inFORM Launches New eCommerce Shopping Cart App for OS/400

by Alex Woodie

inFORM Decisions, the Irvine, California, software company best known for its forms-design and document-management applications, is going into the e-commerce business. Last week inFORM launched iShop, an out-of-the-box e-commerce application for OS/400 servers that includes a pre-built, Web-based storefront interface, secure payment facilities, and ready integration with ordering applications on AS/400 or iSeries servers.

While the hype surrounding e-commerce applications has died down considerably since its peak in late 1999 and early 2000, one cannot deny the advantages and business benefits of allowing customers to place orders directly over the Web. There are many toolsets and software applications that can take OS/400 shops to the Web, and many more out-of-work Web designers who could fashion a connection from a back-end OS/400 application to a front-end Web site, most likely running on a cheap Windows NT server.

But for those shops that want to run a native OS/400 application in its native language, there are fewer options on the table. That's why inFORM Decisions developed iShop, which it wrote in RPG with an HTML user interface.

The iShop contains the type of features you would expect to find in an e-commece application, including the capability to browse products in a catalog and place orders and to look up order status, order history, and account information. Administrators can control certain aspects of the look and feel of the Web site to keep it consistent with the company's color scheme, and payment can be made directly by credit card or indirectly through credit-card-processing services (like PayPal). The software also uses 128-bit encryption to secure the log-in process and to process credit card transactions.

On the back-end, iShop integrates with existing order processing applications. When orders are placed through iShop, the application will automatically notify preselected company personnel of the orders and will export those orders automatically to the back-end OS/400 application for processing.

The iShop also includes a dynamic pricing capability that changes the price a customer is charged based on predefined rules. This feature can establish a selling price based on a markup percentage over wholesale that can be defined by customer, product, product category, history, or other parameters. For example, if the item was bought previously, iShop can look at the current wholesale price, apply the markup used in the last sale, and calculate the new price.

This dynamic price calculation feature is unique to iShop, says Davis Yokana, director of internet development at inFORM Decisions. "Price variance calculations allow you to preserve the terms of any established agreement between the customer and vendor," he says.

Other features include automatic sales tax calculation and a history log that Web site managers can use to find information about visitors to the site. The iShop also has its own database that speeds data access and allows the product to be run independently of the back-end, OS/400-based application, if desired.

Information on the pricing and availability of iShop 1.0 was not available at press time. For more information, go to www.informdecisions.com.

Sponsored By FAST400

What makes IBM different from Microsoft regarding Fast400?? What is Fast400? You are hearing a lot about Fast400 aren't you? But what is Fast400? Fast400 is a "tuning" product for the iSeries. Fast400 will allow an iSeries server to utilize the available CPW for interactive processing. IBM would have you believe that these interactive cards that cost thousands to millions of dollars, actually add value to your server. By buying Fast400, you do not ever need to buy anther interactive card for your iSeries. For a free demonstration of Fast400, please visit www.fast400.net. Why Fast400? A few years ago Microsoft would not let other software companies build tools to work with the Windows operating system. Microsoft did all kinds of scurrilous things to stop other manufacturers software from working on their platform. They would put code in the base operating system that prevented other companies code from working properly. IBM even had these issues with Operations Navigator. In the early days of Operations Navigator, the developers in Rochester had to scrap early versions because Microsoft did not want IBM leverage on what was proprietary to them. Netscape also had a few problems using the Windows operating system. The result Now we all know what happened to Microsoft. After spending tens of millions of our tax dollars in the trial, the US government told Microsoft that they were acting as a monopoly and what they did was not right or fair. The similarity IBM is doing exactly the same thing to Fast400 as Microsoft did. IBM has changed the operating system of the iSeries 400 to prevent Fast400 from working. In fact this has been done several times now, and each time the Fast400 developers produce a new fix to circumvent the IBM action. Why does IBM do this? because Fast400 takes money out of IBM's pocket. The potential for IBM to make billions from its user base, for delivering virtually no product is tantamount to corporate deception! Did IBM change the operating system when EMC introduced a low cost storage solution for the iSeries? The future The cat and mouse game between IBM and Fast400 is already a year old. Every time IBM changes the operating system to disable Fast400, the developers of Fast400 produce a new version within days to enable it again. Does Fast400 have a commercial agenda? Of course it does. Fast400 is in business to provide its clients with added benefits, which will maximise the interactive performance of iSeries 400 servers. And as we are a business, why shouldn't we charge a nominal fee for that service? A fee that our clients see as being fair and proper. After all, it's not Fast400 that is making enemies in the user base. As long as IBM wants to play "David and Goliath" we will continue to "out" the giant. Fast400 is not running, you can be assured!! For more information, please visit www.fast400.net.