Underestimating security issues and being unaware of the technology that makes systems more secure can be the dog you never thought would bite you until it did. The loss of sensitive data can hurt in many different ways. Regulatory compliance mandates have forced some IBM i-based companies to think about this, and software companies like Cilasoft are crafting new technology that can help. Cilasoft’s database monitoring software is a good example.

The IBM i is not as secure as most people think. It’s a bank vault compared to some well-known and more vulnerable systems, but the system and its operators

System i users will be able to access ProData Computer Services‘ popular Database Utility (DBU) over the Web when they update to version 9, which was unveiled at the recent COMMON conference in Florida. The Nebraska company also added support for double-byte character sets (DBCS) with DBU version 9, an important requirement for Asian System i shops.

DBU is a handy all-purpose utility that is used by programmers, administrators, and end users to access and update System i data, as well as a number of other related tasks. ProData claims to have sold more than 20,000 licenses of DBU

For years, security experts have maintained that exit point programs will never offer the same capability as object-level security, the most powerful aspect of the i/OS security apparatus. But with this month’s release of Network Security 6.0, PowerTech says it has come up with a way to control access to i/OS exit points at the object level. Whether it provides the same functionality as true object-level security or not, the new capability is sure to create some buzz for the Help/Systems subsidiary.

Network Security is an i/OS security tool designed to prevent unauthorized access to System i resources over the

To say that RPG programmers are excited about the new Rational Open Access: RPG Edition feature that IBM released with i/OS 7.1 last month would be like saying Padres all-star first basemen Adrian Gonzalez has an OK swing. But despite the (mostly) positive vibes, some RPG gurus are miffed at the fact that IBM does not provide trial copies of RPG OA. The good news is IBM has heard the complaints, and is considering doing something about it.

RPG programmers and System i developers of all stripes were elated with the introduction of RPG OA with i/OS 7.1. Finally, IBM

Databorough this month unveiled a new suite of products aimed at helping System i shops migrate applications developed with CA Technologies‘ 2E, the 4GL programming environment originally created by Synon. Called X-2E, Databorough’s new product helps to automate many aspects of a migration, from analyzing and documenting existing 2E application designs, to migrating the code to Java, EGL, and C#.

Originally created in 1996, 2E is one of the most successful, if not the most successful, fourth-generation language (4GL) development environments on the AS/400 (i/OS-based Power Systems) platform. Thousands of end-user companies and ISVs have used 2E’s advanced model-driven

IBM yesterday announced plans to spend $1.4 billion in cash to buy Sterling Commerce, the AT&T subsidiary that develops B2B communication software and services and logistics applications for retailers and distributors. The deal will put a portion of Sterling’s 18,000 customers that run its Gentran EDI software on i/OS into the hands of IBM, which has its eye on Sterling’s prominent position in the burgeoning market for B2B software and services, including managed file transfer (MFT).

IBM expects the Sterling acquisition to bolster its suite of B2B software and services in the WebSphere catalog, as well as improve its

IBM last week unveiled the 9910 Model E34 Uninterruptible Power Systems, a new uninterruptible power supply (UPS) device designed to provide up to 2,700 watts of electrical power to the range of IBM Power Systems servers. The new 9910-E34 is an OEM version of the Eaton-Powerware model 5130, and also provides i/OS-specific communication capabilities.

The IBM 9910-E34 is a 3,000 VA (volt-amp) single-phase line interactive UPS device that’s been certified to provide electricity for new POWER 7-based Power Systems servers, older POWER 6-based i5, iSeries, p5, pSeries, and OpenPower servers running i/OS, AIX, Linux, as well as X64 servers running

TMW Systems and Qualcomm last week unveiled new software designed to keep their trucking company customers from running afoul of the federal government’s controversial new Comprehensive Safety Analysis (CSA 2010) driver safety program. The new software is designed to help carriers familiarize themselves with the government’s complex new driver-ratings program, which some carriers are afraid will lead to unnecessary sanctions against their drivers.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) designed the new CSA 2010 program to improve the safety of large trucks and buses and reduce the rate of crashes, injuries, and deaths associated with crashes of commercial vehicles.

Halcyon Software made a bold move yesterday with the announced acquisition of Snapshot, a performance management tool for the System i servers. Halcyon entered into the deal for Snapshot with Mid-Comp International, the Australian software company that previously owned the product.

Snapshot Total System Control (TSC) is a client-server application that collects performance data via agents deployed on the System i server, and displays the information on a Windows-based console, where administrators can view colorful graphics depicting the state of their monitored systems as well as perform “what if” capacity planning. The software also sends alerts to mobile phones

United Yousef Naghi Company, a midsize Saudi Arabian distributor, has upgraded its i/OS-based ERP system from VAI, the vendor announced last week. The new ERP suite is expected to help the distributor streamline its warehousing operations, and provide more timely data to its sales and customer service personnel.

With more than 12 warehouses in Saudi Arabia, United Yousef Naghi Company provides a wide array of warehousing and distribution services throughout the kingdom. The company, which is based in Jeddah, is one of the largest distributors of LG Electronics appliances and electronics through its United Naghi Electronics subsidiary. Other subsidiaries