The iDeal iSeries, Part 2
by Timothy Prickett Morgan

Last week, in part one of the iDeal iSeries saga, I dreamed up my own iDeal iSeries product line. A lot of you thought that this iDeal iSeries product line was a pretty good idea. The more I think about it, the more I do, too. Last week I took care of assembling the base iDeal iSeries server line with its feeds, speeds, and base prices. This week, I am tackling memory, disk, operating system, and database pricing. READ MORE >

IBM's Insistence on Clustering Baffles Some HA Providers
by Alex Woodie

IBM has changed its official definition of "high availability" in reaction to the emergence of new companies offering OS/400 high availability solutions. Previously, only those vendors that had built support for IBM's clustering technologies into their products could be considered true high availability vendors. But the new definition is not likely to satisfy all players in the OS/400 market, because it still prevents some from using the high availability name, which is a seal of approval from IBM that carries with it discounts on iSeries hardware. READ MORE >

Sanford to Head IBM On-Demand, Storage Merged into Server Group
by Timothy Prickett Morgan

Starting in the new year, according to IBM sources, the Storage Systems Group, headed by Linda Sanford, will be merged back into the Server Group, which is run by Bill Zeitler. Sanford, who is one of the highest ranking women at IBM, will be tapped as the senior vice president of On Demand Transformation and will be in charge of implementing chairman and CEO Sam Palmisano's vision of autonomic, utility computing. READ MORE >

Admin Alert: Making OS/400 User Profiles a Little More Secure
by Joe Hertvik

One of the weakest points in any computer system is how companies secure their user profiles. These are the passports hackers and unauthorized users highjack in order to cause major damage, and they are the system entry points you most need to secure. While you can never lock down every single security vulnerability, here are five OS/400 system value security tips that you can use to create a stronger user security environment. READ MORE >

IBM Launches New Eight-Way Regatta with Power4+
by Timothy Prickett Morgan

Good things often come in smaller packages, and that is certainly the case with the new pSeries 650 "Regatta-Mi" server, which IBM will announce this week. The pSeries 650 is an eight-way server based on the Power4+ chip, which is a rev on the Power4 processor used in the iSeries Model 890 and in the pSeries 630, 670, and 690 machines. Sources at IBM say the new Power4+ chip is a lot cheaper to make than the Power4, and Big Blue is passing those savings on to pSeries customers with aggressive pricing on the pSeries 650. READ MORE >

Judge Approves Settlement of Microsoft Antitrust Suit
by Timothy Prickett Morgan

You would think that the fact that U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly last Friday ruled on the Microsoft antitrust lawsuit that has been bouncing around the courts for three years would finally get all the lawyers and interested parties to shut up. Quite the contrary. Even before Judge Kollar-Kotelly upheld the settlement, tongues were wagging on all sides of the issue; there are far more than two sides to this story, and if there weren't, the lawyers would try to make more. READ MORE >

Shaking IT Up: Don't Confuse Activity with Achievement
by Kevin Vandever

Take a walk around your IT department. What do you see? A lot of activity, right? Programmers banging away at their keyboards, animated discussions at conference room white boards, and heavy coffee intake all remind you just how busy the IT department really is. Sometimes all that activity is enough to make your head spin. You might even take a moment to marvel at the well-oiled machine that is your IT department. READ MORE >

But Wait, There's More . . .

Get the Latest OS/400 PTF Guide . . . BCC Expands "RedStreak" to Include IBM Disk Trade-In Offer . . . IBM Tweaks Selected Feature Prices . . . Consolidation of Compression: PKWARE Acquires ASi . . . DataMirror Extends "Simple HA for Under $60K" Offer into January . . . IBM and EXE Technologies Renew Pledges of Fidelity . . . READ MORE >

Reader Feedback and Insights

We value your feedback and your insights into the OS/400 market. Feel free to send a letter to the editor. We will consider your letter a candidate for the reader feedback column associated with this newsletter, but we will contact you before we make your email public. READ MORE >