Midrange Stuff, OS/400 Edition

Kisco Information Systems last week announced BlueSeries eXpress'it Version 5.0, an enhanced version of its OS/400 software for sending and receiving faxes and e-mails. New features in Version 5.0 include a "spooled file expert" function, which, Kisco says, simplifies sending spool files from OS/400 applications as faxes or e-mails. Kisco has also cut prices at the high end, where it consolidated all pricing for the P30, P40, and P50 tiers at the P20 level.

Kisco launched BlueSeries eXpress'it last summer, when it combined its fax and e-mail server applications, BlueMail and BlueFax, into a single offering. The software allows users to send and receive faxes from 5250 terminals and terminal emulation packages, to receive incoming faxes as e-mails, and to send reports as e-mails. An optional PC client, called the Client 2000 module, adds the capability to send, view, and print faxes from Windows desktop applications.

The main enhancement that Kisco has delivered with Version 5.0 is the "spooled file expert" function. This new feature works by asking users to describe the contents of a spool file report, then linking that report to the user's database of fax numbers and e-mail addresses. When the user wants to send the spool file out as a fax, BlueSeries will make the connection and send the spool file, without the need for changes to the application itself.

Larger AS/400 and iSeries shops will be paying thousands of dollars less for BlueSeries eXpress'it 5.0 than previous releases, because the company has dropped the product's pricing for the P30 through P50 tiers down to the P20 level. This is the third price reduction Kisco has made to its BlueSeries products in the last 10 months.

A P50 license for BlueSeries eXpress'it previously cost $21,450, but now a company at the P50 level will pay the P20 price, which is $7,450. BlueSeries eXpress'it pricing at the P05 level stays unchanged, at $3,350. Pricing for BlueFax and BlueMail as stand-alone products has also been capped at the P20 level, and now those products top out at $4,800 and $3,600 respectively. The optional BlueFax Client 2000 starts at $54 per user, and additional fax lines beyond the one supported out of the box cost $1,300 each. For more information, go to www.kisco.com.

Sponsored By

LOOKSOFTWARE

Take your iSeries applications beyond a reface!

looksoftware's new product centric enables you to reface your
host application plus more!
View our reface and beyond webcast at www.looksoftware.com.

centric provides multiple integration options to suit your requirements. Direct access to the presentation, application and database layers provide a complete solution for re-using, extending and integrating your existing applications. Learn more about centric.

Flexible integration with existing applications:

Direct access to your 5250 and 3270 applications for presentation layer integration.
Integration with new and existing programs, commands and web services provides powerful application layer integration.
Direct access to DB 2, SQL Server, Oracle, etc.

ERP-CRM Integration - centric provides the dynamic integration support required to rapidly connect applications across different platforms so they work together in real-time.

Web Services - Add web services functionality to existing applications without necessarily changing your host applications.

Need proof? Read what our partners and customers have to say!

Doug Fulmer, IBM - "centric and newlook offer an affordable, high performance solution for customers of all sizes. Providing rapid refacing support, as well as direct database and web service integration allows customers to build complete e-business solutions leveraging their legacy applications and data.

CRM vendor Clear Technologies - "centric provides the easy-to-use application integration solution iSeries customers need. Our customers need to integrate our CRM application with their other applications and they don't have the time or skills to learn the more complex alternatives."

Robin Wilson, CFO SSUI - "We've used newlook for our customers' refacing requirements and upgraded 1600 business users to web-deployed browser-based access. Using newlook and centric is one of the best decisions we ever made. It is fast, powerful and robust - a rare combination of innovative software which is also simple to use."

centric Features Summary:

5250 and 3270 presentation layer integration.
RPC application layer integration.
DDE and DLL application layer support.
DDM database layer integration for DB 2.
ADO database layer integration for SQL Server, Oracle, Access etc.
Web Services browser.
Integrated debugging and error handling.
Objects, Events, Actions provide powerful, easy-to-learn extension support.
Integration with newlook for UI management.

We look forward to meeting you with at COMMON -- join us at booth #719