Top Concerns Survey Is Ready for IBM Eyes
by Dan Burger

How busy does your IT department have to get before it makes the one-armed paper hanger look like a slacker? That's the kind of pandemonium that makes it to the highest rung on the COMMON Top Concerns ladder. For the second consecutive year, keeping up internal demands is what has the IBM i platform crew awake at night and keeps the sweat on their brows all week long. READ MORE >

Infor Commits Itself to Microsoft and Windows Technologies
by Alex Woodie

Infor made a surprising move last week when it announced an alliance with Microsoft that makes Windows and SQL Server the preferred stack for running Infor applications. While BPCS, MAPICS, and the rest of Infor's RPG-based applications will stay put on IBM's i and DB2/400 platform, Infor will be pushing to surround these products with Windows-based interfaces, portals, BI tools, and a new business performance management (BPM) application called ION, which was also unveiled last week. It's a gamble that could pay off for Infor. READ MORE >

Developing for IBM i: Why Does It Need To Be So Hard?
by Garry Taylor

There is something wonderful about being a computer programmer. Maybe it's the ability to see a problem with our computing experience and be able to fix it, in the same way a mechanic can see a problem with his car and repair it. We can be dissatisfied with our computers and do something about it. READ MORE >

Mad Dog 21/21: Microclients: Thin Enough? Rich Enough?
by Hesh Wiener

Is corporate computing better off when end users have powerful Windows machines or relatively powerless thin clients? The answer is Yes. For the past couple years, computer makers have offered technology that lets users choose what kind of client they see when they boot up, but the vendors did a terrible job of selling this versatile concept. Now, however, things are starting to change. Microclient technology, which turns wide-open PCs into locked-down terminals, works well. One more thing: It is nearly free. READ MORE >