development, will be held in Orlando, Florida, from April 30 through May 2. Topics include RPG, Web development, and general iSeries application development. Go to www.rpgworld.com for more information.
May 25-27 -- The COMMON European Congress will hold its 2003 conference in Warsaw, Poland. Like its U.S. counterpart, the European show will present iSeries education, presentations, and a vendor exposition. Go to http://comeur.org/cec2003/ for more information.
June 9-12 -- J.D. Edwards presents the Quest Global Conference (formally known as JDE Focus). Staged in Denver, this conference centers on user-driven education, training, and speakers, with a J.D. Edwards focus. Go to the J.D. Edwards Web site for more information.
June 15-18 -- The 2003 iSeries & AS/400 Connection Conference offers four days of iSeries education at the Registry Resort in Naples, Florida. The iSeries educational tracks focus on application development, Java, SQL, e-business, operations, and security. Speakers include Dr. Frank Soltis, Al Barsa Jr., Allison Butterill, Wayne O. Evans, Susan Gantner, Janet Krueger, Jon Paris, Jim Sloan, and Howard F. Arner Jr. Go to www.tramenco.com/naples for more information and registration.
July 20-23 -- LANSA presents its 2003 International LANSA Conference at the Renaissance Hotel in Chicago. The conference includes product education, customer success stories, strategic directions, hands-on labs, and roundtable discussions. Register by May 15 and get a free LANSA stadium blanket. Go to www.lansa.com/conference/index.htm for more information.
September 7-11 -- The COMMON user group presents its fall 2003 conference and expo in Orlando, Florida. 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. Go to the COMMON Web site for more information and to register.

Editor: Joe Hertvik
Managing Editor: Shannon Pastore
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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THIS ISSUE
SPONSORED BY:

Aldon Computer Group
DCSoftware
Snap-E Books
RJS Software Systems


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