Top OS/400 Stories from Around the Web

(Guild Companies) IBM lauches a new line of Express software products targeted at small and midsized businesses (SMBs). The Express line is designed to combat the image that IBM is too pricey compared with alternative middleware and database solutions. Starting with WebSphere Express (see story in next section), Big Blue plans to follow up with WebSphere Portal Express, WebSphere Business Connection Express, and an upcoming DB2 Express product. Priced competitively, Big Blue is trying to get its foot in the door at SMBs where the door is open wide for Microsoft and Oracle. IBM Express products will be offered on Windows platforms first before being eventually rolled out to iSeries.

(Guild Companies) If IBM wanted to do something smart, it would listen to what is being said in The Four Hundred. Continuing its series on the iDeal iSeries, The Four Hundred suggests an extremely progressive pricing scheme and compares it to the iSeries pricing from IBM. You'll find some pretty realistic numbers here, and results that--in some cases--are better than what IBM is providing with IBM's Green Streak promotion. Read this article to become a better-educated consumer.

(Guild Companies) Using a Siebel call center application (running on an iSeries box, I hope), the most complete OS/400 customer database in the solar system, and probably more coffee than my bladder cares to think about, over 400 IBM sales reps have recently called more than 50,000 "dormant" AS/400 shops in North America. And--like extinct volcanoes--there's a possibility OS/400's dormant customer base could explode. As outlined in this article, these calls have led to 1,000 shops in North America buying new iSeries Green Streak boxes and another 4,000 are considering purchases. Not a bad return. This article also examines the results of Green Streak and future iSeries marketing with input from IBM Vice President of iSeries Sales Paulo Carvao and IBM Vice President of Marketing Cecelia Marrese.

(iSeries Network) Will iSeries Navigator ever make it to the Web? This article starts by looking at the need for providing an OpsNav-like product under Linux, but make sure to read it all the way through. In the middle of the article, Joe DiCecco, IBM's director of system user interface strategy for iSeries, talks about IBM's plans for developing a Web-based version of iSeries Navigator. This project has been discussed for years, but it may still be a while before Web-based iSeries management actually happens.

(Guild Companies) But Wait, There's More: blurbs about various IT vendor happenings. This week's edition includes: IBM's quiet preview of its BladeCenter blade servers that use Power4 processors rather than Intel Pentium 4 Xenon processors; JDA Software Group's "Customer Value Program" that attempts to enhance customer service options after the company's restructuring; PKWARE's new alliance with RSA Security for sales, marketing, and product integration; Alliance Gaming's announcement that it had acquired Mississippi-based CMS LLC; and Manhattan Associates' letter of intent to partner with Tokyo-based Site Design Company.

Vendor Announcements, Promotions And Deals

(IBM) IBM reduces pricing 33 percent on Software Maintenance After License deals on Domino for AS/400, Domino Mail Server for AS/400, iNotes, and selected other Notes products. The offer is only valid until the first anniversary of recent purchases or until December 31, 2002. This could be your last chance to pick up that software maintenance licensing that you may have passed over the first time.

(IBM) IBM (finally) announces WebSphere Application Server V5.0 for iSeries. Availability date is January 13, 2003, for program package and January 24, 2003, for Build to Order.

(IBM) As IBM gives, it also takes away. Big Blue also announced this week that it is withdrawing WebSphere Application Server (WAS) V4.0 as of January 3, 2003. After that date, Big Blue says you can no longer order WAS V4.0 for Windows NT/2000, Sun Solaris V8, RS/6000, Linux for Intel Red Hat distribution, and Linux for eServer zSeries. Because WAS V5.0 is not being offered on iSeries until January 13, this announcement does not cover withdrawing WAS V4.0 for iSeries. Guild Companies is estimating that a withdrawl announcement will be made in the next few weeks and the probable withdraw date is around January 20, 2003.

(Guild Companies) New Host Access product roundup. Writer Alex Woodie discusses the slew of new Host Access products that have been recently released or will soon be released, including new versions of Rumba Web-to-Host and Rumba Developer Edition (NetManage); Legacy Object Frameworks v3.0 (Yrrid Software); an upcoming release of CTCBridge (available in January from Core Technology); Winsurf Mainframe Access v3.2 (ICOM Infomatics); and Jacada Terminal Emulator v4.1 (Jacada). A good overview of new options in this marketplace.

(Guild Companies) Computer Associates announced that the most recent releases of its fourth-generation language (4GL) and template-based development tools, Advantage 2E 8.0 and Advantage Plex 5.1, now support the automatic generation of EJBs, in addition to generating source in native OS/400 3GLs, such as C++ and RPG.

(Guild Companies) Computer Keyes enhances KeyesFax v9.0 to include Class 2.0 fax communications capabilities. The company has also enhanced its KeyesMail email software with text-based PDFs for improved search capability.

(Guild Companies) IBM announces that its new DB2 OLAP Server for iSeries V8.1 delivers performance enhancements by incorporating relational online analytical processing (ROLAP). According to Big Blue, this morphs the product from being a strictly multidimensional OLAP (MOLAP) application to a hybrid OLAP (HOLAP) application. Find out what all the OLAP is about by reading this article.

(Guild Companies) Lazy Software announces Sentences version 3.0, the latest edition of its Java-based database management system, where the associative model of data replaces the relational database model used in systems such as OS/400. The company claims Sentences can help develop applications that offer more flexibility for running on the Internet (and yes, it has been tested under OS/400). The company also announced the new LazyView add-on, which pulls and aggregates data from several relational database systems, including Oracle, DB2, and SQL Server.

(Guild Companies) News Briefs and Product Shorts. This week's edition includes stories about Quadrant Software's new release of Formtastic Fusion5 V5.1; new OS/400 cross-referencing freeware from Rejbi Software; how OS/400 ISV's are using ResQNet screen rejuvenating technology to create GUI screens for their 5250 applications; Arum Technology's relaunch of the Arum Banking System software (formerly called Morningside); Group 1 Software's enhancement of its GeoTAX software to support telecommunications industry requirements; Frontline Solutions' release of its 2002 list of the top 100 supply chain companies; and how IBM helped Pacific Sunwear create a new e-commerce Web site to handle the clothing retailer's explosive growth.

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

(Guild Companies) New OS/400 PTF guide from DLB Associates, available as of November 16. Guide features new HIPERS, Database, WebSphere Commerce Suite V5.4, and Java group PTFs for V5Rx as well as new WebSphere V3.5 and V4.0 PTFs and Hipers for V4R5.

(Wayne O. Evans Consulting) OS/400 Security Article and Document Download Web Page - Wayne is one of the premiere OS/400 security consultants. When Wayne talks security, people listen. He offers valuable security articles including techniques for implementing security procedures, a security audit checklist, a vendor questionaire for buying OS/400 security software, and a lot more. And instead of selling this stuff, he doesn't want money, but asks users to donate $25 to $100 to their favorite charity as payment for this material. Nice job, Wayne. That's a class act.

(Lazy Software) White Paper - The Associative Model of Data Report explains the Associative Model of Data and why it is superior to the relational database model used in products such as DB2 and OS/400. The Associative Model is also the technical underpinnings for Lazy Software's Sentence database management system (see story link in the Vendor Announcements, Promotions, and Deals section). Doctor E.F. Codd, move over!

(MIDRANGE dot COM) This Web site, run by David Gibbs, features a variety of resources but most people go here for the mailing lists. These lists attract a knowledgeable array of OS/400 experts and cover more than 20 OS/400-related topics. There's also a list archive, FAQs, opinions, and Midrange resources presented in a Yahoo-style format.

(IBM) AS/400 Developer Kit for Java - Nice overview on the foundations of running Java on the AS/400 including AS/400 Java differentiators; JVM main components; Java execution and garbage collection; Remote AWT; and SSL and Java. A little light, but a good overview.

(IBM) Redbook - IBM eServer iSeries System Handbook OS/400 Version 5 Release 2. The final copy of the draft Redbook we told you about three weeks ago. IBM wrote this manual for IBM system specialists, marketing people, business partners, and customers to answer first-level questions. Use as a reference for understanding what hardware options are available with each iSeries model.

Chats, Webinars, Seminars, Shows, and Other Happenings

November 26 -- LANSA will host a B2B UK Seminar in Manchester, UK. For more information, go to http://www.lansa.com/events/b2bseminars.htm .

November 27 -- Looksoftware will be hosting an online overview and demonstration session of its newlook Web enablement product for the OS/400 platform at 4 P.M. EST. To register, go to http://www.looksoftware.com/news28.htm .

December 2-6 -- ASNA hosts a five-day course titled "Gloves Off, Hands On Visual RPG and Caviar Programming" in Toledo, Ohio. The seminar includes every major aspect of ASNA's Visual RPG and Caviar. Attendees will learn shortcuts, insider tips, and techniques. Also provided is coverage of other features such as cross-platform database access, application packaging and deployment, performance and security issues, and an overview of component-based development using ActiveX controls. For more information and to register, go to http://www.asna.com/seminar_AVR_intermediate_OHIO.asp .

December 5 -- The Delaware Valley Computer Users Group will present its "21st Annual Seminar & Vendor Expo" at the Marriot Hotel in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. At this one-day seminar, participants will hear top speakers on topics such as Web application tools, e-business on the iSeries, business integration, iSeries Web application development, and core iSeries know-how. Also included is a vendor expo, continental breakfast, and a luncheon. Registration cost is $145. For more information, go to http://www.dvcug.org/seminar2002/overview.htm .

December 5 -- The iSeries Nation Chat series continues with "Start Simple and Grow Fast," a discussion on WebSphere that includes the WebSphere Application Server Version 5 and WebSphere Express Version 5. The 60-minute Webcast begins at 11 A.M. EST and is hosted by Robin Clark and Mike Martin. Register by calling 800-289-0579 and referencing confirmation code 514081. For more information, go to
http://www-1.ibm.com/servers/eserver/iseries/nation/events/chat/chat_120502.html .

December 10 -- LANSA will host its LANSA UK and Eire User Group meeting at the National Assembly of Wales, Cathys Park, Cardiff, UK. LANSA will be presenting sessions to showcase its latest technology and to demonstrate how customers utilize LANSA for competitive advantage. For more information, go to http://www.lansa.com/support/usergroups.htm#uk .

March 5-7 -- Registration is open for ASNApalooza 2003 in San Antonio, Texas. ASNA also opened Lab Registration for the conference this month. ASNApalooza is three days of ASNA Visual RPG (AVR) instruction and technical insight. Early discount rates are in effect until December 31. For more information, go to http://palooza.asna.com .