Analysis

New Tools, Insights, and Solutions Mark COMMON 2012 Vendor Announcements

Fri, 18 May 2012 06:00:15 +0100

MC Press Online talks with more than 20 vendors to find out what the latest technology announcements are coming from the COMMON expo floor. Written by Chris Smith COMMON this year was held in the happiest place on earth—Disneyland. It's a great place to vacation, and I hope many of those attending the conference and expo took advantage of the entertainment and vacation opportunities either before or after the show. Living only about 35 minutes from Disneyland, I of course haven't set foot in ...

Informix Dynamic Server Entices New Users with Free Production Edition

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 06:00:10 +0100

IBM has invested heavily in new features of a leaner and meaner Informix V11.7 that is scalable, more reliable, easier to use, and very fast. Written by Chris Smith With the increased interest in AIX on Power, the question eventually arises as to which database the user plans to run. IBM i has DB2 built into the OS, but when you install AIX, you have to go shopping for a database. According to IBM, many AIX users have opted for Oracle. Presumably, this is because the applications they wish to r...

Do You Really Trust Your Tape Backup More than the Cloud?

Fri, 15 Jul 2011 06:00:10 +0100

New SmartCloud Virtualized Server Recovery services from IBM promise to extend to SMBs disaster recovery features approaching high availability. Written by Chris Smith IT administrators have for decades backed up data to tape and then quietly endured the surprises that too frequently accompany failed attempts to restore a single file or files from those backup tapes. I would hesitate to ask how many would bet their lives on the reliability of their backup tapes. Yet the survival of their busine...

After Computers Solve Our Traffic Problems, Could Improved Relationships Be Far Behind?

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 06:00:10 +0100

For now, however, always try to grab the driver's seat if you anticipate lengthy delays in the car. Written by Chris Smith Editor's Note: I'm off this week, but I pulled this column from the 2007 archives of Showcase magazine because I wanted readers to consider whether or not we have made any progress in the past four years in automating traffic management and transportation. Or are we still sitting in traffic jams for hours and wasting gas as we have for years? Feel free to post your comments...

Impress Your Kids July 4th; Explain How Fireworks Depend on Computers

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 06:00:10 +0100

If you have ever wondered why today's fireworks extravaganzas are so much better today than they were years ago, it's all due to computers. Written by Chris Smith Those of us who are over 40 (ahem—50?) may remember watching fireworks as a kid, but it was a totally different experience from today. I recall sitting on a rooftop with a view of Long Island Sound watching a barge out in the water. We sat and waited, and waited, and waited, and I thought I would literally explode from the anxi...

IBM Technology Can't Overshadow Its Spirit of Volunteerism

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 06:00:08 +0100

Company's centennial is marked by release of new book, worldwide volunteer effort, and succession planning for tomorrow's leaders. Written by Chris Smith This week marks IBM's 100th anniversary, and the company is celebrating the event with the release of a new business book that not only chronicles the company's long history, but synthesizes the principles necessary for every business to survive in a changing environment. The company also is marking the occasion with an unprecedented worldwide...

The Cloud Beckons as IBM Announces Its Upcoming Enterprise+ Service

Fri, 10 Jun 2011 06:00:10 +0100

With isolated security and a service level promising 99.9 percent availability, the production-ready cloud may be imminent. Written by Chris Smith The demand for cloud services is skyrocketing, and IBM is poised to introduce a service later this year that will allow businesses to dial in the security and service levels businesses have come to expect from on-premise servers. Part of its IBM SmartCloud offerings, Enterprise+ will offer a core set of multi-tenant services to manage virtual se...

New PHP Toolkit, New Oracle Connectivity Highlight Zend Server 5.1

Fri, 27 May 2011 06:00:10 +0100

An XML open-source toolkit, addressing programmer-requested needs, is the latest child from the Zend-IBM partnership. Written by Chris Smith With all the emphasis on planning these days, I have to say there are times when it's better just to act and amaze yourself with how much gets done as a result. I was trying to arrange a meeting with the folks at Zend last week as they left from different points on the globe for COMMON Europe in Milan, Italy, but we finally threw up our hands and just deci...

You Can Give Your Green-Screen Application New Functionality with Presto 3

Fri, 13 May 2011 06:00:10 +0100

New SQL query feature takes Web-enablement tool to new heights. Written by Chris Smith We've all heard the apothegmatic description of screen-scraping programs as doing little more than putting lipstick on a pig, but today's Web-enabling tools are going far beyond just dressing up an unattractive legacy program....

CSF Scripting Tool from Maxava Helps Automate Repetitive Tasks

Fri, 06 May 2011 06:00:10 +0100

Combined with a remote mobile system management tool, users can oversee their backups from beneath the shade of a beach umbrella. Written by Chris Smith The underlying idea behind mobile computing is to give people the tools to make better use of their time, regardless of where they happen to be—in the car, on a plane, or waiting for a delayed flight (as I am now while writing this article). Mobile devices, however, have limited functionality. Thus, applications running on mobile devices will...

What Is So Important About a Conference, Anyway?

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 06:00:10 +0100

Having the right pair of shoes may ultimately mean more than the high-minded platitudes that drive industry trade shows. Written by Chris Smith Author's Note: Starting Sunday, users and vendors working with IBM technologies will be attending the year's largest annual industry event. I was thinking about how the annual meeting—and user group—have changed over the years, so I went back and retrieved an article I wrote in 2007 leading up to the conference. There were similarities with how th...

aXes from LANSA Uses the Cloud to Modernize Multiple IBM i Servers

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 06:00:10 +0100

New aXes-Robot APIs provide batch access to 5250 programs. Written by Chris Smith You have a farm of IBM i servers with a collection of outdated hardware, highly customized applications, and an impatient management team that would just as easily scrap you and your colleagues along with the jumble of wires that only you understand. What to do? Go to the cloud—the cloud gateway, that is....

Is IBM i Ready for an App Store?

Fri, 25 Mar 2011 06:00:10 +0100

With the meteoric rise of the mobile application market, could there be enough buzz over at the Apple App Store and at Amazon to share a little success with those of us longing for attention? Written by Chris Smith The mobile application market is taking off like wildfire, and it looks like developers are not only having fun but making tons of money as well—at $1.99 per download! The Apple App Store is so successful, the number of downloads is no longer measured in millions; it's gone into th...

Profound Logic Goes Native, Sheds Dependence on 5250 Data Stream

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 06:00:10 +0100

The company's release of its new DDS Conversion Module into general availability heralds a new day in the chronicles of IBM i modernization. Written by Chris Smith For developers who want to preserve the integrity of the IBM i platform while performing a transformative modernization on their applications, Profound Logic last week released one of the most intriguing solutions to date using IBM's Rational Open Access for RPG....

Let the Cyberwars Begin

Fri, 11 Mar 2011 06:00:10 +0100

While the prospect of damaging infrastructure through computer worms is now a real threat, IBM accumulates a small arsenal of technologies to fight the inevitable battle to protect our smarter, but more fragile, planet. Written by Chris Smith It's quite common for geeks to be science fiction fans, and I don't know if I'm a geek, but I do like a good sci-fi movie. Thus, I can't wait until tonight to go see Battle: Los Angeles, which opens today and tells the story of a Marine platoon's efforts t...

Zoho Creator Adds Integrated Reporting and Scheduling Modules

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 06:00:10 +0100

The free online database platform is taking on some intriguing advanced features that make it appealing to developers and business users alike. Written by Chris Smith Since we last wrote about Zoho Creator in 2008, Zoho has made a number of enhancements to its SaaS database development tool that expand its reporting, portability, and integration. Zoho Creator is database software that is hosted online and offered to individuals for free, with gradually increasing fees for larger businesses...

Lotusphere Keyed to Leaders Poised for Deploying Social Business

Fri, 28 Jan 2011 06:00:05 +0100

Upcoming Florida show to highlight social networking IBM style—social business tools that are secure and support initiatives that are measureable. Written by Chris Smith Lotusphere will open this weekend in Orlando, Florida, and those fortunate enough to attend will get a look at IBM's next generation software for social business networking now known as "social business." Conference organizers expect a good turnout of application developers along with the usual collection of business exe...

OCEAN Users Take Advantage of PHP Training

Fri, 21 Jan 2011 06:00:10 +0100

Zend's Pavlak shows RPG developers how to utilize open-source CMS platforms to create a free company intranet. Written by Chris Smith With the new Power processors, many IBM i administrators are finding they have extra horsepower on their systems that can be put to good use running a Web-based company intranet....

2011 Highlights: Mobile Apps, PHP, and Cloud-Based Services

Mon, 17 Jan 2011 06:00:15 +0100

This year will see new technologies applied to the IBM i platform, requiring a redoubled commitment to training and personal development. Written by Chris Smith Given all the negatives that the economic downturn in 2009 caused, it's not surprising that 2010 ended with some uncertainty, even as many businesses began to get their feet on the ground. The lingering malaise may have been unfairly projected onto the IBM i platform, but there is now a true spirit of optimism emerging in the IT industr...

Mobile Computing Takes Center Stage at CES

Fri, 14 Jan 2011 06:00:00 +0100

A wave of more than 80 new tablets is introduced, many running the Android OS. Written by Chris Smith Mobile computing is hitting the IT sector like a tsunami, and the underlying quake is sure to affect the landscape for IBM professionals. Users want to take their computing on the road, and last week's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) suggests we're on the threshold of a new mobile paradigm....

Beam Me Up, Watson

Mon, 20 Dec 2010 06:00:15 +0100

IBM to show off its accomplishments in artificial intelligence when it takes on Jeopardy! superstars in February. Written by Chris Smith The battle of the decade is about to unfold between man and machine this February as IBM's POWER7-based Watson supercomputer goes head-to-head against game show Jeopardy!'s top-earning contestants Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter....

Don't Let the Grinch Take the Geek Out of Christmas

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 06:00:10 +0100

Start planning now and help those near you understand what a geek really needs. Written by Chris Smith This holiday season, let's all get in touch with reality and quit pretending that we are someone we're not. If you have young children and you want to be Santa Claus, well fine. But everybody else needs to let the truth be told. You're a geek, OK? If you don't step up to the plate and admit it, how do you expect to get any geek gifts at Christmas?...

Avnet's Twitter Feeds Are a Shining Example of Social Networking for Business

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 06:00:10 +0100

Company draws attention to its more than 30 feeds through a successful Rock the ReTweet Twitter campaign. Written by Chris Smith The popularity of social networking is nothing short of shocking to the older generation, who value privacy, but many of today's more forward-looking thought leaders are starting to find business opportunities in the technology behind Facebook and Twitter. One of the more successful users of social networking is Avnet, Inc., whose Technology Solutions group sold $3 bi...

Why Waste Money and Kill Trees When Using Spool File Management Best Practices Preserves Both?

Fri, 03 Dec 2010 06:00:10 +0100

Save money on printing, but for a limited time, save on BCD's 2010 year-end promotion. Written by Chris Smith We don't have detailed demographics on all our MC Press Online readers, but my guess is there aren't too many who were working on computers in the early 1960s when IBM coined the term "spool file." The acronym stands for Simultaneous Peripheral Operation On-Line (SPOOL), but folklore has it that the name actually was conceived after the term "spool" came into widespread use, since a spo...

Developers Have the Burden of Simplifying the World for Everyone

Mon, 15 Nov 2010 06:00:07 +0100

A new set of IBM initiatives aimed at developers and resellers is designed to leverage their investment in industry-specific technologies. Written by Chris Smith The world is getting more complicated, and it seems that developers are being called upon to make it simpler—for everyone. IBM says it's trying to make things simpler for developers, who are shouldering the responsibility for making a complex world manageable. As technology accelerates at an ever-increasing pace, developers may feel ...

Zend Heads into Open Arms of Developers and Large Enterprises Alike

Fri, 12 Nov 2010 06:00:10 +0100

New cloud and mobile solutions, along with features to assist IBM i developers using JavaScript and working remotely, may make Zend the software darling of 2011. Written by Chris Smith For those of us fortunate enough to have had television in the early 1950s, we might remember The Bob Cummings Show, in which dashing young Hollywood photographer "Bob Collins" attempts to romance every attractive starlet in town. Bob's magnetic sign in his photo darkroom, in which he is depicted smiling with ope...

The Different Kinds of Clouds

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 06:00:10 +0100

The cloud is emerging as having different architectures for different users and workloads. Written by Chris Smith The cloud is getting increased attention worldwide as a viable resource for IT, and, while there are still security concerns, companies and individuals are beginning to migrate workloads to the cloud. Learning about the new cloud infrastructures is important, and IBM is one of the early adopters, proponents, and solution providers of cloud services. Last month, MC Press Online ran t...

Adobe Introduces Acrobat X

Fri, 22 Oct 2010 06:00:05 +0100

Team collaboration, document security, and more inviting customer interactions are behind the latest enhancements to the mother of all PDF creators. Written by Chris Smith Adobe announced a new version of Acrobat this week that includes a feature to allow users to automatically gather data from PDF forms and save it to an Excel file. Regardless of your views on Acrobat, it clearly is here to stay, and the new data-gathering feature in Acrobat X (10) is likely to delight corporate (particularly ...

The Many Facets of Cloud Computing

Mon, 18 Oct 2010 06:00:15 +0100

If you are a little fuzzy on what cloud computing today actually means, this interview with IBM cloud expert Bruce Otte may prove enlightening. Written by Chris Smith IBM issued a news release several months ago that reported the results of a survey measuring system administrator preferences regarding cloud computing services. As it turned out, IBM's cloud services were preferred over those of other providers, the survey found. We began to reflect on the terms "private cloud" versus "public clo...

LANSA Announces aXes Mobile for Wireless Access to 5250 Applications

Fri, 15 Oct 2010 06:00:10 +0100

The tool allows easy access to existing RPG and COBOL applications while providing RPG and COBOL programmers a way to employ existing skills to build entirely new mobile solutions. Written by Chris Smith The growth in mobile computing, and the need for applications that support it, are on the rise. The iPhone, iPad, and Android operating system have ported transactional computing into the pocket and purse. In a recent IBM survey of more than 2000 IT developers and specialists from around the wo...

A Commitment to the IBM Midrange Market Shows in New Product Offerings

Fri, 08 Oct 2010 06:00:05 +0100

Crossroads Systems' new virtual tape-drive appliance for remote offices, a lower-cost midrange unit, and enhanced Continuous Data Protection software expand the range of its virtual tape backup solution from the desktop to the data center. Written by Chris Smith One of the highlights of the COMMON conference this week was learning about the progress that Crossroads Systems has made in expanding its product line to meet IBM user needs in the area of virtual tape backups....

Net Neutrality Legislation Fails in Congress

Mon, 04 Oct 2010 06:00:15 +0100

Impending fall elections derail compromise legislation as net neutrality is remanded back to the FCC. Written by Chris Smith Internet neutrality flashed back into the news last week after months of simmering in the U.S. House of Representatives' Committee on Energy and Commerce. In the face of Republican opposition to his proposed network neutrality rules, committee chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., threw up his hands and gave up trying to reach a negotiated settlement on a set of compromise net...

Former IBM Executive Robert Moffat Jr. Sentenced to Six Months in Jail

Mon, 20 Sep 2010 06:00:15 +0100

Ostracized by his IBM colleagues, Moffat receives comfort from an ailing wife who remains by his side during cheating and insider-trading scandal. Written by Chris Smith Tears streaming down his face, contrite former IBM executive Robert W. Moffat Jr. pleaded to no avail with federal Judge Deborah Batts to spare him a jail sentence, but the judge would have none of it. She ordered him to serve six months behind bars for his role in the insider-trading scandal that rocked IBM's corporate world a...

New IBM i Solution Editions Can Leverage a Good Investment

Fri, 17 Sep 2010 06:00:08 +0100

Integrated ERP packages on the latest POWER7 servers promise to extend the value of the IBM i platform while moving companies to modern technology. Written by Chris Smith One little-mentioned part of IBM's recent POWER7 server announcements are the four IBM i Solution Editions the company introduced that include optimized ERP solutions from the four major ERP vendors—Infor, JD Edwards, Lawson, and SAP....

Discounts and Freebies Abound as Technology Gets Ever Better

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 06:00:05 +0100

Free printers, free educational grants, and reduced server prices are highlights of the week. Written by Chris Smith COMMON this week issued a statement saying that the new IBM POWER7 machines indicate IBM's continuing commitment to "ongoing investment and enhancement" to its Power Systems line of business and reiterated the user group's belief that the new systems will strengthen the COMMON community....

Live Partition Mobility in PowerVM Enterprise Holds Great Promise

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 06:00:10 +0100

Users running AIX and Linux applications can migrate entire partitions and hosted applications from one physical server to another in a matter of seconds. Written by Chris Smith One of the success stories at IBM during the past couple years has been the popularity of PowerVM, and one of the most intriguing features of PowerVM is Live Partition Mobility. Still available only in the PowerVM Enterprise Edition, Live Partition Mobility allows the user to migrate an active or inactive AIX or Linux l...

The Acquisition of Double-Take Greatly Expands the Market for Vision Solutions

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 06:00:15 +0100

The HA and DR solution provider for the IBM midrange has picked up many new customers to whom it plans to cross sell its expanded product line. Written by Chris Smith Vision Solutions' announcement last week that it will acquire Double-Take Software nearly doubles the size of the IBM midrange market's largest high availability vendor and gives Vision a suite of multi-platform solutions that it can cross-sell into a combined market of some 25,000 customers....

Is Controlling Costs of Your Virtualized and Cloud Environments Getting You Down?

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 06:00:15 +0100

New online tools for virtualization platforms can give you a more granular view of usage and expenses. Written by Chris Smith Despite the recession's gradual abatement, pressures to reduce IT costs continue and IT managers are looking for ways to free up money for the new investments that have been put off for the past year or more. While virtualization and cloud computing hold the promise of increased efficiencies, they introduce a level of complexity that makes tracking costs more difficult....

It's Easy to Get Started in Cloud Computing

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 06:00:10 +0100

With free, new, easy-to-use interfaces, access to cloud storage services is as simple as using Windows Explorer. Written by Chris Smith Because there can be a profound economic benefit, cloud computing is here to stay, and for those of us wishing to extend our little toes into the ethereal blue haze, there may be no better tool to start the flight into the wild blue yonder than CloudBerry Explorer....

CIOs and Other C-Level Execs Gather in Santa Barbara to Discuss Changing Technologies

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 06:00:15 +0100

Cloud computing and social networking elicit the most interest as companies consider ways to leverage mass appeal by Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other online social networking services. Written by Chris Smith More than 50 CIOs and other C-level delegates from throughout California gathered in Santa Barbara earlier this month to wrestle with the many dramatic changes taking place within IT and to share their ideas on how to tackle pressing issues, such as IT budget cuts, cloud computing, and...

Companies Will Move to Cloud Computing to Save Costs

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 06:00:05 +0100

Though security is still a concern, economic forces will prevail in pushing companies into the cloud. Written by Chris Smith Despite concerns about security, companies almost certainly will move steadily toward some version of cloud computing for one simple reason: it can save them money on rising power costs....

New Survey Indicates IT Hiring Will Increase During Next Six Months

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 06:00:15 +0100

Meanwhile, other employment indicators appear mixed as U.S. businesses struggle with lingering recession. Written by Chris Smith A new IT hiring survey suggests the next six months will produce many new jobs for IT professionals as companies accelerate investment in new technologies and pick where they left off during the recession to complete projects that were put on hold....

Cast Your Vote in COMMON Europe's Global Survey

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 06:00:05 +0100

Make sure your voice is heard and become eligible to win an iPod nano. Written by Chris Smith A reader casually asked why I began the MC TNT article earlier this month with a quotation from Hamlet. Obviously, word of COMMON Europe's upcoming conference in Stratford upon Avon, UK, the birthplace of Shakespeare, escaped him!...

Snapshot/TSC Finds Good Home at Halcyon

Fri, 28 May 2010 06:00:08 +0100

The system-monitoring suite purchased from Mid-Comp International fills a hole in the Halcyon product line in the critical area of capacity planning. Written by Chris Smith Halcyon Software has acquired the technology for Snapshot/TSC monitoring suite from Mid-Comp International, and users who may have cancelled their maintenance with Mid-Comp International can breathe a sigh of relief that their beloved Snapshot will now be supported by a crack team of developers....

New Technology, New Future: COMMON Begins the Next 50 Years

Mon, 17 May 2010 05:00:15 +0100

Attendance is up over last year as user group adjusts to a new economic reality. Written by Chris Smith The 50th anniversary of COMMON celebrated in Orlando earlier this month with the annual conference and expo was a dignified yet upbeat event that commanded the attention and support of users and IBM alike, an event by its attendance alone that suggests IBM i will evolve and remain a vital part of the IT landscape for quite some time to come....

The Modernization Tempo Picks Up Momentum at COMMON

Fri, 14 May 2010 05:00:10 +0100

With new application development and system management tools, a powerful new hardware chipset, and a commitment to preserve customers' software assets, IBM customers have much to look forward to. Written by Chris Smith Having returned from COMMON's 50th Anniversary conference and exposition in Orlando last week, I think it's clear to everyone who was there that the IBM Power Systems platform and IBM i operating system will be with us for many years to come. If I could summarize the themes of th...

iManifest Leaders from Around the World Meet at COMMON

Fri, 07 May 2010 05:00:05 +0100

Europe, Japan, and the U.S. agree to collect 1,000 IBM i customer stories by next year. Written by Chris Smith The first worldwide meeting of leaders of the iManifest Alliance took place last Tuesday at the COMMON conference in Orlando, Florida, and concluded with a commitment to develop and publicize 1,000 customer stories of successful implementations of solutions on IBM i....

COMMON, IBM's Academic Initiative, and YiPs All Working to Perpetuate the i Platform

Mon, 03 May 2010 05:00:15 +0100

Despite difficult times from the world economy, the spirit of IBM i endures. Written by Chris Smith The financial crisis ravaging state and local education budgets in the U.S. could have far-reaching effects on the next generation of information technology workers as students search high and low for instructors who haven't been left in the dark ages due to a lack of staff development funds....

They Don't Make Hardships Like They Used To

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 05:00:10 +0100

A modern-day Jonas Salk seeks a cure for movement. Written by Michael Stuhlreyer Calling upon dwindling reserves of benevolence, I try to convince myself that Chris Harrison has the good of mankind at heart. I try to believe that he honestly believes he's advancing the human condition and that he believes his contribution will so improve life on Earth that he will earn a place alongside Salk, Edison, the Wright Brothers, and Crum (inventor of the honest-to-goodness randomly shaped, grease-fried...

Will We Be Smarter After Building a Smarter Planet?

Fri, 23 Apr 2010 05:00:05 +0100

Common sense and a little skepticism may help protect us from an overreliance on complex analytics. Written by Chris Smith The volcanic eruption in Iceland last week has focused attention once again on how unprepared we are when managing technology—as well as managing the world around us. First we fail to predict a volcano that is pushing up from the ground like a teenager's pimple, and then we cancel more than 100,000 airline flights based on what now is claimed to be a flawed computer simul...