System iNetwork

April 28, 2009

Vendors Invest in IBM i--News from the COMMON Expo Floor

It's clear to me from the number of IBM i announcements coming from vendors demoing their products on the expo floor at COMMON Reno 2009 that they're making significant investments in the IBM platform.

And the really cool thing is that many of those investments aren't just for today. Software vendors are doing more than maintaining their applications for customers. I've talked to software vendors that are so enthusiastic about the platform that they can barely contain themselves.

I've learned about re-writes of entire applications; major releases with money-saving, automation efficiencies; and the incorporation of cool technologies like PHP. I'll share them with you a few at a time.

Here's a start:

In the education arena, Profound Logic has launched Profound Logic TV, a blog dedicated to providing YouTube-based videos and tips for the IBM i community. The blog and website contain articles and videos focused on the latest trends, ideas, and technologies surrounding application development and modernization on IBM i. There is also opportunity for viewer interaction. The first three videos on the site cover AJAX on IBM i. Each is three to five minutes in length.

"It's an opportunity to introduce people to web development and modernization and what it's about," says Philip Roestamadji, marketing director for Profound Logic. "We're not trying to push concepts on TV, we're trying to explain concepts."

The company plans to release a new video on the website every two weeks, and hopes to offer videos from people outside Profound Logic as well as within.

Also in application development, Aldon and Business Computer Design (BCD) are partnering to bring process automation and efficiency to web application development and modernization projects involving PHP and RPG-CGI. The companies have integrated Aldon Lifecycle Manager, a change management solution, with BCD's WebSmart ILE and WebSmart PHP products for IBM i and multi-platform web development. The integrated solution provides automated processes and deployment, inventory management, project and compliance reporting, and increased visibility into project status. "Customers want a single solution to manage their environments," says Dan Magid, Aldon's product strategist.

"As we watch the open source, multi-platform, and IBM i worlds merge, it's important to make sure process doesn't fall by the wayside," says Matt Scholl, CEO and president of Aldon. "We're excited to work with BCD."

--Rita-Lyn Sanders, Senior Industry Editor, Programming & Systems Management

Posted by rsanders at April 28, 2009 9:19 AM