The Mysteries of i5/OS V5R3M5 and V5R4
by Timothy Prickett Morgan

The only way to keep a secret in this world is to not tell another living soul whatever it is you don't want the world to know--and then make sure you don't talk in your sleep. So it comes as no surprise that information concerning the future releases of i5/OS is starting to be processed by the rumor mill in the wake of a presentation that IBM gave to around 100 beta customers in early August. READ MORE >

Only One COMMON Per Year? ISVs and Users Respond
by Mary Lou Roberts

Although nothing has been officially announced, everyone's talking about the likelihood that COMMON may pull back to having only one user conference a year--a significant change from the two-conference format that has been its custom for many years. Neither COMMON nor IBM has much to say on the subject. But it is something that a lot of people have been talking about for some time, particularly since the economy weakened in the wake of the dot-com bust and travel became a concern since 9/11. READ MORE >

IDC Concurs that Q2 Was Pretty Good for Servers
by Timothy Prickett Morgan

The box counters at IDC have offered their second opinion of the server market's health in the second quarter of 2005, following a similar status report from rival Gartner. IDC pegs the server market a smidgen higher, with $12.2 billion in sales for the quarter across all architectures and vendors, up 5 percent compared to the same quarter last year. Significantly, this is the ninth consecutive quarter of revenue growth for the server market, and it basically represents a return to sales levels we saw in 2001. READ MORE >

Ich Bin Ein Entrepreneur
by Victor Rozek

A number of years ago, when the microbrew craze was exploding in the Northwest, Budweiser ran a commercial in the hope of boosting its flagging beer sales. As I recall (and my memory may be faulty since this was quite a few beers ago), the company spokesman was leaning against a bar in what was supposed to be a 19th century pub and, as he pretended to polish an already spotless glass, he assured the audience that long ago Bud, too, started as a microbrew. READ MORE >

   But Wait, There's More

Professional Services Industry to Bypass Discrete Manufacturing as Dominant IT Buyer . . . Tech Workers in the U.S. Are Getting Pessimistic about the IT Biz . . . IBM Further Consolidates Grand Slam Systems, iSeries Still Seeded . . . Stonesoft, IBM Expand Their Partnership for Network Security . . . ABN AMRO Outsources IT Operations and Development, Including iSeries Boxes and Apps. . . Geac Board in Proxy Battle with Outside Investors . . . Police Arrest Two Zotob Suspects, with More Arrests Likely . . . READ MORE >

Reader Feedback and Insights

We value your feedback and insights. Feel free to send a letter to the editor. Letters may be printed, unless otherwise specified, and edited for clarity or length. READ MORE >

Quadrant Software
California Software
MKS
Lakeview Technology
WorksRight Software