Alex Woodie
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Hacker Defends DEF CON Talk on IBM i Vulns
September 16, 2015 Alex Woodie
… Read moreTwo weeks ago we told you about a presentation about hacking the IBM i server that was held at the recent DEF CON conference. Now the hacker behind the presentation is taking exception with assertions in the story, and insists that his hacking technique exploits security flaws in IBM i OS and don’t rely on poor server configurations. Carol Woodbury, a former IBM security architect, looks into the hacker’s new claims.
Bart Kulach, who runs the www.hackthelegacy.org website and delivered a DEF CON presentation by the same name, sent us this letter. It’s reprinted here with his permission:
Dear Mr.
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SoftLanding Gets Into the Content Management Business
September 16, 2015 Alex Woodie
… Read moreMost IBM i professionals probably know SoftLanding Systems for the change management software that the company developed. While Turnover remains SoftLanding’s main breadwinner, the UNICOM Global property is further diversifying its offerings with the introduction of a new content management package for IBM i.
Dubbed Columbus, the new product combines elements of both content management (which is about managing information in the enterprise) as well as document management (which is about multi-channel delivery of documents).
As a document management product, Columbus enables IBM i shops to transform existing output into digital formats that can be more readily consumed via Web,
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Toolmaker Jumps Into IBM i Web Development with WOPiXX
September 16, 2015 Alex Woodie
… Read moreToolmaker Advanced Efficiency, a German developer of software for the IBM i server, recently rolled out a new framework for developing Web applications that run on IBM i. The software, called WOPiXX, enables programmers to create new Web apps by leveraging their existing RPG skills, the company says.
In the modern Web 2.0 world, developers typically are expected to be fluent in client-centric languages like HTML, JavaScript, and XML. Even in the IBM i space, it’s not uncommon to see companies looking for those rare unicorns who can code the front-end Web apps using those technologies, but also be
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Assignment IBM i: What Makes It Tick?
September 14, 2015 Alex Woodie
… Read moreTwo computer science students in Europe were recently given an unusual assignment: Learn about the IBM i platform and what makes it tick. After talking with a number of IT professionals familiar with IBM i, they gained a greater understanding and respect for it–and most importantly, what IBM i needs to continue being a successful platform in the future.
Victor Wiklund and Veronica Randleff say they felt lost when they were first asked to investigate the IBM i and report on the future of the platform. As second-year students in the computer science and engineering program at KTH, the Royal
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Did IBM i Just Get Hacked at DEF CON?
September 2, 2015 Alex Woodie
… Read moreA presentation at the recent DEF CON hacker convention in Las Vegas raised some eyebrows among the IBM i crowd. In “Hack the legacy,” a European IT worker purported to demonstrate how to bypass the operating system’s security and take control of the machine. But according to IBM i security pro Carol Woodbury, the so-called vulnerabilities that could let black hats into your machine are actually old hat.
You’d be fooling yourself if you believed that the IBM i platform was never discussed among hackers. But rarely has the proof been so stark as what came out of DEF
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Adapting to Omni-Channel with Conditional Printing a CYBRA Specialty
September 2, 2015 Alex Woodie
… Read moreThe humble shipping label sits at the intersection of our digital lives and the real world. You can order 15 items from Amazon without leaving your comfy chair, but warehouse workers still need to find the product and generate the right barcode label that tells UPS where to go. CYBRA has been playing this game for a while, but a new release of its MarkMagic forms generation software helps IBM i shops take omni-channel fulfillment to efficient new levels.
The focus for MarkMagic these days is all about conditional printing in support of changing fulfillment trends. Not long ago, a
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European Distributor Taps Maxava for Data Resiliency
September 2, 2015 Alex Woodie
… Read moreLF SpA, an Italian distributor of spare parts for the food and beverage industry, has adopted high availability software from Maxava to protect its operation from downtime, the HA software recently announced.
From its headquarters in Cesena, LF ships a variety of spare parts for professional kitchens, washing equipment, commercial refrigeration, coffee machines, vending, and bar equipment. The company keeps more than 40,000 parts in stock, and maintains a 97 percent part availability rate, according to its corporate video.
The company’s 33,000 square-foot warehouse enjoys modern touches, such as a fully automated stocking system to go along with a paperless
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Dynamic Solutions Launches New VTLs for IBM i
September 2, 2015 Alex Woodie
… Read moreDynamic Solutions International recently launched a new line of virtual tape library (VTL) systems that the company says was designed specifically for IBM i shops. With five systems in the DSI400 line, Dynamic Solutions says it has VTL solutions for everybody, from the VTL newbie to the established enterprise.
Since their introduction to the data center over a decade ago, VTLs have established themselves as a core component of a modern storage strategy. They’ve been particularly well-received in organizations that want to consolidate multiple backup devices (usually tape drives) with a single flexible device that can support a variety of
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HelpSystems Acquired By Private Equity Giant H.I.G. Capital
August 31, 2015 Alex Woodie
… Read moreHelpSystems is set to be acquired by H.I.G. Capital, a Florida-based private equity and alternative assets investment firm with more than $19 billion in assets. Terms of the deal, which is not yet finalized and is subject to regulatory approval, were not disclosed. It will be the fourth sale in 10 years of HelpSystems, the Minnesota software company that has since become the biggest provider of systems management tools and utilities for the IBM i server.
So who is the company now behind HelpSystems, which has grown its influence over the IBM i market following a long string of
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Sony Ends MO Production–What Are Your Long-Term Archive Options Now?
August 19, 2015 Alex Woodie
… Read moreSony finally ended production of its magneto optical (MO) media at the end of 2014, forcing customers downstream to look for alternatives, if they haven’t already. That includes a number of customers in the government and healthcare industries who use MO drives with IBM‘s midrange server. These customers have a number of options available to them.
Sony’s decision to end production of all MO media, including 9.1 GB, 5.2 GB, 2.6 GB, should not come as a shock to anybody who is paying attention. The company had ceased manufacturing MO drives a while ago, but continued to make MO