• Cilasoft Polishes IBM i Security And Compliance Auditing Software

  February 1, 2017 Dan Burger

  Regulatory compliance mandates have forced many companies to examine their security policies and procedures. But even companies without compliance issues are concerned their data security may be inadequate considering the increased sophistication of the attacks, the integration of their systems of record with their systems of engagement, and the realization that IBM i is not an inherently secure system. The security landscape has changed, says Guy Marmorat, president of Cilasoft, which just updated its security software.

  Additional reporting and automation capabilities are at the top of the list along with expanded integration points and an emphasis on cross-platform security …

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• Power Systems Is Now Cognitive Systems

  January 30, 2017 Timothy Prickett Morgan

  For as long as we can remember, every couple of years or so IBM has changed the executives that have been in charge of its midrange systems and over a slightly longer term, of maybe five to seven years, it has rebranded or somehow significantly changed the marketing message driving those midrange systems. It looks like 2017 might be a year for both.

  In a series of brief internal memos put out by Ginni Rometty, the company’s president, chief executive officer, and chairman, and Tom Rosamilia, senior vice president of IBM Systems group, IBM is rejiggering its executive lineup and …

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• State of Resilience? Not So Great, Vision Says

  January 30, 2017 Alex Woodie

  More than eight out of 10 companies don’t have a disaster recovery plan or lack total confidence in their plans, according to the 2017 State of Resilience report recently published by Vision Solutions. The main culprit appears to be increasing IT complexity, the high availability software provider says.

  For the past decade, Vision has conducted an in-depth survey to explore the state of resilience among its customer base and prospects. In addition to exploring HA and DR topics, this year’s report, which is based on responses from about 1,500 technology professionals, examines company activities in the areas of migrations, …

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• Guru: Got A Great Idea? Tell IBM!

  January 30, 2017 Susan Gantner

  People often talk to me at conferences or via email about ways they wish RDi worked differently, or about a built-in function that RPG should have, or about other changes to IBM products that they think would make life better for IBM i developers. Sometimes I agree that they are great ideas and I wish IBM would implement it, too.

  Sometimes, even if I do think it’s a good idea, I think there are other more important things to be done before that. Occasionally, I struggle to understand why anyone would want that feature. I suspect many of you have …

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• As I See It: Collaboration And Context

  January 30, 2017 Victor Rozek

  Blitzkrieg is a German term meaning “lightning warfare.” It describes a rapid, overpowering mechanized strike. Armored columns pour into enemy territory with overwhelming speed and numbers, crushing any opposition.

  While this concept is now well integrated into modern warfare, in September of 1939 when Germany invaded Poland, it was revolutionary. Portions of the Polish border were still defended by cavalry, matched against waves of tanks and heavy armor.

  A year before the invasion an industrialist received the highest civilian decoration bestowed by the Nazis: The Grand Cross of the German Eagle. He received it for his support of the Nazi …

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• Litmis Spaces Pitches Price, Monthly Contracts To Cloud Shoppers

  January 30, 2017 Dan Burger

  There are plenty of places an IBM i shop can turn to for cloud computing services. The list of IBM i managed service providers (MSPs) is longer than the line to get free adult beverages at the COMMON conference vendor reception. One of the choices is Litmis Spaces, a host for IBM i development space that has a hankering to grow into a full-service MSP. The company’s $157 per month IBM i access is maybe the next best thing to a free adult beverage.

  The low monthly fee buys a single-tenant Power8 machine (meaning that you are the only …

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• What Was Discussed At the Big LUG Meeting

  January 25, 2017 Alex Woodie

  About 100 representatives from the biggest IBM i shops in the world are at the  IBM lab in Rochester, Minnesota, this week for the first of three meetings of the Large User Group (LUG) scheduled for 2017. Judging by the agenda for the week-long meeting, security and storage concerns will dominate the agenda.

  The LUG is one of the most influential user groups in the IBM i community, if not one of the most secretive. The group is composed of about 100 of the biggest companies to use the IBM i server. Their exact names aren’t known, but you can …

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• IBM i Productivity: A Plan For Better Yields

  January 25, 2017 Dan Burger

  Businesses have many tools in their arsenals to increase productivity. Two of the best examples are technological innovation and the education and training of workers.

  Many organizations are taking a short-sighted approach to revenue enhancements without investment. This is wise up to a certain extent. Reducing the total cost of ownership is an important asset for the IBM i Power Systems platform. However, underutilizing the system, including the people who run it, is the same as ignoring potential productivity.

  A viable solution for IBM i shops is to reach out to schools and establish a long-term relationship. That’s a lot …

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• More IBM i Predictions For 2017

  January 25, 2017 Alex Woodie

  The great thing about crystal balls is everybody gets their own view. One man’s (or woman’s) view of the future is different from the next. When prophesizing about the IBM i platform, people tend to have different viewpoints, which is part of what makes this exercise so much fun (well that, and all the extra coffee and donuts we editors enjoy while letting you do all the work).

  We gave you a taste of things to come with our first installment of 2017 IBM i predictions. Back by popular demand, here’s round two of IBM i predictions, beginning with the …

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• Linoma Gets Graphical With Journal Entries

  January 25, 2017 Alex Woodie

  Prolific is one word that describes the IBM i platform’s aptitude at writing journal entries. The volumes are truly astounding. But searching through this machine-generated data using a green screen is a tedious task that’s better for inducing eyestrain than generating results. That’s why Linoma Software is proffering up a new graphical interface for working with journal entries in Surveyor/400.

  Surveyor/400 is a handy multi-tool that does a little bit of everything for programmers, administrators, and end-users alike. The Java-based product lets users explore IBM i through a Windows Explorer-like interface; query DB2 for i data with a File Editor; …

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