Three IBM i Vendors Who Are Still Announcing Things in 2019

December 11, 2019 Alex Woodie

It’s that time of year when the holidays beckon and work starts to slow. We notice that here at IT Jungle, as the fruitcake deliveries heat up and the pace of news comes to a grinding halt. Here are three IBM i software vendors that aren’t letting the calendar get in the way of making announcements.

The fun starts out with Raz-Lee Security, the Nanuet, New York, company, which unveiled a pair of new IBM i security software bundles last week. What’s more, it is also offering discount pricing for those who act fast.

The first bundle, the Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) Bundle, combines Raz-Lee’s iSecurity Anti-Virus software and its Anti-Ransomware offering. The company’s AV offering is includes an IBM i version of the open source ClamAV malware engine. The Anti-Ransomware, which was launched in June 2018, helps security officers at IBM i shops detect the presence of ransomware and take immediate steps to prevent its spread.

The second bundle is called the System Security Bundle, and it includes three members of the iSecurity suite, including Firewall, Audit, and Authority on Demand. Raz-lee says the System Security Bundle is designed to help organizations “protect network access, comply with regulations, enable elevated authority,” and move IBM i security event data to third-party SIEM tools.

Raz-Lee is offering a discount of up to 40 percent for customers who buy one of the bundles from now through January 10, 2020.

One of the IBM i vendors with the most consistent news-delivery mechanism is VAI, the Ronkonkoma, New York, provider of IBM i- and cloud-based ERP solutions. Last week, VAI announced that longtime customer Hillcrest Foods is running its VAI S2K ERP suite in the cloud.

We’ve covered the story of Hillcrest Foods’ relationship with VAI before. As a midsize regional food distributor serving the Northeast United States, the selection of VAI seems like a perfect fit. But now VAI is telling us that Hillcrest Foods is running its suite of VAI software in the cloud.

That shouldn’t be surprising for those of you paying attention. Earlier this fall, Joe Scioscia, the vice president of sales for VAI, told us that 70 percent to 80 percent of customer upgrades are choosing the cloud, while 90 percent of new customers are going to the cloud. “Unless they have a serious investment already in servers, they’re not looking to buy servers,” Scioscia said.

It would be hard to find a bigger IBM i success story in financial services than Jack Henry & Associates, the Monnet, Missouri-based provider of software to midsize banks and credit unions. Its best-in-class core banking system, SilverLake System, runs on IBM i and is used in a good chunk of the company’s 9,000-strong customer base.

Last week, the $1.6-billion software company announced its latest SilverLake customer win. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust, a Clayton, Missouri-based commercial bank with more than $500 million in assets, will begin the migration to the core banking system. It will also use a range of other JKHY offerings for lending, treasury, and digital.

“About 10 years after we opened, we made it a strategic priority to evaluate all of the technology within our institution to ensure it would continue to meet our future needs,” Jim Hannon, Parkside’s executive vice president, said in a press release. “Departments across the bank agreed that expanding our existing partnership with Jack Henry was the best choice because of their exceptional service, high levels of flexibility, and integration capabilities.”

The year is not over quite yet, with one more issue of The Four Scheduled for next Monday. But 2020 is just around the corner, with so many column-inches to fill. So if you have an IBM i-related news announcement or a hot tip, let the IT Jungle team know by dropping us a line. Until then, happy holidays!