Top OS/400 Stories from Around the Web

(Guild Companies) SMBs Benefit from IBM's Increased Attention - IBM's latest foray into the Small and Midsized Business (SMB) marketplace currently dominated by Microsoft is the zero-interest financing we introduced you to this last week. This week, Guild Companies reported that you qualify for that financing if you buy at least $25,000 in selected IBM items. Dan Burger also talked to Judy Smolski, IBM's vice president of Marketing to the SMBs in the Americas about how IBM is approaching this marketplace.

(Guild Companies) Sam Palmisano Named IBM Chairman, Presents Autonomic Vision, and Invents New Name for "e-business." This article goes deeper into the Sam Palmisano as IBM CEO and chairman story. Timothy Prickett Morgan discusses what helped make Lou Gerstner so successful, why that may not work for Palmisano, what are Palmisano's favorite buzzwords, and what that means for the rest of us. And what the devil is this autonomic computing vision, anyway? Bonus: Read this article to find IBM's new buzzword for the highly discredited "e-business" term (which IBM also invented). And the new term is...

(MC Press online) Just who are IBM's iSeries Marketing initiatives targeted at, anyway? Writer Lee Kroon analyzes Buell Duncan's iSeries Nation briefing last month and wonders aloud if IBM's new initiatives aren't aimed at IBM itself, with the intent of providing evidence to the rest of IBM that "...the iSeries is indeed the eServer of the future rather than the green-screen AS/400 of the past." Plus this must be the week for new buzzwords for familiar items as this article observes that IBM is now calling LPARs "blades."

(Guild Companies) Would you like fries with that iSeries? In the first of a series, Timothy Prickett Morgan looks at what's wrong with the iSeries and gives some creative ideas for how it can be fixed...starting with his own imaginary iDeal iSeries product line, the concepts of which could fix a lot of what's ailing IBM, including pricing issues.

(iSeries Network) Vendors say WebSphere is too bloated, expensive, and complicated for iSeries shops...and those are its good points. Jill Aitoro looks at several WebSphere alternatives from companies like BCD, Advanced Business Link, Jacada, ASNA, SEAGULL, and TeamStudio; alternatives that might fit better in an SMB environment. And just how does WebSphere Express fit into this equation?

(Guild Companies) Dataquest says that the server market is still shaky despite 3Q gains. Server shipments went up from 3Q 2001, but that quarter is a terrible barometer because of the September 11 terrorist attacks. Also contains a bunch of good numbers on server shipments.

(Guild Companies) But Wait, There's More - Quick news blurbs about various IT vendor news--with a heavy slant on OS/400. This week's edition includes an overview of ASNA's new development Web site; news of the next commercial Linux version (as it was announced at the Geek Cruise Linux Lunacy); and new JD Edwards announcements about its supply chain and customer relationship management software.

Vendor Announcements, Promotions And Deals

(Guild Companies) Everything you always wanted to know about SSA GT's Infinium acquisition...and is there more to come? More detail on the deal, including unanswered questions, what happens to Infinium's customers under contract, what about Infinium's NASDAQ listing, what about future acquisitions, and how this relates to PRMS and BPCS (SSA GT's other big products). There's also a roll call of all the former Geac executives who are now running SSA GT.

(iSeries Network) Sirius Computer Solutions continues travelling acquisition road show by buying Houston-based Strategic Systems. Deal follows Sirius' recent purchase of Symatrix Technology. No financial details released.

(iSeries Network) Bsafe Software Solutions unveils Bsafe/iSeries Global Security V3.0, communications and data security solution. V3.0 includes network security, intrusion detectionk, user authorization and auditing.

(Guild Companies) ClientSoft Ships .NET Integration Tool for iSeries Applications. Started shipping new ClientBuilder for Visual Studio .NET plugin that allows .NET developers to convert OS/400 and mainframe applications into reusable .NET framework-compatible components, without modifying the legacy code.

(Guild Companies) Micro Focus Ports COBOL Compiler to OS/400. Server Express COBOL compiler now supports OS/400 as a target platform. Product provides a migration path for Hewlett-Packard HP 3000 users to move to iSeries.

(iSeries Network) Precosis P/L has extended its BPCS Column Heading Fix solution to include field information for the BPCS V8 database. Designed to improve the readability of database queries.

(iSeries Network) R/Utility Software Consultants introduces Lockdown, a no-cost iSeries security consulting service.

(Guild Companies) News Briefs and Product Shorts - Industry news from midrange vendors. This week's edition include stories about Perle Systems, California Software, looksoftware, WRQ, FormScape, Gauss, and that strange story about how Microsoft got in trouble with the city of New York after it plastered butterfly decals all over public property in order to advertise MSN v8.0.

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

(Guild Companies) New OS/400 PTF guide from DLB Associates, available as of November 2. New PTFs include Database and Hipers (V4R5, V5R1, and V5R2), WebSphere Commerce Server V5.4 for iSeries (V5R1, V5R2), new IBM HTTP Server for iSeries (V5R2), and a relatively new Cum PTF package for V5R2.

(IBM) iSeries White Paper Web page - This site is IBM's archive of iSeries and AS/400-based White Papers. Contains link to 30-35 White Papers in the areas of iSeries application development; Domino; e-business; hardware; high availability; systems software; and DB2 Universal Database and Business Intelligence (or is that an oxymoron?). Some of the info is sales related but other items look like they have more of a technical slant.

(IBM) Redbook - IBM eServer iSeries and AS/400e System Builder: Version 5 Release 2 - In its eight edition, this redbook is a guide to iSeries-AS/400 SOI and RISC-based hardware, related hardware, and OS/400 software marketed since IBM introduced the AS/400 in 1988. The latest edition contains iSeries Model 890 information, as well as new information on OS/400 V5R2.

(IBM) Redbook Hint & Tip - IBM eserver iSeries Guidelines for Monitoring High Priority Job Performance - A Redbook Hint & Tip is a short piece--similar to an article--that focuses on one topic that can be explained quickly. This tip discusses how to use Operations Navigator to monitor CPU utilization for critical applications. OS/400 V5R1 and above.

(IBM) Redbook Hint & Tip - Getting the Most from V5R2 IBM eserver iSeries Display Performance Data Graphics. Starting in OS/400 V5R2, you can graphically display performance collection data. This tip shows users how to set up Display Performance Data Graphics support in V5R2, provides some examples for how to read the graphed data, and how to work with this new capability in OpsNav and Management Central.

Chats, Webinars, Seminars, Shows, and Other Happenings

November 13 -- IBM Rochester iSeries Executive Briefing Center, "Linux for iSeries Fly-In" Register for a one-day workshop where Rochester experts will cover the technical and financial benefits of Linux and partners demonstrate Linux application. Contact your local IBM or business partner rep to register. Partners/IBMers call (507) 286-4910 or register at: http://www.ibm.com/servers/eserver/briefingcenter/rbc .

November 12 -- Search400: Want the expert's view on how RPG fits into a WebSphere development strategy? Then tune in next Tuesday to watch the Search400 interactive Webinar titled "WebSphere Development Studio: How to Integrate and streamline your RPG and Web development." The free event (registration with Search400 is required) is scheduled to start at 12 p.m. Eastern Time and will be hosted by IBM Alison Butterill and SoftLanding Systems' Ray Bernardi will host the one hour-event. To register for this event, go to http://webevents.broadcast.com/slides/3690/3481/forms/register.asp .

November 15 -- iSeries Nation "Chatting with Citizens" This week's online gathering of the iSeries faithful will tackle the age-old question on everybody's minds: Has the time come to abandon SEU and RPG? The event's hosts, the dynamic duo of Jon Paris and Susan Ganter, will argue that it's time to retire one, but not the other. Which one do you think they'll want to see retired? (Hint: they both make their living spreading the RPG gospel.) The event is scheduled to start at 11 a.m. Eastern Time. To register, reference this secret pass code [182399] at this toll-free telephone number [800-289-0579] or at this special Web site at http://www.premconf.com/rsvp .

November 20 -- The New England Midrange User Group (NEMUG) will be holding a monthly member meeting on Wednesday, November 20, to discuss XML and its role as a possible replacement for EDI. The guest presenter will be Andrew Vaiciunas of LANSA. The deadline to register for the event is next Friday, November 15. For more information and to register, go to NEMUG's Web site at http://www.nemug.com .

November 21 -- Registration is still open for The OMNI User 16th Annual Technical Conference, an all-day event that will feature 28 technical sessions of interest to OS/400 shops, 8 product demonstration sessions, food, and a keynote address by Dr. Frank Soltis. What more could an OMNI user ask for? For more information and to register (you must be a paid OMNI member), go to http://www.omniuser.org/OMNI_Conference_2002.htm .