IBS Picks Windows Instead of i as Strategic ERP Platform
by Timothy Prickett Morgan

Swedish ERP software maker International Business Systems, a long-time supporter of the AS/400 and successor platforms, hired a new president and chief executive officer last week in the wake of a recapitalization earlier this year. And, to the chagrin of i enthusiasts the world over, the company also announced a new platform strategy that will see IBS push its IBS ERP suite on Windows platforms rather than on i 6.1 and its successors. READ MORE >

The Power Systems i 570 Versus Its Predecessors
by Timothy Prickett Morgan

Throughout the summer, The Four Hundred has been examining how the Power Systems i Edition machines in rack and blade form factors compare to their predecessors and, for entry and midrange machines, compare to Windows boxes. This week, we climb one step higher on the Power Systems ladder and compared the System i5 570 machines from 2006 with the new Power 570 machines of 2008. Basically, IBM is offering more performance for more money for customers who need it, or the same performance for a little less money. READ MORE >

New ASNA President Takes On Modernization Business with Services Emphasis
by Dan Burger

When BluePhoenix Solutions acquired ASNA 13 months ago, it made building the services side of the business a priority. Pieces of that puzzle have been added since the merger, and the latest move has been to put a new president in place. Last week, ASNA announced Greg Schottland would be taking command of the .NET-oriented application modernization software company that has refocused its approach to helping customers with modernization projects. READ MORE >

As I See It: Insult to Injury
by Victor Rozek

After the Fed bailed out AIG with 85 taxpayer billions, William Greider said something that caught my attention the way a near-death experience does. Greider is no blowhard. He is a serious journalist with a deep understanding of the backroom workings of the economy. Among other things, he's written a weighty volume about the inner-working of the Fed called Secrets of the Temple. He knows of what he speaks. In the aftermath of the AIG bailout Greider wrote: 'For the first time in this unfolding financial crisis, I felt personally scared by the news. Not about my money, but about the potential for catastrophe.' READ MORE >