PowerTech Group launched a new version of its Interact connector last week that makes attempted break-ins of System i servers and other information available to cross-platform security information and event management (SIEM) software. With Interact 2.0, PowerTech is now supporting Syslog, which is the closest thing that there is to a standard, cross-platform security messaging format, enabling Interact to work with a wide assortment of SIEMs. But for certain SIEMs, PowerTech has gone the extra mile to provide deeper i5/OS connectivity.

If you’ve never heard of the Interact product from PowerTech, you’re not alone. The product was created several years

ARCAD Software has rolled the multi-platform software management stone closer to its final destination by releasing Version 8.06.06 of its IBM System i-based application lifecycle management suite. For companies doing application development that spans more than one platform or programming language, this software deserves your attention. The significance lies in the ever-increasing integration, and ultimately control, over multiple development environments–a frequent occurrence for companies building composite applications and undertaking service oriented architecture initiatives.

“When modernizing System i applications or extending them to other environments, we bring developers with many different tools together under one change management system,” says Philippe Magne,

System i shops contemplating the move to Windows Vista on the desktop have another option now that Attachmate is finally shipping Reflection for IBM 2007, a new release of its flagship suite of terminal emulation software for accessing System i and System z servers. The midrange software giant also released a competitive analysis, produced by the Tolly Group, in which it claims workers are several times more productive using Reflection 2007 than competitive offerings.

When Attachmate first announced Reflection for 2007 nearly a year ago, it was billing the new emulation suite as a significant release for several

System i shops that would like to build applications that pull data from non DB2/400 sources have a new way to do that thanks to Business Computer Design Int’l, which launched its latest WebSmart ILE development tools last week. With WebSmart ILE version 6.6, developers can pull data from SQL Server and MySQL databases, as well as DB2/400 databases, and still run their Web application from the comforts of the System i.

BCD has been very active on the new product front of late. Just two months ago, you will remember, BCD started selling WebSmart PHP, a new

ArcSight, an established vendor of security information and event management (SIEM) software that’s planning an IPO, this week announced a new appliance-based log management product it says will make it easier for companies to comply with mandates like Sarbanes-Oxley and PCI. The new offering, called the Log Management Suite, will do this by streamlining the collection and storage of log data from disparate sources, and then simplifying the generation of compliance reports and dashboards that auditors create from log data.

Since ArcSight was founded by security software veteran Hugh Njemanze in 2000, the Cupertino, California, company has been selling

Nulogx, a developer of an i5/OS-based transportation management system (TMS), has inked an OEM deal with ACOM Solutions that will see Nulogx providing its customers with access to ACOM’s EZeDocs/400 document management software as part of its new hosted TMS offering.

Nulogx launched its new Transportation Control, Software as a Service (TC/SaaS) offering in August as a way to provide smaller third-party logistics (3PL) companies with access to sophisticated shipping software that can help run their businesses more effectively. The offering, which is based on software Nulogx acquired from i2 Technologies in 2004, runs exclusively on IBM System i

Bytware‘s i5 virus mystery campaign launched in October is now at full throttle, according to officials with the i5/OS security software company. The campaign, which is being organized as a scavenger hunt, has attracted the attention of thousands of people in dozens of countries, and is helping to raise awareness of the possible security exposures of running PHP on the System i.

About four weeks ago, Bytware launched a new marketing campaign and scavenger hunt revolving around a story about a fictional financial services company whose System i server was compromised by a team of Chinese hackers. As part

Companies that use more than one tape drive to back up their servers only need to buy a single BOSaNOVA Q3 encryption appliance to secure their data now that the Q3 supports multiple tape drives, the company announced last week.

Q3 is a rack-mounted appliance that sits between the server being backed up and the tape drive or optical library performing the backups. The device, which BOSaNOVA obtained through an OEM deal with the English company DISUK, employs dual interlaced 3DES encryption engines, where the data is split into two streams and encrypted separately using 112-bit keys, boosting the

A+, an i5/OS-based distribution application sold by Infor, gained a second accreditation in IBM‘s Vertical Industry Program (VIP) last week when it announced A+ will be listed for the restaurant and hospital supply markets, in addition to the janitorial and sanitation markets.

IBM launched the VIP program earlier this year as a way to ensure that ISVs, resellers, and customers have a comprehensive list of i5/OS applications that have been tailored to specific markets. At the time, the VIP program was launched with 80 different sales niches, such as the U.S. hospitality and gaming industry, the French wholesale

Oracle last week introduced a new Business Accelerator product aimed at speeding the implementation of the J.D. Edwards EnterpriseOne ERP software.

According to Oracle, its Business Accelerators are a series of tools, wizards, and workflows that help business partners and consultants perform “rapid, best-practice implementations.” The software enables partners to develop “interactive questionnaires” that help narrow the exact requirements of the ERP customer, while retaining a maximum degree of flexibility, Oracle says.

Oracle previously offered a Business Accelerator for its E-Business Suite, and with the addition of the Business Accelerator for EnterpriseOne version 8.12, it now has two. In other