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.
  
  

• November 1
• October 25
• October 18
• October 11
• October 4

• If you are buying an Integrated xSeries Server (IxS) coprocessor or an Integrated xSeries Adapter (IxA) card for your iSeries Model 270 or Model 8XX server, and you need to add some disk storage, you might want to shake a leg. IBM just announced a special rebate deal for customers that gives them a 50 percent rebate on disk drive features they buy on the iSeries to store xSeries data. (The deal doesn't require the disks to only be used for xSeries data stored in the IFS, but that is clearly the intent.) The rebate expires November 28 and is available on feature 4318 17.5 GB disks, which list for $1,400; on feature 4319 35 GB disks, which list for $1,960; on feature 4326 35 GB disks, which list for $2,350 (they are 15K RPM drives); and on feature 4327 70.6 GB disks, which lost for $3,600. Customers can get the rebate on no more than three disk drives they buy under this promotion.
  
  
• Users of J.D. Edwards WorldSoftware application are pushing new master PeopleSoft to increase spending to further develop the aging RPG-based software, according to a Computerworld story last week. The World Advisory Council, which is made up of users of WorldSoftware (since renamed PeopleSoft World), are petitioning PeopleSoft to increase spending and developing of the venerable ERP system so they're not forced to migrate to EnterpriseOne, the new name of the multiplatform OneWorld suite, according to the story. PeopleSoft's product roadmap calls for supporting World indefinitely--as J.D. Edwards pledged to do two years ago--with at least 200 enhancements added annually. However, PeopleSoft acknowledges that the bulk of new development will occur with EnterpriseOne, which the company will encourage the 4,000-odd World users to upgrade and migrate to. The World Advisory Council, which Computerworld says is made up of about 20 companies, is reportedly planning a survey of World shops to gauge their interest in asking PeopleSoft for more development.
  
  
• Intentia has taken the Big Blue pledge. The Swedish developer of ERP software announced last week that it will standardize on IBM's middleware stack, including WebSphere, DB2, and Linux, and that it will expand its sales and marketing partnership with IBM. It was not a huge step for Intentia, which has had close relations with IBM for some time. Intentia went big with Java years ago, and it buddied up with the Armonk, New York, computing giant a couple years ago to develop a "Bumblebee" iSeries server that featured Intentia's ERP software preloaded onto it (similar to "Bumblebees" IBM originally rolled out with Lotus Domino and eventually developed for WebSphere and Linux and the J.D. Edwards and Interactive Business Systems ERP systems). Under this new deal, Intentia will work to preintegrate the ERP, supply chain, CRM, and other components of its Java-based Movex "NexGen" suite on IBM's middleware, including WebSphere Application Server, WebSphere Portal-Express, and DB2 Universal Database, on OS/400, Unix, Linux, and Window operating systems. For customers, this will limit the breadth of middleware options they have with Movex, but it should also simplify the roll-out. Some have speculated this agreement also serves to protect IBM's midmarket ERP position, should Oracle succeed in its acquisition of PeopleSoft and kill the J.D. Edwards iSeries product.
  
  
• IBM and business intelligence software vendor Informatica and are stepping up their partnership with a new multiyear initiative to further integrate Informatica's products with IBM's middleware and supported operating systems. The plan calls for bundling a variety of Informatica offerings, such as PowerAnalyzer, PowerCenter, and PowerConnect, with several IBM products, including DB2 Cube Views, DB2 Information Integrator, IBM WebSphere Application Server 5.0, and several operating systems, including Linux, OS/400, and OS/390. The new integration should improve the scalability and load performance of the deployed software, the companies say. In September, Informatica acquired ETL tool provider Striva for $62 million. This gave it a greater degree of control over its PowerConnect for AS/400 and PowerConnect for Mainframe products, which were based on software developed by Striva and OEM'ed to Informatica.
  
  
• NetIQ has tapped Arrow Electronics' Support Net division to distribute its OS/400 security software in North America. An official with NetIQ says the company will continue to sell the OS/400 security products directly to its customers, but decided to bring in Support Net, a large iSeries distributor based in Indianapolis, Indiana, to help build its VAR sales channel. NetIQ is based in San Jose, California, and acquired the OS/400 products a year ago in its purchase of PentaSafe. The company's OS/400 products include PSAudit, an auditing tool; PSSecure, which prevents unauthorized remote access; PSDetect, which notifies administrators of security situations; and PSPasswordManager, which ensures users have good passwords.
  
  
• It's earnings season, and Jacada and Seagull Software, two competing developers of legacy integration software, reported financial results last week. Jacada, which is based in Atlanta, reported a 14 percent increase in total revenue and a 25 percent increase in software license revenue for its third quarter, which ended September 30. Revenue for the quarter totaled $5.3 million, and its gross profit was $4.2 million; however, the company posted a net loss of $558,000, or 3 cents per share, up a penny from a year ago. "We are very pleased with the growth in total revenue," said Jacada's chief executive, Gideon Hollander. Wall Street was happy, too, and the company's stock, which is listed on the Nasdaq and Tel Aviv (Israel) stock exchanges, was up almost $.50, to almost $3, by midweek in heavy trading following last Monday's announcement. The news wasn't as positive for Seagull, a Dutch company with U.S. headquarters in Atlanta, which announced that it expects to report revenues in the range of $9 million to $10 million for the six-month period that ended Friday. If those results hold, it would result in a net loss for the period in the range of $3.5 million to $4.5 million, which would jeopardize the company's plan to return to profitability by the year's end. "Interest in our products is robust, but, in general customers, are taking longer than ever to make purchase decisions," said Seagull's chief financial officer, Mory Motabar. "We are still experiencing extreme conservatism in IT spending across all of the industries we serve."
  
  

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