Midrange Stuff, OS/400 Edition

Sky IT Group last week introduced a new bundled business-intelligence software package for the iSeries. The new offering, Business Intelligence to-go for iSeries, includes business intelligence software from Information Builders, installed at the factory on a new iSeries Model 810. By pre-installing software on the Model 810 and delivering expert configuration services, the company says, users can analyze their data quickly, for less than $80,000.

Sky IT Group, based in New York City, is a provider of hardware, services, and training focusing on IBM iSeries and Intel-based servers, networking equipment, and business intelligence software. The company has partnerships with IBM, Microsoft, and Business Objects, and just formed one with Information Builders, which led to the Business Intelligence to-go for iSeries offering.

Business Intelligence to-go for iSeries is based on Information Builders' WebFOCUS, an application that delivers query, reporting, and other analytical capabilities. WebFOCUS is a Java application that runs natively on OS/400 (and many other platforms) and is designed for use by a range of employees, from executives and managers to analysts and power users. With WebFOCUS, users can perform a number of analytical functions, including ad hoc reporting, development and quick view of key performance indicators, publication of exception alerts, and it has the capability to drill-down into results for more detail.

The ad hoc querying capability of Business Intelligence to-go for iSeries allows users to tap into their DB2/400 database and to create reports from the chosen data sets from a Web browser, while its KPI capability lets users develop programs that offer quick views of predefined performance categories, such as identifying a company's best or worst performing products, channels, salespeople, or any other measurable business asset. Users also gain a single, consolidated view of all corporate data, regardless of the platform or server it's sitting on, thanks to the range of data and application adapters available from iWay Software, which is an Information Builders company.

Sky IT Group says that its new iSeries offering is an ideal entry-level business intelligence solution for small and midsized businesses, and that it offers better total-cost-of-ownership figures than a Wintel solution. The package "delivers a comprehensive solution that is simple to implement and is easy to maintain, and has a low cost of ownership, to our customers," says Sky IT Group president Jay Hakami.

Pricing for Business Intelligence to-go for iSeries begins at $80,000, which includes an iSeries Model 810, license for WebFOCUS, a database connector, OS/400, and other software, and installation and configuration services. Because users access the WebFOCUS software through a Web browser, there is no limit on the number of users who can use this software.

Users can purchase the WebFOCUS software and services from Sky IT Group without the iSeries hardware. If they choose the packaged option (which is really where the value lies), they'll be getting a new iSeries Model 810 with 1020 CPW, 2 GB of memory, 105 GB of disk, an Ethernet adapter, PC-based operations console software, a DVD-ROM, a quarter-inch tape drive with a 30 GB cartridge, a UPS, and a three-year subscription to IBM's Software Subscription and Supportline. For more information, go to www.skyitgroup.com.