Application Software

Free Open-Source Help Desk Solution Running on IBM i Appeals to Users and Management

Fri, 25 May 2012 06:00:10 +0100

osTicket has paid support if you need it, but a robust user community is there to help the uninitiated. Written by Chris Smith In a recent episode of Help Desk, the Web comics cartoon series that parodies the computer industry, Alex (the cartoon's protagonist) is confronted by a caller who asks for a list of questions to which Alex knows he has answers. The reason? "It seems like every time I call, you can't help me," the anonymous voice says. "Whatever problem I have just so happens to be the ...

IBM Makes It Easy for Customers to Deploy SugarCRM

Fri, 04 May 2012 06:00:10 +0100

The open customer relationship management software is emerging as a worldwide phenomenon. Written by Chris Smith IBM customers have myriad choices for deploying Sugar customer relationship management (CRM) software on Power Systems, and the latest preview release of Sugar V6.5, announced at SugarCRM's user and developer conference last month, appears to reaffirm the company slogan that "SugarCRM makes CRM simple."...

QuickLook: RJS Software's RPG2SQL Integrator V1.53

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 06:00:10 +0100

Read and write to SQL databases and Microsoft Excel spreadsheets from RPG. Written by RJS Software RPG2SQL Integrator closes the gap between applications running on different platforms by allowing all your databases and spreadsheets to talk to each other in real time. Forget about complicated file transfers, database replications, and manual re-keying. The software allows your IBM i RPG, CL, and COBOL programs to read, write to, and update databases such as Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL, ...

Technology Focus: Healthcare Apps "Heart" the IBM i

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 06:00:15 +0100

Healthcare application requirements emphasize security, which makes software vendors in that market—and even some outside of it—big fans of the i platform. Written by John Ghrist Healthcare and medical insurance is one of those things we all hope never to use, but when we do need them, they become paramount. With 2012 being a U.S. Presidential election year, and with the U.S. Supreme Court set to rule on the constitutionality of parts of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA...

Cluster Domino on IBM i Servers on the Same Box!

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 06:00:15 +0100

Don't just build a Domino server on IBM i. Build two or three Domino servers and cluster them! Written by Steve Pitcher Have you ever seen the Mel Brooks comedy Spaceballs? There's a scene where Dark Helmet and Colonel Sandurz (played by Rick Moranis and George Wyner, respectively) take their spaceship called Spaceball One through light speed all the way up to "ludicrous speed." In the world of performance computing and platform-specific features, running Domino on any other platform than IBM i...

EZeCabinet Breaks Price Barrier on Electronic Document-Filing Solution

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 06:00:10 +0100

Crafted with Sage ERP users in mind, the low-cost Web-based solution for storing, tracking, and sharing electronic documents plays well in the IBM i space. Written by Chris Smith If your office is bogged down with paper, and you secretly have been longing for a document management solution but believed you just couldn't afford one, then you might be interested in ACOM Solutions' new browser-based EZeCabinet....

9 Tips for Implementing Barcode and RFID Systems

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 06:00:15 +0100

Building an information system around barcodes and RFID tags requires long-term planning. Written by Thomas M. Stockwell Most of us see the barcodes and RFID tags that pepper our packages and forms as simple extensions of the systems that record and transmit the information into the databases that drive our companies. Indeed, as barcodes and RFID tags have proliferated, they've become almost invisible in our workplaces, silently performing their intelligent magic to the benefit of the databases...

IBM Introduces New Cloud Collaboration Services

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:00:10 +0100

Users can sign up for free access during a 60-day trial period. Written by Chris Smith IBM is aggressively moving forward with its Lotus-based social networking and collaboration offerings, but it seems the company continues to ignore hundreds of thousands of IBM i customers it apparently believes are fat, dumb, and happy using yesterday's legacy Lotus Notes and Domino solutions....

IBS and IBM Optimize ERP for Midmarket Distributors

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 06:00:10 +0100

IBM i Solution Edition delivers integrated functionality and rapid implementation for cost savings and efficiency. Written by International Business Systems Editor's Note: This article is an extract of the white paper "IBS and IBM Optimize ERP for Midmarket Distributors" available for free download from the MC White Paper Center. Wholesale distribution is a balancing act. Midsize distributors must walk a careful line between satisfying manufacturers as well as customers—and remaining pro...

Technology Focus: Document Management Searches for an Identity

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 06:00:10 +0100

Is controlling documents properly called document management, content management, records management, or something else? And can the market meet the future under this cloud of confusion? Written by John Ghrist Next to money itself, documents are the lifeblood of virtually every enterprise. Whether they are electronic or paper, documents help businesses keep track of what they are doing and where they are going. But ironically, despite this importance, document management as a product type seems...

AppWave Could Be the Future Wave for Software Application Deployment

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 06:00:10 +0100

Distributing Windows software never felt so easy—or worked so well—as when downloaded using AppWave from Embarcadero. Written by Chris Smith What if you could try an application without the expense of purchasing it or even the hassle of downloading and installing it? What if you could easily share that application with your colleagues and users through a URL while inviting them instantly to comment on the app's features, benefits, or shortcomings? What if you could do all this before you or...

Technology Focus: Multiple Software Types Support Worker Collaboration on IBM i

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 06:00:15 +0100

Groupware applications, project tools, Web portals, and other apps for IBM i facilitate messaging and collaboration between employees. Written by John Ghrist Teamwork is essential to successful businesses, and teamwork can't thrive without information sharing. Particularly among workers with similar jobs in the same organization, staying abreast of what one's counterparts are up to, what they've recently learned, and what new policies and practices the enterprise is following can all be key pie...

IT Virtualization Best Practices

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 06:00:15 +0100

What's the best way to plan for and estimate the ROI of a virtualization project? Find out in this article. Written by Mickey Iqbal, Dr. Mithkal Smadi, Chris Molloy, Jim Rymarczyk Editor's Note: This article is an excerpt from the book IT Virtualization Best Practices, published by MC Press. Virtualizing IT resources can lead to savings of over 50 percent in hardware, maintenance, and energy costs in a data center. The transitional cost of virtualizing large-scale IT infrastructures is har...

Driving IT Value from the Cloud

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 06:00:10 +0100

Learn how to create a roadmap to a hosted IBM i cloud. Written by Symmetry Corp. Editor's Note: The following article is an extract from the white paper "Driving IT Value from the Cloud—Creating a Five Phase Roadmap to a Hosted IBM i Cloud" available for download free from the MC White Paper Center. For many IT departments, recent years have seen a shift in focus. Limited resources have left staff spending more time and effort maintaining old systems while project work remains on hold, o...

Solve Real-World Problems with Infoprint Server!

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 06:00:15 +0100

IBM's Infoprint Server is a powerful tool that is inexpensive, tightly integrated with i5/OS, and complements all of your legacy applications. Written by Westley Curtiss Do you know whether Infoprint Server for iSeries (LPP 5722IP1) is installed on your system? You may want to check. If it is, you probably have more functionality than you think, just waiting to be utilized. If you don't have it, read this article and find out more about this relatively inexpensive but oh-so-useful product....

Less Stock, More Profit: Inventory Optimization

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 06:00:10 +0100

Maximize the value of the IT investment by reducing overall inventory levels while ensuring customer satisfaction. Written by International Business Systems US Editor's Note: This article is an extract of the white paper "Less Stock, More Profit: Inventory Optimization" available for free download from the MC White Paper Center. Inventory Optimization is the area where most ERP software implementations normally get the highest and fastest return on investment. It is therefore quite surpris...

Technology Focus: Bookkeeping Software for Any Budget

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 06:00:10 +0100

Tracking enterprise funds has never been easier with the wide range of features available in today's accounting software for Power Systems. Written by John Ghrist It used to be that accounting software simply had to keep track of the money coming in and the money going out. But things just aren't that simple and clear-cut anymore. Today's enterprises rely on accurate financial figures not only for past and present, but also for the future to help make strategic decisions. Such tasks as creating...

QuickLook: ACOM Solutions EZeDocs/400

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 06:00:10 +0100

Empower business users to easily update the look-and-feel of any form. Written by ACOM Solutions, Inc. EZeDocs/400 is a document output system that intelligently merges data from your current applications, such as accounting and ERP systems, with your own form designs to deliver laser-quality invoices, purchase orders, reports, forms, and other business documents directly to a laser printer, fax output, or secure email....

What CFOs Need to Know About the Cloud

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 06:00:15 +0100

Let's examine financial software's role in maximizing IT investments in the cloud era. Written by Steve Pugh Organizations are steadily increasing their adoption of cloud applications, using both public (multi-tenant) and private clouds. The cloud can offer a variety of compelling advantages over the traditional on-premise computing model, including the following:...

SpoolFlex Moves DRV Ahead in Race Between Spool File Distribution Providers

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 06:00:10 +0100

SpoolFlex's ability to convert spool files into native Excel spreadsheet format with predictable results impresses even the most seasoned IT pros. Written by Chris Smith SpoolFlex from DRV Technologies is a tool for converting and distributing reports, or spool files, that makes children's play out of formatting report data into Excel. Unlike outputting to a comma-delimited file, when a report is converted directly into Excel's XLS format, report headers are in the right place, lines break wher...

Make Paperwork Smarter

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 06:00:08 +0100

Learn the cost benefits of going paperless, and boost profitability through document automation. Written by inFORM Decisions Editor's Note: This article introduces the white paper "Make Paperwork Smarter" available for free download from the MC White Paper Center. Paper is expensive, but that is typically not primarily due to material costs alone. The human resource costs of printing forms—including distributing, storing, accessing, and managing paper documents—may place an even greate...

iMap 3.0 Adds Intelligence to Mapped Forms Data from Spool and Database Files

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

inFORM Decision's graphical data-mapping tool adds menu-driven conditional mapping to its list of new features. Written by Chris Smith Perhaps you have worked in a shop where someone has embedded HP PCL into the RPG code of an application and every time someone wants to underline or boldface a word in a printed report, a programmer has to go in and change the code. That is what I call job security....

Case Study: Modernizing Barcode Technologies

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 06:00:05 +0100

T.L. Ashford's Barcode400 provides unparalleled resilience. Written by Thomas M. Stockwell What do you do when the mission-critical technology infrastructure that runs your company begins to erode beneath the daily workload? Do you scrap everything and begin anew? Or do you tough it out and pray for a miracle? That's one of the challenges Bob Reckers faced at TOPICZ when the barcode infrastructure started to go south. But using common business sense and T.L. Ashford's resilient Barcode400 ...

What You Need to Know to Convert Spooled Files to PDF (and More)!

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 06:00:15 +0100

The changes in 7.1 make life a whole lot easier! Written by Steve Pitcher Historically, converting spooled files on IBM i has been a bit of an arduous task, but in recent releases, it's become much easier. In April 2010, I wrote an article about how to convert AFP to PDF using native commands included in IBM i 6.1 at no charge. With the release of IBM i 7.1, we're fortunate that IBM has expanded on these abilities by adding a couple of neat features....

10 Things You Need to Know About Document Management

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 06:00:15 +0100

Document Management Systems (DMS) have been in existence for years, decades even, and there is a wealth of information out there. But what do you really need to know? Written by Brian D. Smith Here's a top 10 list to get you up to speed on why document management is a highly relevant and powerful solution to help you meet many of the business challenges of today....

Power i Forecast: Collaborative Software

Mon, 06 Jun 2011 06:00:15 +0100

"Social business" is the term IBM has coined for the latest trend in collaborative solutions that today involve voice, text, data, video, and now even radio communications. Written by Chris Smith One of the most profound changes that computers have facilitated in the past five years lies in the area of collaborative communications. Having an application like Facebook available on the Web is creating huge shifts in political power, even inspiring revolutions in the Mideast. Such shifts are the r...

Collaboration: A Fresh Look at All Things Lotus

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 06:00:15 +0100

This article describes the current offerings from IBM Lotus and explains why IBM Power Systems running i5/OS is the platform on which you should be running them. Written by Steven C. Pitcher Lotus Domino Server—it's just an email server, so let's move on.... Just kidding! Many shops use Domino just for the simple task of running their email. That's all well and good, but Domino offers a number of different servers for Web, database, applications, and LDAP. If you have a Domino server and...

Technology Focus: ERP Software for IBM i Offers a Smorgasbord of Features

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 06:00:15 +0100

ERP software for IBM i continues to deliver supply chain management, financial controls, manufacturing activity oversight, materials planning, and other functions. Written by John Ghrist Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is the must-have application software for companies in the manufacturing and distribution industries, as well as being more than useful for any enterprise that that is part of a supply chain. As the benefits of Internet-enabled business communications have multiplied, so the n...

Is the Cloud Right for You?

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 06:00:10 +0100

Leveraging cloud platforms where they make the most sense is a matter of careful evaluation as well as proper migration. Written by Vision Solutions, Inc. Editor's Note: The following article is taken from the publication, Business Continuity Today Ch. 11: Is the Cloud Right for You? available for download free from the MC Press White Paper Center. Many concepts in modern technology evolve so quickly that those involved in the creation of the technologies may not even notice that a new pl...

Chasing the Definition of Cloud Computing for the Channel

Mon, 13 Dec 2010 06:00:15 +0100

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is trying to help. Written by Todd Thibodeaux Cloud computing is a transformative delivery model that is changing the way technology vendors, distributors, resellers, and consumers think about, approach, and implement IT systems. What exactly "the cloud" is remains a matter of debate, as there are more than two dozen definitions for cloud computing. Further, how the cloud is applied to the conventional IT channel is relatively uncharted ...

QuickLook: Linoma Software Crypto Complete

Fri, 10 Dec 2010 06:00:05 +0100

Crypto Complete protects sensitive information on the IBM i (iSeries) using strong AES encryption, integrated key management, and auditing. Written by Linoma Software Editor's Note: To download and try Crypto Complete at no obligation, visit the MC Software Center. Crypto Complete allows organizations to encrypt database fields, backups, and IFS files quickly with its intuitive screens and proven technology. This innovative solution is vital for protecting confidential information and ex...

QuickLook: INPRO International TimeZoNe/400

Fri, 05 Nov 2010 06:00:10 +0100

Written by INPRO International Override the computer's time based on the differential between the user's time zone and the system time zone. Editor's Note: To download and try TimeZoNe/400 at no obligation, visit the MC Software Center. TZN/400 V6.1.I (TimeZoNe/400 Simulation Utility) is a time zone tool that allows you to override the time based on the differential between the user's time zone and the system time zone through the year 3,000. It includes support for automatic rules-driven day...

Technology Focus: Human Resources Applications Help You Keep Your Peeps

Mon, 18 Oct 2010 06:00:10 +0100

HR apps help enterprises track and manage their work force. On IBM Power Systems, you have an array of choices. Written by John Ghrist It goes without saying that what makes enterprises function is the people who make it up. That makes managing an entity's staff a key function. Human resources (HR) applications help companies automate many of those management tasks and can be a crucial factor in maintaining a satisfied workforce....

QuickLook: New Generation Software (NGS) Qport Office

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 06:00:08 +0100

Run Query/400 from Windows. Output directly to MS Excel, Word, and Access. Pay no license for a limited time. Written by New Generation Software Editor's Note: To download and try Qport Office at no obligation, visit the MC Software Center. Qport Office is a time-saving Windows runtime interface to IBM Query/400. Qport Office enables MS Windows users to run Query/400 queries from Windows and send their output directly to Excel, Word, Access, PC printers, and their display. No need to outpu...

How Do You Verify Digital Signatures in Electronic Documents?

Mon, 27 Sep 2010 06:00:15 +0100

If your company needs to securely manage signed documents, secure digital signature capture could be the answer. Written by Richard Schoen In today's world, where people are constantly signing their names on an electronic signature pad at stores, restaurants, and other establishments, what methods can be used to ensure that a digital signature is authentic, and how do companies keep that information safe and secure ? This article explores physical signature capture, which is a key method of kee...

Is a Traditional ERP Solution Not Your Cup of Tea?

Mon, 27 Sep 2010 06:00:05 +0100

Your company may be better suited to a "best-of-class" approach in which your financial applications can be configured easily to adapt to changing business conditions. Written by UNIT4 CODA, Inc. Editor's note: This article introduces the white paper "The Best-of-class Financial Systems Strategy: An Alternative to ERP Platforms" available free at the MC White Paper Center. For better or worse, most companies have purchased financial software from large-scale Enterprise Resource Planning (E...

Technology Focus: Accounting Systems to Keep Any Bean Counter Happy

Mon, 20 Sep 2010 06:00:08 +0100

Accounting applications provide the indispensable service of monitoring the flow of money through an enterprise. For IBM Power System users, third-party software options abound. Written by John Ghrist "Show me the money," if not the most often-echoed movie quote in corporate settings today, is at least at the top of most companies' concern lists. For users of the IBM Power Systems platform, still often called the IBM i, there is a rich assortment of financial applications available to track the...

Getting the Most from Your SAP Production Reports

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 06:00:10 +0100

Advanced output management systems (OMSes) can be an efficient way for IT teams to satisfy changing user needs. Written by Michel Gaertner Editor's note: This article introduces the white paper "Getting the Most from Your SAP Production Reports," which is available for free download from the MC Press White Paper Center. Within each SAP module, there are hundreds of predefined production reports. Many of these are not used or are under-used because they are not available in the desired form...

Case Study: Barcode400 Is "Just What the Doctor Ordered"

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 06:00:05 +0100

Bay Area Hospital uses T.L. Ashford's Barcode400 to help ensure prescription accuracy. Written by Thomas M. Stockwell When patients check into a hospital, the last thing that should concern them is the efficiency and accuracy of the hospital's pharmacy. Yet, at some hospitals, what the doctor prescribes doesn't always get to the right patient. That's why Bay Area Hospital in Southern Oregon invested in a solution that reduces prescription errors and streamlines the collection of patient data. B...

QuickLook: DRV Technologies' FormFlex V4.7.5

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 06:00:05 +0100

Native IBM i software eliminates preprinted checks and forms while allowing for storage and distribution of secure electronic documents. Written by DRV Technologies Inc. Editor's Note: To download and try FormFlex at no obligation, visit the MC Software Center. FormFlex native iSeries software lets you print forms and checks on standard HP-compatible laser printers using plain cut sheet paper or store as PDF to automatically email, fax, and electronically file, based on conditions and...

Paris Presents Developers with Great Fast, Free Apps at OCEAN

Fri, 06 Aug 2010 06:00:08 +0100

Being able to create an application or service quickly has been a challenge on the System i until the advent of open-source software. Written by Chris Smith The user groups have been a vital segment of the IBM midrange community for many years, and there's none that I enjoy attending more than the annual OCEAN technical conference. This year, in the conference's six tracks and more than 35 sessions, developers learned a number of helpful tips for keeping their systems up to date and their inter...

QuickLook: iDocs from inFORM Decisions

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 06:00:10 +0100

iDocs gives users a menu-based solution to convert, merge, and route IBM i data files. Written by inFORM Decisions Editor's Note: To download and try iDocs at no obligation, visit the MC Software Center. iDocs is the central processing and administration engine that runs seamlessly with IBM i and System i accounting/ERP software applications. iDocs monitors output queues for spool files, database files, or XML data files to process and route them based on user-defined business rules....

Relieving Accounts Payable from Paper-Bound Processes

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 06:00:05 +0100

The cost-savings that can be realized by going paperless in A/P make electronic solutions compelling to companies that want to trim the bottom line. Written by Mike Rooney Editor's note: This article introduces the white paper "Paperless Accounts Payable—Streamlining the Purchase-to-Pay Process," which is available for free download from the MC Press White Paper Center. At the 30-thousand-foot level, Accounts Payable looks trivial: an invoice comes in and a check is sent out. Howev...

Cut Costs and Improve Security with Electronic Payments

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 06:00:10 +0100

If your company is still using pre-printed checks, you may be throwing money down the drain. Written by MC Press News Staff Editor's note: This article introduces ACOM Solutions' iSeries-native electronic payment software, EZPayManager/400, which is available for a free 30-day trial from the MC Software Center. Where is your company on the payment-processing continuum? Still using pre-printed checks? Do you wish that you could do more with electronic payments or envision transitioning your...

Real-Time Data Sharing: What Can It Do for Your Business?

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 06:00:05 +0100

Real-time, heterogeneous data sharing puts information where it is needed, when it is needed, and in the formats that best serve diverse needs across the enterprise. Written by Andy Chase Editor's note: This article is an extraction from the Vision Solutions white paper "Real-Time Database Sharing: What Can It Do for Your Business," available free from the MC Press White Paper Center. Managers striving to use smarter data to create smarter businesses need clear pictures of the state of the...

ERP: Should You Stick with a Best-of-Class Software Strategy?

Mon, 10 May 2010 05:00:15 +0100

Big ERP wants in on the IBM Power Systems; does best-of-class still have the edge? Written by Steve Pugh In today's fast-moving business environment, organizations need to stay more agile than ever. Government regulation, competitive challenges, and consumer demands are changing at an unprecedented rate, forcing organizations to change along with them. Meanwhile, CIOs are under tremendous pressure to rein in expenses while increasing performance....

Which Way Will You Go for Your Core ERP Solution? Power Systems or Windows?

Mon, 10 May 2010 05:00:05 +0100

Consider all the ramifications before you make your choice. Written by Kevin Piotrowski Editor's Note: This article introduces the white paper titled "Key Strategies for ERP on IBM i," which is available free from the MC Press White Paper Center. For System 21, Infor ERP XA (MAPICS), and Infor ERP LX (BPCS) users, there are two main options for core ERP systems. One option is to employ—or continue to employ—IBM Power Systems servers and i 6.1. For users of IBM iSeries and System i mod...

Best Practices in Enterprise Managed File Transfer (MFT)

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 05:00:05 +0100

In today's highly competitive business climate, companies must ensure secure, reliable and integrated communications. Written by Kyle Parris Editor's Note: This article introduces both a white paper titled "Best Practices in Managed File Transfer Solutions" and a Webcast titled "nuBridges Exchange i—10 Minutes to a Whole New World of Managed File Transfer for IBM i." They are available free from the MC Press White Paper and Webcast Centers. Globalization, increased competition, and compl...

With 6.1, PDF Capability Is "Pretty Darn Fast"!

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 05:00:15 +0100

Amid as much highly publicized fanfare as a Tax Accountant of the Year convention, IBM quietly slips us the ability to natively generate PDF files on i. Written by Steven C. Pitcher You don't need a third-party tool, custom coding, or even InfoPrint Server. It's as simple as loading a few licensed programs and then adjusting a couple of parameters on pre-existing IBM print commands....

BI and the IBM i: Finding Your Own Way

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 05:00:05 +0100

With all the BI solutions in the marketplace, finding the right one for your company can be very challenging. Written by Bill Langston Editor's Note: This article introduces the Webcast "Migrating from IBM Query/400?" and the white paper "Business Intelligence on the IBM i: Finding Your Way" available free from the MC Press Webcast Center and the MC Press White Paper Center, respectively. Analytics and business intelligence (BI) are center stage in IBM's software and consulting strategy. Steve...