• Help/Systems Adds MSI Systems Integrators to Partner Program

  September 22, 2008 Dan Burger

  It’s no coincidence that many of the people who deride the i platform as being a relic often have no idea about the analytical tools and automated operations available for this platform. This isn’t a problem tied to a lack of tools or a lackluster technology. Modern business intelligence (BI) and system automation tools are available from a variety of vendors for the box. The fact is, the AS/400 and its successors have had features that are just now available on other platforms–features that are hyped as if they are leading edge. One real problem at i shops, however, is

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• NEC Teams Up with IBM and Partners on Chip Fabrication Tech

  September 22, 2008 Timothy Prickett Morgan

  The electronics division of Japanese tech conglomerate NEC has joined up with IBM and its chip partners in New York state, known as the Fishkill Alliance, to work on perfecting 32 nanometer chip-making processes. IBM and its partners, which includes Chartered Semiconductor, Freescale Semiconductor, Infineon Technologies, Samsung Electronics, STMicroelectronics, and Toshiba, are working through the alliance to perfect the high-k/metal gate process technologies that will be deployed using 32 nanometer etching equipment. IBM’s current Power6 chips use 65 nanometer processes, and Big Blue is getting set to ramp up the water-immersion 45 nanometer processes, possibly for a Power6+ bump in

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• Lenovo ThinkServer: The Sales Pitch Sounds Familiar

  September 22, 2008 Timothy Prickett Morgan

  As expected, Chinese PC and server maker Lenovo Group last week launched its first X64 servers that it is selling outside of its home market. The five new ThinkServers, as the machines are called to mirror the ThinkPad laptop brand Lenovo got when it acquired IBM‘s PC business in late 2004, are ironically based on Big Blue’s own xSeries (now Modular Systems) rack and tower servers. Lenovo is launching two rack servers and three tower servers, which it says it will sell to small and medium businesses directly and through its own (and non-IBM) channel on a global basis.

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• VAI Gets S2K 5.0 Out the Door

  September 19, 2008 Alex Woodie

  VAI yesterday announced the launch of S2K 5.0, a new version of its flagship i OS-based ERP system for manufacturers, distributors, and other companies. The release includes many new features, including a new Java client, an updated warehouse management system (WMS), new Web portal programs, and a new iPhone interface, among many other new features. Version 5, which VAI originally planned to announce at last year’s conference, is the first major release of S2K since the launch of version 3.7.6 about a year ago. The company elected to skip version 4 to avoid confusing customers, who were promised several

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• NGS Bolsters IQ of BI with Link to Non-AS/400 Data

  September 16, 2008 Alex Woodie

  Does the i-based Power Systems server have what it takes to be a successful business intelligence (BI) platform? Some say it’s better suited for online transaction processing. But others, including BI software developer New Generation Software, argue it has all the attributes to excel at analytical workloads, too. To prove its point, NGS recently launched IQ Connexion, a new module of its flagship NGS-IQ suite that extracts data from other platforms, thereby making i the focal point of organizations’ BI efforts. In recent years, Microsoft‘s SQL Server has emerged as a popular platform for small and mid sized

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• VAULT400 Updates Backup Agent

  September 16, 2008 Alex Woodie

  System i shops using the VAULT400 online backup and recovery service from United Computer Group will experience faster, more trouble-free backups thanks to an updated backup agent for i OS, the company says. The new agent also supports the latest release of the OS/400 operating system, now called IBM i, as well as new security capabilities. Cleveland, Ohio-based UCG launched VAULT400 two years ago to capitalize on the growing interest in remote backup and disaster recovery (DR) services utilizing high-speed Internet connections. While tape-based processes continue to dominate backup and DR plans, security and reliability concerns of backup tapes is

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• ProData Widens Database Support with RDB Connect

  September 16, 2008 Alex Woodie

  ProData Computer Services yesterday launched RDB Connect 3.0, a new version of its remote database connectivity software for the System i. With version 3, ProData is opening the product up to support practically any database management system, providing System i shops with more options when it comes to sharing data among applications running on different systems. Few System i shops these days run nothing but System i servers. Whether it’s Windows, Unix, mainframe, or Linux, most IT departments rely on different types of computers to run their applications. But accompanying that diversity is increased complexity and difficulty in getting the

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• DB2/400 Utility Gets New Goodies

  September 16, 2008 Alex Woodie

  Applied Logic‘s all-purpose DB2/400 product, File Edit Utility (FEU), learned a few new tricks with the release of version 16 last week. The Keizer, Oregon, company added new capabilities to FEU in the areas of merging files, conversion to XML, and printing as PDF. The product’s main file search capability was also improved. FEU gives programmers and administrators for i-based Power Systems servers (formerly System i, i5, iSeries, and AS/400) a range of capabilities that come in handy for dealing with problems and situations that come up during day-to-day operations, including making changes to multiple files at once; recovering

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• CPS Taps ACOM for Infor A+ ‘Gap’ Solutions

  September 16, 2008 Alex Woodie

  ACOM Solutions last week announced a new reseller agreement with Commerce Plus Services (CPS) to target users of Infor‘s Application Plus (A+), an i OS- (i5/OS) based ERP application that’s commonly used in the wholesale distribution industry. CPS was formed to target various functionality gaps in the A+ product line, according to Rick Redden, vice president of operations for the Dallas, Texas, company. The first of these point products was a sales tax solution that CPS sells for about $8,000. Along the way, one of CPS’ customers asked about electronic payment software, including hooking into the ACH, or Automated

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• CCSS Helps Automate iSeries Operations at American Software

  September 16, 2008 Alex Woodie

  In its quest to trim the cost of monitoring and managing its production iSeries environment, American Software has installed systems management tools from CCSS, the software vendor announced this month. From its headquarters in the heart of OS/400 country–Atlanta, Georgia–American Software develops ERP software that runs on i OS, in addition to other platforms. In addition to making and selling i OS ERP software, the company’s subsidiary, American Software USA, also uses the platform to run its business. Like other OS/400 shops, American Software needs to manage and monitor its servers for maximum performance. Recently, the company launched a

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