JBM Systems Adds Report Bursting to PDF Conversion Utility

by Alex Woodie

Companies looking to gain more flexibility in the way they distribute, store, and view printed reports may want to take a look at new software recently released by JBM Systems. The Peabody, Massachusetts, software company has introduced a new version of its inexpensive OctoPDF conversion software that includes new encryption, watermark, and distribution features. JBM Systems has also introduced a companion product to OctoPDF, called OctoBurst, which allows companies to perform "report bursting," or splitting of large reports into smaller segments based on specified control breaks.

OctoPDF and OctoBurst are not complete document management systems by any means. In order to function, the two utilities require a product called Remote Print Manager, created by a company called Brooks Internet Software. But for companies looking for an inexpensive solution to alleviate their absolute reliance on printed reports and documents, OctoPDF and OctoBurst may be a good option.

Brooks Internet's Remote Print Manager is needed to monitor the print queues of a host, such as an OS/400, OS/390, Unix, Linux, or Windows server, and to then intercept the print data stream, via LPR/LPD, Telnet, and IP interfaces. After the Remote Print Manager intercepts the print job, OctoPDF takes over and converts the document into PDF format, a de facto document standard that is typically much easier to distribute and read than many formats native to host systems. Remote Print Manager is available from JBM Systems, as well as directly from Brooks Internet, where it ranges in price from to $115 to $598.

With OctoPDF 4.0, JBM Systems has bolstered the product with several important enhancements, such as the capability to safeguard documents with 40-bit encryption and password protection. This feature would come in handy at a healthcare company, for example, if it was required to protect patient data as mandated by the Health Insurance Portability and Protection Act (HIPAA), says Murray Bob, principal of JBM Systems. This capability also locks down the reproducibility of PDF documents by preventing printing or cutting and pasting, he says. "With this product, you don't need Adobe to lock them down," Bob says.

OctoPDF 4.0 also includes embedded e-mail distribution capabilities, which should make it faster and easier to get reports to their final destination. This version gives users a new option to point OctoPDF's output to any SMTP e-mail server, for sending a PDF report to a single e-mail address or to a list of addresses. Other new OctoPDF 4.0 features include the capability to generate watermarks on PDF documents, as well as a new "linearization" feature, which means a user can download PDFs page by page, instead of having to download the entire PDF document.

But the biggest enhancement to the product line is OctoBurst. JBM Systems' newest product is designed to make it easier to split large PDF documents and get the segments to the appropriate recipients. OctoBurst is integrated with OctoPDF, allowing users to convert documents to PDF and split them from a single command line interface. With OctoBurst, users can specify how they want the report to be sorted, such as by city, last name, first name, or date. It should come in very handy for splitting large documents, such as general ledger reports, while improving security, Bob says.

Licenses for OctoPDF are $495. Licenses for OctoBurst are $695 for OctoPDF users and $795 for users without OctoPDF (for those using another PDF conversion product). JBM Systems offers discounts to government organizations and schools. Both Octo products require Microsoft Windows operating systems, while JBM Systems recommends a PC with a processor running at least 700 MHz for OctoBurst. Free download trials are available for all JBM Systems software. For more information, go to www.jbmsystems.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.