04
Mon, Nov
1 New Articles

IBM Finally "Gets" Web Smart

Analysis of News Events
Typography
  • Smaller Small Medium Big Bigger
  • Default Helvetica Segoe Georgia Times

With all the recent clamor and fuss about Microsoft's Midrange Alliance iSeries Roadmap, one would think that IBM just pulled the plug on the iSeries and i5/OS operating system.

In fact, just the opposite seems to be happening, as IBM continues to expand the ranks of tool vendors within its iSeries Developer Roadmap. One of the most important new additions--and one that we at MC Press have long been waiting for--is the addition of the BCD WebSmart development platform as a sanctioned member of the iSeries Developer Roadmap.

IBM Approves WebSmart

On January 17, 2005, BCD announced that its WebSmart platform has finally been approved by IBM for inclusion into the iSeries Developer Roadmap in the categories of Better Tools and Better Portability. IBM finally "gets" WebSmart, and it was about time, too!

For quite some time, BCD has been successfully marketing its tools to nearly 1,000 iSeries installations. BCD offers a powerful application generation tool that lets developers quickly create new Web apps while enabling them to extend existing RPG apps to the Web. It's a good alternative for iSeries shops that need to get their applications onto the Web but don't have the time or the bandwidth to embrace IBM's larger WebSphere strategy. (It's also considerably less confusing than trying to port RPG applications to Microsoft's .NET environment.)

Can't Get No Respect

However, because BCD's WebSmart was not a part of IBM's WebSphere strategy, it often did not get the attention that it deserved in the past. The reasons for this historic slight were multifarious, and we must acknowledge that there are always problems for a third-party solution when IBM is beating loudly on one of its strategic marketing drums. Nonetheless, the inclusion of WebSmart into IBM's iSeries Developer Roadmap is long overdue, and it will help clarify for customers the value that IBM itself now sees for this important suite of Web development tools.

What Customers Saw That IBM Couldn't See

Of course, the advantages to using WebSmart have been very easy for most iSeries shops to identify from the start, simply because WebSmart includes so many productivity features for rapidly developing iSeries Web applications.

For instance, with WebSmart you can create an application within just a few minutes by using the templates and wizards in the IDE--and all without having to know anything about HTML or CGI programming. WebSmart includes a powerful scripting language with a real-time code editor that speeds the process of developing Web applications. At the same time, its HTML editing tools seamlessly interface to professional editors such as Dreamweaver and FrontPage for WYSIWIG editing.

Finally, you don't need to learn Java or delve deeply into the well of WebSphere tools to become productive quickly. An RPG programmer or a Web programmer can hit the ground running and become productive with iSeries data very rapidly.

Web Development for the Rest of Us

In other words, WebSmart is the Web development environment for those of us who aren't planning a career path of studying IBM Web development strategies. It's a great suite of tools for organizations that plan to stay and grow with the iSeries i5 product line but do not plan to build large software development infrastructures to support e-biz.

A Different Yellow Brick Road

Now, compare this strategy--using an IBM iSeries-sanctioned Web development environment--to Microsoft's latest Midrange Alliance Program (MAP) for developing Web solutions. In one scenario, you follow a yellow brick road to IBM's continued vision of midrange application development, building new programs with the skills you have to meet your current and future business needs. In the other scenario, you're following the Microsoft yellow brick road to Windows 2003 Server.

Don't get me wrong: There are many good tool vendors participating in the MAP, including ASNA and LANSA--vendors that have appropriately serviced the iSeries community for years. Some, like LANSA, are also included in IBM's iSeries Developer Roadmap.

However, unlike IBM's Roadmap, one of the purposes of Microsoft's MAP is to help dissatisfied iSeries customers move off the iSeries platform and onto Windows 2003 Server. It's a yellow brick road that leads to a completely different sort of wizard at the end.

The IBM Roadmap

If that's the direction that the management of your company wants to go, OK! But that direction is significantly different--with different learning requirements--than IBM's iSeries Developer Roadmap. With IBM's Roadmap, the basic premise is that your management wants to stay with the iSeries/i5.

So that's what makes the inclusion of BCD's WebSmart so important to IBM's Roadmap. It provides a way for customers to obtain the Web productivity that they require without forcing them to move to either Microsoft's .NET strategy or IBM's WebSphere strategy.

If your company is looking at Web development tools but wants to keep on the iSeries--without being forced down a long WebSphere development pathway--it's time to look at WebSmart. IBM finally got it! Maybe you should, too!

Thomas M. Stockwell is Editor in Chief of MC Press Online, LP.

Thomas Stockwell

Thomas M. Stockwell is an independent IT analyst and writer. He is the former Editor in Chief of MC Press Online and Midrange Computing magazine and has over 20 years of experience as a programmer, systems engineer, IT director, industry analyst, author, speaker, consultant, and editor.  

 

Tom works from his home in the Napa Valley in California. He can be reached at ITincendiary.com.

 

 

BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS

LATEST COMMENTS

Support MC Press Online

$

Book Reviews

Resource Center

  • SB Profound WC 5536 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:

  • SB Profound WP 5539More 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.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT Generic 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:

  • Magic MarkTRY 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.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericForms 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.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericIT 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.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericCan 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:

  • FORTRA 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:

  • FORTRAManaging 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:

  • FORTRAThe 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:

  • FORTRAFor 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:

  • LANSA 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.

  • LANSAWhen 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:

  • LANSASupply 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:

  • The MC Resource Centers bring you the widest selection of white papers, trial software, and on-demand webcasts for you to choose from. >> Review the list of White Papers, Trial Software or On-Demand Webcast at the MC Press Resource Center. >> Add the items to yru Cart and complet he checkout process and submit

  • Profound Logic 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.

  • SB Profound WC 5536Join us for this hour-long webcast that will explore:

  • Fortra 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: