Longtime customers can take a query they wrote years ago and, with just a few clicks, transform it into graphical HTML output that can be viewed on the latest mobile technology.
The latest release of New Generation Software’s NGS-IQ query, reporting, and business intelligence suite emphasizes graphical Web reporting from Web browsers on PC’s, smartphones, and tablet computers; security; digital report distribution; and developer productivity enhancements.
Developers have been given the ability to add a wide range of business charts to their Web reports and include hyperlinks to initiate on-demand drill down from these charts to related data. Developers enjoy tremendous control over chart styles, sizes, color schemes, fonts, and other characteristics. These enhancements further extend the point-click, drag-drop HTML Web report design features of NGS-IQ to better support the unique design and formatting needs of smartphone and tablet computer users. “It’s exciting when longtime customers realize that they can take a query they wrote years ago to produce a 5250 display or green-bar report and now with just a few clicks transform it into a graphical HTML output that can be viewed on today’s newest mobile technology," says NGS president and CEO, Bernard Gough.
NGS has significantly expanded the capabilities of its IQ SeQure security management system with the introduction of a Query Inventory Control feature that enables developers to perform text searches of the names, descriptions, and keywords assigned to existing queries to find those that might be able to satisfy or serve as a starting point for a current request. Gough adds, “When someone has an idea for a new query, it’s a huge time saver if you can quickly mine the inventory of previously written queries and find one that is very close to what you need. This also promotes consistency in how values are calculated, how tables are joined, and how reports look.”
NGS-IQ customers who already own a license for the IQ SeQure security management module can immediately load existing query names, library names, and query descriptions into the query inventory database after installing the new release to immediately enjoy the benefits of the search capabilities. As developers take advantage of the new extended description and keyword options to document their work, the inventory database will become an increasingly valuable resource that promotes consistency, object re-use, and data integrity.
Today’s mobile and remote workers expect to automatically receive many reports and alerts about business conditions via email. In response, NGS has enhanced its email output distribution features to give operators the ability to control the From, To, CC, BCC, Subject, and Message when running queries from job schedulers and CL programs. Users may also specify email address distribution lists on the TO, CC, and BCC lines when creating or revising a query. NGS has enhanced its email function to allow authorized users to attach files stored on the IBM i’s Integrated File System (IFS) to their messages.
For query developers, Release 7.1 features the ability to externally change the library and file names referenced in a query object to the IQ Client desktop development environment. IQ Client users may also now display query definition reports from existing queries while designing another query. Access to this information can save keystrokes and eliminate guess work when building a new query over the same files and/or fields. In addition, a list of the most recently opened queries is now available on the Files menu to assist a user’s memory when resuming work in the application. Customers augmenting NGS-IQ through the use of custom programs that run at designated exit points during query processing may now submit a command to change the program executed without having to revise the query. IBM security may be used to control authority to this capability.
With over 25,000 IBM i users representing virtually every industry and company size worldwide, NGS has been an industry leader in developing high performance, field-proven software solutions since 1982. NGS-IQ is a versatile, scalable BI suite designed exclusively for the IBM i. NGS’ other product line, The Concert Series, is a modular financial accounting system including General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Payroll, and Human Resources that can be easily interfaced to custom and third-party business applications. NGS is a Premier IBM Business Partner and participates in the IBM i Solution Edition program which provides companies who license NGS-IQ to run on selected POWER7 server models with an opportunity to reduce their POWER7 hardware acquisition cost by 30 percent and more. For more information, visit www.NGSI.com.
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