ACOM Supports Firefox with Content Manager

July 17, 2007 Alex Woodie

System i shops that prefer Mozilla‘s Firefox to Microsoft‘s Internet Explorer Web browser will rejoice at the latest news from ACOM Solutions, which recently started shipping a new release of EZContent Manager that supports Firefox. Version 3.1.1 also includes improvements in the area of encryption, document retention, and electronic shredding.

ACOM launched EZContent Manager in early 2006 to fill a void for what the company viewed as a lack of low-cost (starting at $10,000) and easy-to-use content management systems for iSeries and System i shops. “Why buy the Rolls-Royce when the Hyundai will do?” said Gregory Church, ACOM’s vice president of communications, when the product was introduced.

EZContent Manager serves as a central repository for documents originating from a variety of platforms. While it runs on Microsoft’s Windows operating system and SQL Server database, the software holds a special affinity for output from i5/OS servers via integration with ACOM’s popular EZeDocs/400 document management and output management software. Documents from the i5/OS server are converted and stored as PDFs, while documents from Windows servers are stored in their native format. Users interact with the software from Web browsers or from the Windows Explorer shell.

In late June, ACOM announced EZContentManager version 3.1.1. One of the key features delivered with this release includes support for the Firefox Web browser, which has made significant inroads against the incumbent Microsoft IE browser in recent years. When EZContentManager was introduced, IE was used by about 86 percent of users, compared to less than 10 percent for Firefox, according to Net Applications, which tracks Web browser usage. Since then, IE’s share has dropped to about 78.5 percent, while Firefox’s has risen to about 14.5 percent.

Other new features delivered with this release include support for 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) on files imported into EZContentManager, which will ensure that files on the hard disk can only be accessed via the repository. Security was also boosted when ACOM made HTTP/S the default batch file transfer protocol.

Users also gain more flexible means to import, retain, and dispose of files. When files are imported with this release, dynamic subfolders or targets can be created based on indexed fields. This release also allows users to set different retention policies at the folder level or at the file level. New electronic file shredding capabilities have also been added, with three shred levels, ACOM says, (undoubtedly, “slicing, dicing, and Julienne fries” shred levels).

The democratization of advanced content management capabilities continues with EZContentManager version 3.1.1, according to James Scott, a senior vice president at the Long Beach, California, company. “Affordable technology to capture, consolidate, and centrally manage corporate documents regardless of origin or document type offers mid size enterprises advantages that until recently were available only to large, rich organizations,” he says.

“Familiar procedures such as browser operation and standardized search techniques not only keep costs low, but also minimize training time and expense while maximizing employee acceptance and use. EZContentManager was designed to offer the most functionality and ease of use for the technology dollar,” he says.

EZContentManager version 3.1.1 is available now. For more information, visit www.acom.com.

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Do the Math When Looking at IBM i Hosting for Cost Savings

COVID-19 has accelerated certain business trends that were already gaining strength prior to the start of the pandemic. E-commerce, telehealth, and video conferencing are some of the most obvious examples. One example that may not be as obvious to the general public but has a profound impact on business is the shift in strategy of IBM i infrastructure from traditional, on-premises environments to some form of remote configuration. These remote configurations and all of their variations are broadly referred to in the community as IBM i hosting.

“Hosting” in this context can mean different things to different people, and in general, hosting refers to one of two scenarios. In the first scenario, hosting can refer to a client owned machine that is housed in a co-location facility (commonly called a co-lo for short) where the data center provides traditional system administrator services, relieving the client of administrative and operational responsibilities. In the second scenario, hosting can refer to an MSP owned machine in which partition resources are provided to the client in an on-demand capacity. This scenario allows the client to completely outsource all aspects of Power Systems hardware and the IBM i operating system and database.

The scenario that is best for each business depends on a number of factors and is largely up for debate. In most cases, pursuing hosting purely as a cost saving strategy is a dead end. Furthermore, when you consider all of the costs associated with maintaining and IBM i environment, it is typically not a cost-effective option for the small to midsize market. The most cost-effective approach for these organizations is often a combination of a client owned and maintained system (either on-prem or in a co-lo) with cloud backup and disaster-recovery-as-a-service. Only in some cases of larger enterprise companies can a hosting strategy start to become a potentially cost-effective option.

However, cost savings is just one part of the story. As IBM i expertise becomes scarce and IT resources run tight, the only option for some firms may be to pursue hosting in some capacity. Whatever the driving force for pursing hosting may be, the key point is that it is not just simply an option for running your workload in a different location. There are many details to consider and it is to the best interest of the client to work with an experienced MSP in weighing the benefits and drawbacks of each option. As COVID-19 rolls on, time will tell if IBM i hosting strategies will follow the other strong business trends of the pandemic.

When we say do the math in the title above, it literally means that you need to do the math for your particular scenario. It is not about us doing the math for you, making a case for either staying on premises or for moving to the cloud. There is not one answer, but just different levels of cost to be reckoned which yield different answers. Most IBM i shops have fairly static workloads, at least measured against the larger mix of stuff on the public clouds of the world. How do you measure the value of controlling your own IT fate? That will only be fully recognized at the moment when it is sorely missed the most.

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Article featured in IT Jungle on April 5, 2021