IBM i shops getting involved in Web services and the use of Web services description language (WSDL) executables may be interested to know that earlier this year IBM announced the availability of WSDL2RPG, an open source product used to generate RPG stub code from a WSDL file, thereby simplifying the integration of WSDL-based Web services into the IBM i’s ILE environment.

On February 17, IBM announced the availability of WSDL2RPG from its Integrated Web Services for i offering Web page at www-03.ibm.com/systems/i/software/iws/index.html. The set of tools, often dubbed WS-i, includes an integrated Web services server based on the Apache

IBM i shops that are in the market for a combined job scheduler and managed file transfer (MFT) solution may want to check out Flux. The Las Vegas company’s Java-based workload automation and MFT tool, also called Flux, can orchestrate file movements and initiate processing on a wide range of platforms, including IBM‘s midrange servers. With the launch of Flux 7.11 last month, the tool gets a REST Web services API, better integration with Cognos, and enhancements to its Web browser-based UI.

Flux is used to create and execute automated workflows that involve a combination of steps

Companies are increasingly seeking two-tier ERP deployments to support distributed operations, according to a recent study by Constellation Research. While running a mixture of different ERP systems in a hub-and-spoke manner is nothing new, the percentage of companies open to two-tier deployments has more than doubled in recent years. The trend could benefit the IBM i platform, as companies look to make the most of existing ERP investments and avoid expensive and disruptive company-wide ERP implementations.

According to Constellation analyst R “Ray” Wang’s two-tier ERP report, which was published February 28, the percentage of companies considering a two-tier ERP

IBM Rational today begins delivery of its new collaborative lifecycle management (CLM) suite, a collection of three existing tools designed to foster greater collaboration in the change management, requirements, and testing phases of the application development lifecycle. With the version 3.0.1 releases of Rational Team Concert, Rational Requirements Composer, and Rational Quality Manager, the products have been linked, and will be sold as the CLM 2011 release. The announcement was made last week at INNOVATE 2011, the annual conference for Rational held in Orlando, Florida.

Of the three products, IBM i shops are probably most familiar with Rational Team Concert

Assuring jobs run on time and in the right order is a frequent operations issue. To reduce the risks that come with jobs running out of order and those that never run due to malfunctions or oversight, companies frequently turn to job scheduling automation software. In IBM i shops, one of the trusted names in this line of work is Help/Systems, a company that’s taken care of such things for more than 25 years. Recently Help/Systems expanded its reach beyond IBM i-centric software.

Skybot Software is Help/Systems’ first foray into a non-IBM i market. It’s been set up as

Infor last week launched a new sales channel program called the Infor Partner Network (IPN) that introduces new rules that will guide the relationship between Infor and its 700 partners around the world. The company has aggressive plans for attracting new partners and hopes the IPN will contribute to a doubling in license revenue from the channel over the next three years.

The new IPN program will make several changes to Infor’s existing program. The company says partners will be motivated by the program’s “highly competitive commission rates,” as well as new performance bonuses. Partners will also get access to

Flexera Software recently launched InstallAnywhere 2011, the software installation and management utility that helps software developers streamline deployments to multiple operating systems, including IBM i. The new release includes features designed to help developers who have adopted the agile method of development.

InstallAnywhere is a popular multi-platform installation utility that’s used by many ISVs around the world. Flexera, which also owns the Windows-oriented InstallShield tool, says more than 70,000 ISVs have used the two products to load software on 550 million PCs around the world. Thanks to support for business-oriented platforms, such as IBM i, Unix, and z/OS, the InstallAnywhere

Attachmate last week unveiled Reflection for the Web 2011 R1, a new release of its Web-based terminal emulation solution for accessing legacy applications on a variety of host platforms.

Reflection for the Web 2011 R1 brings several new capabilities to the Web browser, including a new programmatic framework that Attachmate says simplifies the automation of complex business processes, and the capability to record and edit macros and other automations using JavaScript. This release also brings support for the latest Web browsers, including Internet Explorer 9, Safari 5, and Google Chrome.

End users will also benefit from a new file transfer

Symtrax last week unveiled the second major release of Compleo Layout, a Windows-based forms overlay design tool designed to make it easier for non-technical users to modernize the documents generated by ERP systems. The new release, version 4.11, adds support for barcodes, among other new features.

Compleo Layout, which Symtrax announced last August and delivered in December, is the newest component of the Compleo suite, a soup-to-nuts electronic document management solution designed to work with business applications running on IBM i and other platforms.

The software gives users a WYSIWYG interface for sprucing up the output of ERP systems, including

IBM‘s LotusLive Notes–the email, calendaring, and contact management offering available via a Web browser or a Lotus Notes client in the LotusLive cloud–just added a few new fancy duds to its already extensive business wardrobe. IBM, which is fond of describing Notes as “enterprise ready” and making the implication that its rival, Microsoft Exchange, is something less, continues to put the spotlight on integrated applications designed to simplify and improve everyday business activities.

However, with this latest release, LotusLive Notes 1.4, the enhancements come in the categories of user conveniences, which include not only end users but also the