But Wait, There's More

• If you are trying to keep up with PTFs on OS/400 and related systems programs, check out the OS/400 PTF Guides, put together by our partner DLB Associates.
  
  

• June 7
• May 31
• May 24
• May 17
• May 10

• Expect heightened security at the COMMON fall conference and expo. But no need to fear random frisking (not any more than usual, anyway) or bouncers at the door to the general session; what we're talking about is an educational focus on security issues. There will be more sessions devoted to security and more emphasis on security solutions in the expo area. According to advance publicity for the event, there will be subject analysis on management issues, iSeries features, software applications, networking communications, virtual private networks (VPNs), digital signatures, and digital certificates (PKI). The conference and expo will be held Sept. 7 through Sept. 11 at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. For more information on COMMON's security focus, go to www.common.org/security.html.
  
  
• Island Pacific last week announced a new alliance with BIGresearch, a market research company that gathers data on consumer purchasing trends. Island Pacific, the Irvine, California, based provider of a merchandise management system for OS/400, says its new partnership with BIGresearch, based in Worthington, Ohio, will allow its customers to more accurately forecast consumer demand, to better utilize assets, and to develop strategy and market position. Every month, BIGresearch surveys 8,000 consumers on their retail purchasing, and tabulates the data into its Consumer Intentions and Actions database. The database is intended to provide a forward look at where consumers are headed, and it is used by both the National Retail Federation and the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association, the company says. BIGresearch also offers its Simultaneous Media Usage database for insight on how to use media advertising to effectively reach consumers. The combination of data is a powerful tool for developing strategic marketing plans, the companies say.
  
  
• Magic Software has cut pricing for its top North American customers as part of a new Premier Partner program announced last week. The new program, for preferred customers and independent software vendors, is intended to eliminate the pricing barriers that Magic says has prevented customers from upgrading to newer releases of eDeveloper, its application development and runtime environment for OS/400, Windows, and other platforms. Specifically, the new pricing model--alternatively described by Magic as fixed and flexible--provides customers with unlimited eDeveloper development licenses during the term of the plan; enhanced maintenance and support programs; special product licensing across platform and database; predictable costs over a fixed term; bulk purchase and special discounts on deployment and server licenses; cooperative marketing development funds; reduced costs for Magic University classroom training; and discounts on new products, such as the iBOLT Integration Suite and the Web Grade conversion suite. "It is our belief that customers who are willing to show their commitment to using our products and services should receive much more favorable pricing and licensing terms," says Oren Inbar, chief executive Magic Software's North American subsidiary.
  
  
• SoftLanding Systems' European subsidiary recently changed its name from Oasis 400 to SoftLanding Europe to more closely align itself with its parent company. SoftLanding, of Peterborough, New Hampshire, acquired the Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, organization last December. The two companies have been partners for 10 years, during which time Oasis 400 has sold SoftLanding's software change management system to the United Kingdom, Ireland, and areas of Europe and the Middle East. The company also launched a new Web site for its European subsidiary, www.softlandingeurope.com, which has new content, including free downloads, such as the Spooled File Plug-in for WebSphere Development Studio client 5.0. Also, new integration projects are underway to extend technical support and to take advantage of the increased research and development capacity since the two companies came together.
  
  
• Geac is now an IBM Advanced iSeries Partner, the ERP software vendor recently announced. This is one of the highest levels of accreditation a business partner can receive from Big Blue. Geac, the System 21 developer from Studley, England, says a lot of it has to do with its prowess in reselling iSeries hardware and providing technical services. "In the last 12 months alone Geac has sold in excess of 50 IBM iSeries servers to customers who need extra capacity to handle increased volumes of business," says the company; this includes sales at Lee Cooper, Showerlux, Dams International, HW Plastics, and Simon Jersey. Geac also points out that its technical specialists have worked with the OS/400 platform since its inception and are regularly invited to the IBM development labs in Rochester, Minnesota. Geac's "blueness" runs deep, as the company also holds status as an Advanced Technical Business Partner, a Global Services Partner, an IBM Global Finance Partner, and is one of IBM's leading iSeries resellers.
  
  
• Rather than simply blame the bad economy, terrorism, or global instability for the slow down in technology spending, technology leaders should look inside themselves and realize it has more to do with a dramatic and systemic change occurring in an industry that has seen the "just say yes" days of the 1980s and 1990s replaced by the equally hysterical "just say no" attitude prevalent in IT spending today, says Bob Tipton in his new book, Unraveling IT: 25 Years of Lessons in Effective IT Leadership. "IT leaders of today must really justify our existence," he writes. "This is a new dynamic for us, and it is confusing to many IT professionals." Instead of rehashing the best practices of project management or zero-cost budgeting, Tipton aims to provide little "gold nuggets" of insight to help IT professionals--anybody from the night shift operator to the chief information officer--become more effective IT leaders. Tipton, well-known in AS/400 and iSeries circles for his articles and speeches, has been a chief information officer, a chief technology officer, and a CEO, and is currently an independent IT analyst. This book, Tipton's second, is available from his company's Web site, www.rstipton.com, for $19.95.
  
  

Sponsored By KISCO INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Protect your iSeries or AS/400 from unwanted network intrustions The iSeries 400 (AS/400) has changed much over the last few years. In the process, it has changed its role in most organizations from a centralized processor to a decentralized server. In the old days, you could easily point to the wealth of data security features built into OS/400. This gave you a feeling of confidence in the integrity of your data. With the recent changes, your confidence may not be as high, and rightly so! Most iSeries installations support attached PCs in some form of Client/Server function. For some shops, this takes the form of PC's that are simply running terminal and printer emulation. Many more shops are running a variety of Client/Server functions on these PCs. Neither of these arrangements bodes well in the area of network security; read on. Did you know . . . Many Client/Server functions bypass traditional OS/400 security checking unless you have fully implemented object level security. Without this same full implementation of object level security, a PC-based Client database tool, such as Microsoft Access, can ACCESS any data file on your system. That same MS Access user can UPDATE any data file on your system. The same MS Access user can even DELETE records or files on your system. SafeNet/400, from Kisco Information Systems, protects your iSeries system from unwanted and unauthorized access via network connections, including the Internet. It lets authorized users do the work they need while keeping unauthorized users out. Modern network connections, like Client Access/400, FTP, ODBC and others, can leave the information on your AS/400 exposed. SafeNet/400 closes this exposure, and it does it without forcing you to change the way you already have your system set up. For more information, visit www.kisco.com/safenet. Go to www.kisco.com/tips for free helpful advice about configuring security on your system.