Dan Burger
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Four Hundred Monitor, September 20
September 20, 2017 Dan Burger
Last time I checked, the SAP on IBM i community was not greatly enamored with the idea of adopting HANA, the SAP in-memory database. You would get a different idea after reading the pro-HANA article in IBM’s in-house magazine. Although SAP markets HANA for business intelligence workloads, it has also repeatedly stated that its goal is to eventually replace all underlying relational databases. Some SAP on i shops are not ready for that.
Also in Monitor this week: IBM’s CEO Ginni Rometty condemns the fear-mongering that stalks artificial intelligence; predicting the future of IT based on current spending trends; and …
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More Database Tools Highlight Latest IBM i Access Client
September 18, 2017 Dan Burger
Remember IBM i Access for Windows? Many IBM i advocates do because they never stopped using it, despite its replacement by IBM i Access Client Solutions more than four years ago. Access for Windows hasn’t seen an enhancement since ACS arrived and ACS is on a continual enhancement schedule. The most recent round of upgrades arrived in mid-July without much fanfare, which is the way IBM seems to prefer.
SQL developers and database engineers (those that have the title and those that only have the responsibility) are among the professionals benefiting the most from the expanding ACS toolset that usually …
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Symtrax Compleo Diversifies Document Management Evolution
September 13, 2017 Dan Burger
Ask anyone who’s been researching document management software: This is no longer a conversation about forms printing or how to access spool files and convert them to Excel spreadsheets. It’s much more than that. It’s about integration with multiple systems, multiple delivery channels, and multiple workflow processes. It’s not just about spool files anymore.
Symtrax, a company that’s cultivated an IBM midrange business for more than 25 years, has evolved much like the AS/400 has evolved into the IBM i. “Our evolution is still on the IBM i platform,” says Kirk Fackre, director of enterprise solutions at Symtrax, “but it …
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Four Hundred Monitor, September 13
September 13, 2017 Dan Burger
Earlier this year, at the COMMON Annual Meeting and Expo, we started to hear what Watson could do when integrated with IBM i. People are still asking questions and more information is being made available. Cognitive computing, with its analytic capabilities, is bringing change to traditional enterprise application development. You don’t have to be smarter than Watson. You just need to be smart enough to know about Watson.
Also in Monitor this week: IBM and MIT partner on cognitive computing research; the right and wrong of agile development; and an IBM internship program for re-entering women in their tech careers. …
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Lack Of Available RPG Skills Not A Hard Problem To Fix
September 11, 2017 Dan Burger
Running an IT department can be a grind. The reliability and manageability of your hardware and software certainly influences how hard the grind becomes, but the job becomes so much easier when you have a staff that removes much of your burden. Successfully developing that staff and creating a positive culture while dealing with turnover and “do more with less” imperatives has a huge impact on whether the CIO or IT director manages the grind or gets ground up. And once in a while, a new addition to the staff comes with a surprisingly positive impact. That leads me into …
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ARCAD Magnifies The i In Its Multi-Platform Array
September 6, 2017 Dan Burger
While RDi development gets some help from one IBM i vendor, another vendor is enhancing its RDi-specific software. ARCAD Software, makers of ARCAD Pack for i, has enhanced its IBM UrbanCode Deploy and improved support for deployment to IBM i.
IBM’s UrbanCode is a tool for automating application deployments by expediting user feedback, and for providing audit trails and the approvals process. UrbanCode is being used primarily by large companies to deploy multi-platform code from a central point. It provides standardized tools and methodologies for managing all sources–including IBM i, z/OS, AIX and other Unix OSes, and all the …
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Four Hundred Monitor, September 6
September 6, 2017 Dan Burger
Two app dev strategies are fighting for supremacy. DevOps is a cultural and organizational shift that empowers enterprise software teams to deliver better software quicker – in particular, hand-coded software. Low-Code platforms, in contrast, provide a technology platform and visual tooling that deliver better software quicker – with little or no hand-coding required.
The continued success of RPG depends on several factors. Maintaining the status quo is not one of them. See what it takes to build an RPG future in this week’s Monitor. Also discover the latest move by Vision Solutions’ new owner, and why BI and analytics …
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CIO Summit Planned For IBM i Executives
August 30, 2017 Dan Burger
Many CIOs and IT directors, regardless of industry or geography, have the same problem. They go it alone, figuring their business problem, their company, and everything about their situation is unique. Or maybe it doesn’t dawn on them that another CIO has faced a similar problem and learned a few lessons — good and bad ones — along the way.
It’s not that lone wolf CIOs deliberately set out to reinvent the wheel. But setting priorities and goals and making decisions without getting outside your silo is a pretty good way to not only know the wheel’s been invented, but …
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Four Hundred Monitor, August 30
August 30, 2017 Dan Burger
Implementing new IT solutions should help a company or department run more smoothly, effectively, and efficiently, yet trepidation about the process is a frequent occurrence. Whether it’s refactoring a database, modernizing applications, upgrading the system or ERP software – those tasks can be intimidating. Two IT pros provide insights into creating good strategic planning, clear and honest communication, and conscious time-management with the goal of alleviating stress by setting expectations, establishing security and building confidence.
This week’s Monitor also includes tips on getting more value from your RPG, evaluation of IBM i security fiction, and a new training opportunity for …
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Investing In IBM i: Adventures In Venture Capital
August 28, 2017 Dan Burger
The IBM i community was stirred last month when Vision Solutions, the dominant software vendor in the high availability arena, was acquired by a private equity company that believes the IBM i market is worthy of an investment estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars. That’s some serious cash. In addition to buying software, intellectual property, and a significant customer base, this private equity firm’s deal commands attention among IBM i observers who have seen investments lead to consolidation of software and service providers.
For now, it looks like a trend without end for a handful of vendors …
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