• Guru: SQL Can Read Program-described Data

  September 21, 2020 Ted Holt

  I thought I left program-described database files behind me in 1988. That’s when I left my last S/36 shop to begin working on the S/38. Well, I did, but not completely. From time to time I work on a system with program-described files, and even some externally described files have program-described fields. Fortunately — and I owe this to Scott Forstie — I have learned that SQL can read program-described data. Will wonders never cease?

  You may be thinking, “This article doesn’t apply to me. Our files are externally described.” You may be right. Then again, you may be wrong. …

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• COVID-19 Delivers 2020 Clarity for Omnichannel

  September 9, 2020 Alex Woodie

  The viral pandemic is impacting society in profound and multi-faceted ways. In the consumer goods supply chain, which includes a good chunk of IBM i shops, COVID-19 is forcing manufacturers, distributors, and retailers to get a lot nimbler in a hurry — particularly as it relates to diversifying sales channels and embracing omnichannel fulfillment strategies.

  Ecommerce has exploded during COVID-19 and the ensuing lockdowns, as consumers elect to make purchases online instead of venturing into stores, which raises the risk of being exposed to the novel coronavirus. According to Adobe Analytics’ Digital Economy Index, ecommerce spending surged by 78 …

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• JD Edwards Co-Founder McVaney Leaves A Legacy

  September 2, 2020 Alex Woodie

  Ed McVaney, who emerged from a frugal childhood in Nebraska to eventually lead one of the most successful enterprise software companies in the world, died this past June at the age of 79.

  McVaney is best remembered as the co-founder and CEO of JD Edwards, the Denver, Colorado-based company that would become known as the gold-standard for ERP software on the AS/400 and its predecessor and successor machines. In 2016, more than a decade after JD Edwards was sold to PeopleSoft, McVaney founded NextWorld, a cloud ERP software company that is run by his daughter, Kylee.

  McVaney was the …

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• Visual LANSA Customers Can Now ‘Portalize’ Their Apps

  September 2, 2020 Alex Woodie

  LANSA is well known to IBM i shops for its low-code developer tools. But the company also has its share of shrink-wrapped applications. With the recent launch of pre-build Web portal called Portalize, it’s added another to its collection.

  Portalize is a portal framework that Visual LANSA customers can use to get a secure Web portal up and running with a minimal amount of effort. The product, which LANSA introduced in June, supplies the core components that an organization would need to get a portal off the ground, such as security, account creation, authentication, and logging capabilities.

  The software, which …

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• Digitally Transform Yourself Like Your Life Depends On It

  August 17, 2020 Alex Woodie

  The coronavirus pandemic and economic lockdown has laid bare, with ruthless efficiency, the differences between digital natives and brick-and-mortars. In short, companies that are either entirely online or have figured out a way to emulate them are winning and gaining share, while those dependent on physically being present in buildings are losing. That’s leading experts to recommend that businesses hit the gas pedal on their digital transformation plans, or risk permanent dislocation.

  It’s tough to overestimate the impact that COVID-19 is having on the American way of life, for both work and play. Entire industries, such as travel and hospitality, …

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• ERP Deployments Shift Cloudward, Even On IBM i

  July 20, 2020 Alex Woodie

  Applications of all sorts are moving to the cloud, including the critical ERP systems that businesses rely on to automate processes. That’s been the trend for some time in the industry as a whole, but it’s also having an impact on the IBM i community, which is becoming cloudier by the month.

  While on-prem deployments of IBM i still dominate, the cloud portion is growing. Nearly one-quarter of IBM i shops have IBM i resources running in the cloud, according to HelpSystems’ 2020 IBM i Marketplace Study, including 6 percent who are cloud-only and 17 percent who run …

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• Thoroughly Modern: Top Five Reasons To Go Paperless With IBM i Forms

  June 8, 2020 Stephen Flaherty

  As offices closed and employees began working from home earlier this year, a significant challenge arose for companies that rely on printed spool files and IBM i documents. If employees were not in the office with access to a printer, how would they get checks, invoices and other documents to the people who need them? IT departments were already scrambling to enable employees to work remotely, and suddenly they were faced with the urgent need to electronically distribute documents.

  A lot of organizations weren’t prepared to change the way they do business overnight and much of this burden fell on …

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• Thoroughly Modern: Quick Digital Transformation Wins With Web And Mobile IBM i Apps

  May 27, 2020 Kevin Cronin

  The future of IT no longer involves hiding in the basement and pushing buttons. In today’s digital economy, the role of IT – and IBM i – is critical. Internal users and customers are demanding modern, intuitive applications that are easy to access. If you’re an IT leader, you’re likely meeting with business stakeholders, discussing how you can grow and improve your business, and looking at what’s available to satisfy those needs.

  As my colleagues have discussed in previous installments of this column, failing to innovate in your market could put your business at risk. Digital disruption is happening …

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• Inside The ISV Revitalization Initiative For IBM i

  March 16, 2020 Alex Woodie

  The IBM i server’s strengths are well known: integration, ease of programming, ease of administration, security, resiliency, and a penchant for putting up with abuse. But aside from the platform’s attributes, another factor in IBM i’s favor is the community of independent software vendors (ISVs) who write business applications. To bolster this strength, IBM recently embarked upon an ISV revitalization initiative, and it wants IBM i ISVs to know all about it.

  In many ways, applications are the face of the platform. It was fairly common for companies to select a business application, such as MRP, ERP, supply chain execution, …

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• Your ERP Contract is Worse Than You Thought

  February 12, 2020 Alex Woodie

  Marcus Harris knows a bit about ERP contracts and litigation. As a former lawyer for SAP and Infor, he’s the guy that ERP customers would have gone up against in court or a mediation room when a disagreement arises. But he switched sides and now he works on behalf of clients looking to hold their ERP vendors to account. He provided some worthwhile advice at the recent Digital Stratosphere 2020 conference in San Diego.

  Like most lawyers worth their salt, Harris would rather not represent you in court. Sure, it gives his firm, Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP, lots …

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