System iNetwork

December 2008

December 21, 2008 11:03 PM

The Top 12 Stories of 2008

As we wrap up the year here at SystemiNetwork.com, I wanted to take a look back at the top 12 Maxed Out stories of 2008. As it turns out, 2008 was a big year--we saw IBM's reorganization turn into a major overhaul that led to the unification of the System i and System p, the introduction of blades, the renaming of i5/OS, and more. Take a look:

January 7, 2008
IBM Reorg Turns Into Major Overhaul

When IBM reorganized its System i and System p divisions last summer, it was just a tuneup compared to the new overhaul going on at IBM. In an internal memo, IBM Senior Vice President and Group Executive for the IBM Systems and Technology Group (STG) William Zeitler announced IBM's third and final step to move to a "client-centered structure -- top to bottom." So what were the first two phases? Phase one was to align development around the building blocks of leadership and competitiveness in our industry, Zeitler notes. Hard to say exactly what that phase was all about, but the second was IBM's "pilot" and rollout of a new team-based, client-focused coverage model in the field. This second phase would have included IBM's push to combine the System i and p and reorganize into the Enterprise Systems (large clients) and Business Systems (SMB) units, and it may have included the Vertical Industry Program (VIP) as well. *Read more....

January 30, 2008
IBM Sharpens BladeCenter with i5/OS

After months of hinting, IBM introduced i5/OS on a blade. Last fall, when the JS22 blade was first announced, IBM tipped its hand over adding i5/OS support for the blade, but it did not do so at the same time it released the blade for AIX and Linux on POWER. The reason? As it turns out, V6R1 doesn't exactly run directly on the blade, and part of that is due to storage. With a blade, there's not a lot of internal hard disk to match the same way that a System i has built-in disk ready to hold DB2. So i5/OS needs a method for getting to disk, and that method is virtualization with VIOS -- a virtual IO server. *Read more...

April 7, 2008
Rest In Peace Al Barsa

The System i world has lost a true champion. Al Barsa, Jr., died while attending the COMMON conference in Nashville last week. Early reports indicate that Al passed away in his hotel room. . . . Rest in peace, Al. You will be missed. *Read more...

April 2, 2008
System i Morphs Into Power and 'i'

In a bold consolidation move, IBM has removed and replaced the identity of the System i by turning it into an "i" operating system that runs on IBM's hottest POWER6-based hardware. Gone is the old identity of the integrated system, and along with it, presumably, the associations of a legacy system. The company has replaced System i and System p with a new line of unified servers with simplified pricing. The line is now officially IBM Power Systems, known as the IBM Power platform, with hardware server models branded with Power, as in, the Power 520, which will run AIX, Linux, or i5/OS. And i5/OS, by the way, really is simply "i." IBM is essentially shedding the old, keeping the best, and embracing the new. The plan to mainstream i5/OS is well under way. *Read more...

June 23, 2008
The AS/400 Turns 20

Weathering two decades of industry and technology changes, including a few adjustments to its name, the AS/400 turned 20 on June 21. IBM is holding a celebratory event in Rochester, Minnesota, today, with representatives from COMMON and a handful of customers, some of whom won a trip to Rochester to help celebrate the milestone. What a milestone it is! *Read more...

June 9, 2008
Bullish on Blades -- But Customers Hard to Find

Ninety percent of System i clients can fit on a POWER6-based blade, currently the 2-core 3.8 GHz JS12 and 4-core 4.0 GHz JS22, according to Mark Shearer, vice president of marketing for IBM Business Systems. Both blades are wicked fast, but it turns out that "fit" is more closely aligned with horsepower than trunk space. Although a Chevy Silverado pickup customer could theoretically upgrade to a Corvette, the driver might have to customize the Corvette with a hitch to drag along a storage trailer loaded with reality. *Read more...

July 28, 2008
When a 47 Percent Decline Isn't Exactly Accurate

Although IBM had a fantastic Q2 2008, the 47 percent decline in System i revenue was a bit of a shocker, if only because IBM still broke it out for individual reporting. Didn't IBM converge the System i and p divisions about this time last year? Still, the actual hardware unification went down much more recently--announced in April at COMMON in Nashville, which also happens to be in the second quarter (so time is still flying). In any event, I spoke briefly with Ross Mauri, general manager of IBM Power Systems, for a quick update on the System i, IBM i, and Power Systems world. *Read more...

September 22, 2008
Top Ten IT Problems We Don't Have . . . with IBM i

It seems to me that the value propositions of IBM i and the Power Systems they run on have gotten a bit muddied of late--or perhaps diluted. So in the interest of good positive fun, I'm thinking we might be able to restate some of these benefits of a Power System with IBM i--either from a hardware, software, business, or IT pro perspective. This story generated 30 great comments from readers, and resulted in an industry report for System iNEWS magazine that'll hit in 2009. *Read more...

September 8, 2008
PowerVM on the Rise

The last time I spoke with Ross Mauri, general manager of IBM Power Systems, he mentioned IBM's new PowerVM virtualization technology and his thoughts on what's going on with virtualization. It was a side note, really, in a conversation about the System i and IBM i financial performance and IBM's quarterly reports, but Mauri made a few points I've been wanting to share. Today, it turns out, is the day for sharing. *Read more...

October 20, 2008
Did IBM i Take One for the p Team?

IBM is playing a marketing game with System p, and it's doing it so that it can say it's the Unix market leader, etc, etc. And that's fine. Unix is a competitive space. But we know the truth: IBM i is taking it on the chin so that System p can shine a little brighter against the likes of HP and Sun. *Read more...

October 8, 2008
IBM Intros New 560 Express Power Systems, Beefs Up i Editions

IBM has announced upgrades to its Power Systems lineup, the all-new Power 560 Express, a variety of software enhancements, and a heckuva lot of data that supports IBM's performance lead over Unix systems from rivals HP and Sun. Although the announcement made yesterday focused primarily on Power Systems that will now ship with double the number of cores in the same footprints, along with sys admin solutions most appealing to AIX users, IBM i made some gains. *Read more...

November 19, 2008
Frank Soltis Calls It Quits

Amid rumors of layoffs in Rochester, Minnesota, Dr. Frank Soltis, creator of the technology-independent architecture used in the System/38, AS/400, and subsequent i systems, is retiring from IBM after a long and enviable career. There's a bit more to the backstory, of course, plus a bit of supposition, and maybe even a dose of fear, uncertainty, and doubt. *Read more...

Posted by cmaxcer on December 21, 2008 at 11:03 PM | Comments (3)

December 17, 2008 10:00 AM

IBM i Customers Updating with Blades

IBM's new IBM i and POWER6-based BladeCenters are gaining ground, though I don't have any hard numbers I can share. What is interesting, though, is the convergence of competitive pricing between traditional smaller IBM i systems with BladeCenter-based options. I recently spoke with Ian Jarman, IBM's Manager of Power Systems Software, and Craig Johnson, IBM's Power Systems product manager for IBM i, PHP and MySQL, who brought up a couple of points I want to share.

"We tried to make a BladeCenter choice very attractive in terms of price so that it's a real choice for customers going forward. So now, when people are looking at a new system, they might say, 'I'll continue to do what I always did. I had an 810 or a 520, and now I'm going to buy a POWER6 520.' But now they also have another choice, which is to buy a BladeCenter and additional blades for Intel applications," Jarman noted.

Some customers are opting for BladeCenter solutions . . . which brings up questions: Are these customers more likely to embrace other modernization efforts? Are they more active than traditional AS/400 customers?

"With customers getting blades, they have to be on IBM i 6.1, so they are modern and right there with us--they are definitely current. The biggest thing we're seeing with the blade is that customers are using it to consolidate their environment," Johnson said.

"They are consolidating typically one System i server with their Intel environment, and they are using something like a VMware on the Intel blades to cut down on the number of physical servers--but they are leveraging blade servers to run a single POWER blade with the rest being Intel blades," he explained.

DR for the First Time

"We are seeing some of those customers take this opportunity, since they've consolidated their servers and their storage, to implement an HA or DR solution--where basically they didn't have one before, so by simply consolidating their storage, they can have a more comprehensive DR solution--and they are establishing that for the very first time," Johnson said. "When we put IBM i on a blade, that made some our customers really evaluate blades for the first time--it wasn't just an Intel thing."

Basically, by introducing blades, IBM i-focused customers are re-architecting their IT infrastructure and establishing a new foundation for IT moving forward.

Cool.

Posted by cmaxcer on December 17, 2008 at 10:00 AM | Comments (8)

December 15, 2008 10:11 AM

Will a Tough Economy Give IBM i a Sliver of Opportunity?

Research firm IDC is reporting that the downturn in the U.S. economy is having a significant impact on small and medium business (SMB) priorities and plans for technology acquisition. No surprise there. Basically, IDC reports that 38 percent of small firms are more likely to delay IT spending, and 42 percent of medium-sized businesses are more likely to reduce IT spending.

"The majority of SMBs are extremely or strongly concerned about the current and expected state of the U.S. economy over the next 12 to 18 months," notes Justin Jaffe, senior research analyst for SMB programs at IDC. "Although SMBs are expected to drive greater growth in IT spending than the corporate IT market overall, it will be critical for vendors to understand how changing economic conditions will impact the spending habits of companies of certain sizes, vertical industries, and attitudinal characteristics."

Other key IDC findings include:

• Businesses in the architecture/engineering, legal, retail, and manufacturing sectors are the most likely to delay IT spending, and wholesale, insurance, and legal firms are the most likely to reduce IT spending.
• Small and medium-sized businesses are more likely to focus IT investment on tactical projects, which deliver immediate benefits, than strategic projects.
• Cloud-computing initiatives are not being driven by economic concerns, save for the small minority of SMBs indicating that they will look more closely at hosted solutions as a result of the economy.
• Fewer than 50 percent of SMB 2.0 firms, the most forward-looking group, are extremely or strongly concerned about the U.S. economy, compared with approximately 70 percent of IT Indifferent firms and 60 percent of Pragmatist firms.

Meanwhile, another IDC report out of New Zealand finds that vendors will need to prove an almost immediate return on investment (ROI) in these tough economic times.

"Solutions that can demonstrate the ability to reduce ongoing costs will fare better than those that do not. Video conferencing to replace travel, managed services as a substitute for infrastructure investment, or software that promotes efficiency will all show promise in a cost-conscience, capital-scarce environment," noted Ullrich Loeffler, program manager at IDC for ANZ Software.

"Products and services that require little upfront investment will become more attractive as access to financing dries up. Predictable cost structures, such as all-you-can-eat services, will appeal in these uncertain times. Services delivered via a cloud model may finally gain a foothold as a result of these two factors. Technologies that help reduce costs, such as energy, travel, or human resources, will be in heavy demand," Loeffler added.

Good for i?

Obviously, the impact of the economy on cloud computing is still up in the air, but the economic downturn may very well prove useful to the IBM i world: the System i has long done well in total cost of ownership, and the features that define an IBM i system may become even more important assets to savvy CIOs and IT managers. Which systems cost the most for us to maintain and run? Which systems provide the most value? Can we deliver new applications and web-based interfaces with IBM i faster and cheaper than with other methods?

At the very least, this economic downturn has surely given some System i-using organizations a moment of pause . . . maybe the box that some organizations have been taking for granted is worth dusting off.

Obviously we're not talking about the organizations that are well aware of IBM i and its benefits, but for those System i pros who have been relegated to maintaining old apps, maybe there's an opening . . . a crack of light to point out how the "ol' legacy system" can be leveraged in new cost-effective ways.

Posted by cmaxcer on December 15, 2008 at 10:11 AM | Comments (8)

December 10, 2008 9:42 AM

Rational Gives RPGers a Little Love

IBM has created a new site under its Rational umbrella--a set of sites, really, called Cafés. The sites are designed to foster communities surrounding key Rational technologies. The first was a C/C++ Café Community, followed by EGL earlier this year, and now, RPG.

The RPG Café includes a resource library, discussion forums, blogs, hubs, products, and partner areas of content, and the idea is to give RPG and IBM developers a place to mingle and discuss their favorite language. The site is in active construction, and what's cool is that it's surprisingly clean--it's not packed with marketing messages, and the pages aren't the typical dense IBM.com page. It's focused on RPG.

There are four blogs, for example, right now: RDi Team Blog, which covers topics related to IBM Rational Developer for i; RPG Team Blog, which focuses on topics related to the RPG compiler; RTCi Team Blog, which includes topics related to IBM Rational Team Concert for i; and Extend RPG Applications to the Web with EGL, which features methods of using EGL to extend RPG business logic to the Web.

"The reason we did this was to demonstrate to the IBM i community that Rational really cares about them, and in fact, within IBM, this might be the most nurturing part of the company for the install base. The products we have to offer them are useful only if they are on i5/OS," says Scott Searle, IBM's marketing program director for the enterprise modernization business for Rational.

An agenda exists, however, though it's a soft one rather than the Java-smackin' agenda that IBM hit RPG pros with years ago:

"We really want to show . . . to make it easy to understand how newer techncology can help them leverage their i more and better connect it with distributed environments around it," Searle says.

IBM is working to build out the RPG ecosystem by being inclusive of RPG developers, IBMers, resellers, and ISVs.

"This is a pretty good size investment that Rational is making to show the IBM i install base some love--and they haven't been getting enough from IBM in the recent past, we know that, we recognize that, and we really care about them being happy with their i system and having a healthy way forward with it," Searle adds.

Posted by cmaxcer on December 10, 2008 at 9:42 AM | Comments (0)

December 3, 2008 10:02 AM

Reader's Choice Kicking Butt and Taking Names

I've got to say, I'm quite pleased to see the customer loyalty for AS/400-through-IBM i being translated into Reader's Choice testimonials on SystemiNetwork.com. Not only is this great for the solution providers who are delivering top-notch products, but it's also good for the IBM i industry at large. I could rave about this all day long, but I'll keep it short and sweet: Testimonials like this help others who are on the lookout for solutions to problems, and they share information that nails down what's cool so that even those who didn't know they were in the market for a solution can understand the benefits. The fact is, a healthy ISV community that delivers robust and respected products is critical to IBM i moving forward, and now, more than ever, this kind of community sharing is the sort of inoculation IBM i needs to help our world maintain a healthy vibrancy for years to come. For those of you who took time out of your day to share . . . thank you!

Reader's Choice items are posted to our Product Lines blog. Right now, there are five posted, and I know there's a couple more in our pipeline. Check 'em out!

• Experian EigerPAY Gateway, as recommended by Miles J. Butler
• Vault400, as recommended by Dave Caudle
• ProData DBU, as recommended by Darrel N. Mattoon
• Global Software Spreadsheet Server and Executive DASH, as recommended by Jon Le Roi
• AquaFold Aqua Data Studio, as recommended by Hassan Farooqi

Posted by cmaxcer on December 3, 2008 at 10:02 AM | Comments (0)

December 1, 2008 10:04 AM

Candidates for COMMON 2009 Board Elections Announced

COMMON has announced Bruce "Hoss" Collins, Richard Dolewski, Leo Lefebvre, Pete Massiello, and Trevor Perry as the slate of candidates for the 2009 Board of Directors election. The five will vie for three open positions, and COMMON says you'll hear more from them in the coming months. Although COMMON members who attend the 2009 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Reno, Nevada, will be able to vote on site, COMMON will also hold electronic voting from March 30 through 5 p.m. April 28, 2009.

The winners will be announced at the Meeting of the Members (MoM) on Wednesday evening, April 29, at the annual meeting in Reno.

In previous years, SystemiNetwork.com has asked candidates to respond via email to a couple of questions, which we then published online. Are there any key questions you think we should ask this time around?

Posted by cmaxcer on December 1, 2008 at 10:04 AM | Comments (8)