Affiliated Computer Services, (ACS www.acs-inc.com) based in Texas, USA provides end-to-end business process and information technology outsourcing solutions to more than 10,000 commercial and government clients worldwide. With revenues approaching $4 billion and 40,000 employees, ACS is ranked 488 in the Fortune 500 list. The ACS Government Systems Division supplies over 30 applications to approximately 1,200 state & local government customers, including financial administration, property appraisal/tax billing and courts/justice departments.The i400 applications suite includes Utility Billing, Capital Assets, Government Fund Accounting, Budgeting and GASB34 Financial Reporting, Public Works Costing, Government Payroll and Building Permits. These applications lacked a common look and feel as they were developed during different time frames by different development teams, with some inherited via acquisitions. A common problem encountered by the sales team when demonstrating the application was that customers struggled to understand the unique requirements of navigating each application. This was due to the lack of a consistent user interface design in the green-screen environment and the expectation by most customers that a graphical user interface should be presented.Mike Bauer, Director Financial & Networking Services said, “As we’ve grown the breadth of our government solutions through development and acquisition, maintaining a modern and consistent User Interface has been a challenge. When evaluating application modernization options, it became clear we needed to do more than just re-face and web-enable”. ACS realized that to achieve their goal of having their entire customer base upgrade to the new solution, then the modernized solutions needed to offer new features that went beyond basic UI improvements. Their criteria when evaluating application modernization tools were as follows:* Application integration – including integration with web-based services and common desktop applications. * Integrated green screen support – allowing customers to choose their preferred UI style.* Flexible deployment options – ACS’s customers range from small to large government departments. They required a solution that provided efficient flexible deployment options, without the need for customers to purchase additional software or web servers.* Consistent User Interface – to enable the sales force to demonstrate consistently across 14 core applications.* Get the job done in 3 - 4 months!“After evaluating the market leading alternatives, we found that looksoftware’s newlook and centric products were the right tools for the job”. We emailed sample screens to looksoftware for use in the demonstration. What impressed us compared to the other vendors we evaluated, was their responsiveness and the ‘on-the-fly Dynamic Environment’. Within days of receiving the sample screens they were able to show our system running live in a browser-based UI, including an application integration example”, said Kevin Lafeber, Vice President Government Systems DivisionMinimizing dual maintenance, experienced with their existing UI tools, was a key reason ACS chose looksoftware. The combination of rules-based architecture and the ability to make changes ‘on-the-fly’ meant over 6,000 screens were refaced and tested within the tight 4-month timeframe.ACS chose to outsource the refacing and integration work to looksoftware. Mike said, “looksoftware’s UI expertise produced quality refaced applications including desktop integration in record time. Within 4 months we went to market with our new product branded ‘NewVision’, with 160 customers upgrading to ‘NewVision’ in the first month!”Trevor Perry, looksoftware’s consultant on the project commented, “sometimes a rich client UI is required to provide high performance and sophistication. Browser-based UI’s generally offer the simplest deployment, but some customers still insist on using emulation interface. Often our customers have very good reasons for ongoing emulation support. This was the case with ACS as some of their end users needed to easily switch back to their old familiar 5250 interface”. “NewVision has gone beyond a reface. newlook and centric’s ability to integrate our existing applications with modern desktop and web-based applications, has enabled us to provide our customers with additional functionality, as well as superior graphical capabilities”, said Kevin.The first release of NewVision includes 15 new integration points across the application suite, including integration with ‘Mapquest’ within the Utility Billing application. Image integration is also utilized within the Capital Assets and Payroll applications while Excel and Word integration is used throughout the entire suite. newlook’s automated web-deployment means ACS’s customers have the ability to rapidly deploy the user interface without touching individual desktops. “Using the ‘Dynamic Environment’ means our customers don't need to install web servers to benefit from NewVision.Some of our larger customers can deploy NewVision with their chosen web server to meet their own internal operational needs, but the smaller ones can still get the ease of deployment benefits, directly using the AS/400 virtual web-server, without having to install, configure and maintain any new hardware or infrastructure”.“Choosing newlook and centric has been an excellent business investment. Since the launch of ‘NewVision’ we have received approximately 500 orders for enhanced applications with more to follow! Our confidence in NewVision is reflected in our decision to make it our standard go-forward environment, within which we will support all our customers covered under ACS software support plans”, said Mike Bauer.“We’ve started a new project to modernize our property tax applications – this time its around 5,000 screens”.Mike concludes,” the ‘Dynamic Environment’ has transformed our products in a very short period of time giving our product suite an extended and profitable lifecycle, while also providing rich new features for our users”. A win-win for all!
This book provides an amazingly comprehensive introduction to the concepts while at the same time delivering enough technical detail to make you productive very quickly.
Today, it's all about input and output. Getting data into the IBM i from non-traditional sources and then displaying it back out again in varied formats. But where can you go to learn all that you need to know about this critical skill?
Too valuable to be classified as merely excellent certification material, this book should also rightly take its place on DB2 DBA bookshelves as a solid day-to-day DB2 reference.
Whether you want to obtain an IBM certified DB2 professional certification or simply become well-rounded in the fundamental concepts of DB2 and general database theory, this is your book.
Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application. You can find Part 1 here. In Part 2 of our free Node.js Webinar Series, Brian May teaches you the different tooling options available for writing code, debugging, and using Git for version control. Brian will briefly discuss the different tools available, and demonstrate his preferred setup for Node development on IBM i or any platform. Attend this webinar to learn:
More than ever, there is a demand for IT to deliver innovation. Your IBM i has been an essential part of your business operations for years. However, your organization may struggle to maintain the current system and implement new projects. The thousands of customers we've worked with and surveyed state that expectations regarding the digital footprint and vision of the company are not aligned with the current IT environment.
IBM announced the E1080 servers using the latest Power10 processor in September 2021. The most powerful processor from IBM to date, Power10 is designed to handle the demands of doing business in today’s high-tech atmosphere, including running cloud applications, supporting big data, and managing AI workloads. But what does Power10 mean for your data center? In this recorded webinar, IBMers Dan Sundt and Dylan Boday join IBM Power Champion Tom Huntington for a discussion on why Power10 technology is the right strategic investment if you run IBM i, AIX, or Linux. In this action-packed hour, Tom will share trends from the IBM i and AIX user communities while Dan and Dylan dive into the tech specs for key hardware, including:
TRY the one package that solves all your document design and printing challenges on all your platforms. Produce bar code labels, electronic forms, ad hoc reports, and RFID tags – without programming! MarkMagic is the only document design and print solution that combines report writing, WYSIWYG label and forms design, and conditional printing in one integrated product. Make sure your data survives when catastrophe hits. Request your trial now! Request Now.
Forms of ransomware has been around for over 30 years, and with more and more organizations suffering attacks each year, it continues to endure. What has made ransomware such a durable threat and what is the best way to combat it? In order to prevent ransomware, organizations must first understand how it works.
IT security is a top priority for businesses around the world, but most IBM i pros don’t know where to begin—and most cybersecurity experts don’t know IBM i. In this session, Robin Tatam explores the business impact of lax IBM i security, the top vulnerabilities putting IBM i at risk, and the steps you can take to protect your organization. If you’re looking to avoid unexpected downtime or corrupted data, you don’t want to miss this session.
Can you trust all of your users all of the time? A typical end user receives 16 malicious emails each month, but only 17 percent of these phishing campaigns are reported to IT. Once an attack is underway, most organizations won’t discover the breach until six months later. A staggering amount of damage can occur in that time. Despite these risks, 93 percent of organizations are leaving their IBM i systems vulnerable to cybercrime. In this on-demand webinar, IBM i security experts Robin Tatam and Sandi Moore will reveal:
Disaster protection is vital to every business. Yet, it often consists of patched together procedures that are prone to error. From automatic backups to data encryption to media management, Robot automates the routine (yet often complex) tasks of iSeries backup and recovery, saving you time and money and making the process safer and more reliable. Automate your backups with the Robot Backup and Recovery Solution. Key features include:
Managing messages on your IBM i can be more than a full-time job if you have to do it manually. Messages need a response and resources must be monitored—often over multiple systems and across platforms. How can you be sure you won’t miss important system events? Automate your message center with the Robot Message Management Solution. Key features include:
The thought of printing, distributing, and storing iSeries reports manually may reduce you to tears. Paper and labor costs associated with report generation can spiral out of control. Mountains of paper threaten to swamp your files. Robot automates report bursting, distribution, bundling, and archiving, and offers secure, selective online report viewing. Manage your reports with the Robot Report Management Solution. Key features include:
For over 30 years, Robot has been a leader in systems management for IBM i. With batch job creation and scheduling at its core, the Robot Job Scheduling Solution reduces the opportunity for human error and helps you maintain service levels, automating even the biggest, most complex runbooks. Manage your job schedule with the Robot Job Scheduling Solution. Key features include:
Business users want new applications now. Market and regulatory pressures require faster application updates and delivery into production. Your IBM i developers may be approaching retirement, and you see no sure way to fill their positions with experienced developers. In addition, you may be caught between maintaining your existing applications and the uncertainty of moving to something new.
When it comes to creating your business applications, there are hundreds of coding platforms and programming languages to choose from. These options range from very complex traditional programming languages to Low-Code platforms where sometimes no traditional coding experience is needed. Download our whitepaper, The Power of Writing Code in a Low-Code Solution, and:
Supply Chain is becoming increasingly complex and unpredictable. From raw materials for manufacturing to food supply chains, the journey from source to production to delivery to consumers is marred with inefficiencies, manual processes, shortages, recalls, counterfeits, and scandals. In this webinar, we discuss how:
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Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application.
IT managers hoping to find new IBM i talent are discovering that the pool of experienced RPG programmers and operators or administrators with intimate knowledge of the operating system and the applications that run on it is small. This begs the question: How will you manage the platform that supports such a big part of your business? This guide offers strategies and software suggestions to help you plan IT staffing and resources and smooth the transition after your AS/400 talent retires. Read on to learn:
Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application. You can find Part 1 here. In Part 2 of our free Node.js Webinar Series, Brian May teaches you the different tooling options available for writing code, debugging, and using Git for version control. Brian will briefly discuss the different tools available, and demonstrate his preferred setup for Node development on IBM i or any platform. Attend this webinar to learn:
More than ever, there is a demand for IT to deliver innovation. Your IBM i has been an essential part of your business operations for years. However, your organization may struggle to maintain the current system and implement new projects. The thousands of customers we've worked with and surveyed state that expectations regarding the digital footprint and vision of the company are not aligned with the current IT environment.
IBM announced the E1080 servers using the latest Power10 processor in September 2021. The most powerful processor from IBM to date, Power10 is designed to handle the demands of doing business in today’s high-tech atmosphere, including running cloud applications, supporting big data, and managing AI workloads. But what does Power10 mean for your data center? In this recorded webinar, IBMers Dan Sundt and Dylan Boday join IBM Power Champion Tom Huntington for a discussion on why Power10 technology is the right strategic investment if you run IBM i, AIX, or Linux. In this action-packed hour, Tom will share trends from the IBM i and AIX user communities while Dan and Dylan dive into the tech specs for key hardware, including:
TRY the one package that solves all your document design and printing challenges on all your platforms. Produce bar code labels, electronic forms, ad hoc reports, and RFID tags – without programming! MarkMagic is the only document design and print solution that combines report writing, WYSIWYG label and forms design, and conditional printing in one integrated product. Make sure your data survives when catastrophe hits. Request your trial now! Request Now.
Forms of ransomware has been around for over 30 years, and with more and more organizations suffering attacks each year, it continues to endure. What has made ransomware such a durable threat and what is the best way to combat it? In order to prevent ransomware, organizations must first understand how it works.
Disaster protection is vital to every business. Yet, it often consists of patched together procedures that are prone to error. From automatic backups to data encryption to media management, Robot automates the routine (yet often complex) tasks of iSeries backup and recovery, saving you time and money and making the process safer and more reliable. Automate your backups with the Robot Backup and Recovery Solution. Key features include:
Business users want new applications now. Market and regulatory pressures require faster application updates and delivery into production. Your IBM i developers may be approaching retirement, and you see no sure way to fill their positions with experienced developers. In addition, you may be caught between maintaining your existing applications and the uncertainty of moving to something new.
IT managers hoping to find new IBM i talent are discovering that the pool of experienced RPG programmers and operators or administrators with intimate knowledge of the operating system and the applications that run on it is small. This begs the question: How will you manage the platform that supports such a big part of your business? This guide offers strategies and software suggestions to help you plan IT staffing and resources and smooth the transition after your AS/400 talent retires. Read on to learn:
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