Help/Systems last week unveiled updates to two of its products under the CCSS banner. This includes QSystem Monitor (QSM) version 13, which expands the breadth of IBM i operations that it monitors, and QMessage Monitor (QMM) version 8, which gives customers more automated responses to IBM i messages.

QSM 13 and QMM 8 are the first new versions of the CCSS product lines in years, and, it goes without saying, the first new releases of the IBM i system management tools since Help/Systems acquired CCSS almost exactly a year ago.

QSM gives administrators real-time performance data about their IBM

Protecting sensitive information takes a well-developed plan and a variety of skills and strategies. Not only are the operators of IBM midrange computers learning more about tightening down the security of their systems, they are also deploying data encryption to provide another barrier between sensitive information and those who are coming after it. Linoma Software‘s CryptoComplete is an encryption product designed to protect sensitive information and its automation features should give more companies a reason to take a closer look.

Encryption can be a hairy monster that adds complexity and manual processes to security efforts. Keeping things simple is

Attachmate last month announced the availability of a new terminal emulator for iPad that will allow road warriors and other field workers to access 5250 and 3270 applications from afar. The new client sports an HTML5 screen and support for encrypted connections, which is a requirement in today’s corporate environment.

The scramble to deliver mobile interfaces to existing business applications has been going on for several years. But for whatever reason, the iPad seems to be especially favored by business application developers, including those writing software for the IBM i server.

The delivery of version 1.0.1 of the Verastream Terminal

IBM i shops that are taking the PureFlex route have another high availability solution to choose from now that Shield Advanced Solutions has certified its HA4i software to run on Big Blue’s all-in-one server. The Toronto, Ontario, company worked with IBM to ensure that the software installation process for HA4i goes as smoothly as possible.

HA4i is a logical replication high availability solution that uses IBM’s remote journaling technology to move data and objects between two IBM i servers. Shield initially rolled out a bare-bones release of the software in 2007, and over the years, it has fleshed out the

IBM last week updated DataQuant, a business intelligence tool that allows users to create and run queries on all IBM systems, including IBM i. With version 2.1 of DataQuant for Multiplatforms, IBM enhanced its ad hoc reporting capabilities and added a new text analytics feature for processing unstructured data sources.

DataQuant is designed to be an easy-to-use BI tool for developing executive dashboards, information portals, and interactive data visualizations. The software includes dozens of pre-built charts, controls, and graphics that users can drag and drop on the screen to craft and customize dashboards and reports. The development component runs on

The watchmaker Bulova has built a business intelligence application using the WebFOCUS tools from Information Builders, the software company announced last week.

From its headquarters in Queens, New York, Bulova oversees the design, manufacturing, and delivery of luxury watches, clocks, and other timepieces. The 138-year-old subsidiary of the Citizen Watch Co., and is part of the largest watchmaker in the world.

Bulova has been an IBM i shop for years. Its core ERP system is the JD Edwards EnterpriseOne application from Oracle. Other applications that Bulova has run on the IBM i platform include Manhattan Associates‘ PkMS

The Launcher/i suite of document management software from AURA Equipements has been certified to work with SAP applications, AURA announced earlier this year.

Launcher/i is the latest version of AURA’s document management software for IBM i. The software takes spool file output from business applications and applies templates to it, for the purpose of extracting specific data from it or adding graphical elements, such as company logos or barcodes. The software also enables customers to distribute it via email or fax; convert it into Office, PDF, or HTML formats; or print out a hard copy.

In July, AURA announced that

TMW Systems last month took the wraps off a swath of new products during its annual user conference in Anaheim, California. Among the new products unveiled was a new edition of its core IBM i-based dispatching application called TL2000 Web Edition, which was developed using technology from Profound Logic. The company also updated its TMWSuite and TruckMate dispatching apps, and shipped new releases of its routing and business intelligence solutions.

For better or for worse, 5250 green screens are synonymous with IBM i ERP systems. But with the launch of TMW’s TL2000 Web Edition, even old-school trucking firms will

Some decisions made during the course of business are critical, and should only come from the executive suite after careful deliberation. However, for every important decision, there are a hundred less important decisions that need to be made, which need not ever touch a human’s brain, especially if one has IBM‘s Operational Decision Manager (ODM) keeping an eye on things.

ODM is a Java-based automated decision management engine that has been in the IBM software collection since IBM acquired ILOG in 2008 for $340 million. Before being given the boring and descriptive ODM name, the software went by WebSphere

MVP Systems Software is now shipping Job Access Management System (JAMS) version 6, a new version of its cross-platform enterprise job scheduler for IBM i and other environments. The new version gives customers better views into the execution of jobs running across their enterprises.

JAMS is a .NET product that runs on Windows servers. Most of MVP’s 800 or so customers use the software to manage jobs on Windows servers. However, the software can also be used to control and coordinate jobs executing on IBM i, Unix, Linux, and OpenVMS servers. The company has supported an IBM i agent since