How Low Can You Go?
by Timothy Prickett Morgan

We are at the dawn before IBM does yet another rejiggering and possibly a revamping of the OS/400 platform. That makes this a good time to reflect on where the AS/400 started out, where the iSeries has been, and where the i5 is going. Like most of you, I am concerned with the competitive positioning, in terms of feeds and speeds and prices, of the i5 platform; and also like you, I want the OS/400 ecosystem to expand, diversify, and thrive. READ MORE >

The iSeries 2006 Job Market, Part 2: What's in Store?
by Mary Lou Roberts

Last week, I established that, according to the nine end-user shops and the five software vendors I polled, iSeries shops do not seem to be hiring, but ISVs are. That generalization holds true for both IT staff in general and specifically for iSeries professionals. But what is happening in the IT market at large, and what factors will really affect hiring in iSeries shops in the coming years? That's what I set out to find out. READ MORE >

Lotusphere 2006: IBM Gears Up for Collaboration Battle with Microsoft
by Dan Burger

There's nothing quite like a large-scale user conference to set executive tongues a-wagging. This kind of talk used to be confined to heavyweight boxing championship bouts. But when heavyweights like IBM and Microsoft face off in the collaborative software battles, the only things missing are the satin robes, the baggy shorts, and the posse of trainers and bodyguards. And this year, Microsoft landed a pretty good punch before the opening round bell even sounded. READ MORE >

Mad Dog 21/21: Virtual's Impatience
by Hesh Wiener

The more you know about virtualization--the ability of a computer to support working images of systems that don't physically exist--the less sure you can be about its roots. For IBM's big commercial customers, virtualization arrived in the mid-1970s. Now the leader in virtualization, IBM was a laggard back then, and there is every possibility that virtualization technology from others will yet upstage Big Blue's achievements. In computing, stardom can be as ephemeral as the theatrical ghosts of 1862, whose stunning impression on audiences set the stage for technology that first appeared nearly a century later. READ MORE >