04
Mon, Nov
1 New Articles

IBM Launches New Initiative to Engage iSeries Partners

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

This week, thousands of software vendors and solutions providers will meet in Las Vegas at PartnerWorld, IBM's annual conference for its Business Partners. In what has become a PartnerWorld tradition, IBM will launch several initiatives to reach more medium-sized businesses through its Partners. Among those initiatives, one that will be a hot topic of discussion is the iSeries Initiative for Innovation. The initiative, which IBM quietly previewed with its Business Partners last Thursday, could significantly increase the attention that software vendors and solution providers pay to the iSeries during 2005.

The iSeries Initiative for Innovation is a family of programs designed to expand the number of Business Partners who create On Demand applications and development tools for the iSeries. The applications and tools may be existing iSeries products that Business Partners modernize or new solutions that run on any of the operating systems that the server supports. At present, IBM works closely with several hundred iSeries applications and tool vendors. Through the iSeries Initiative for Innovation, the company wants to increase that number to more than 2,500 Business Partners. Under the initiative, these Partners will engage with IBM through the following programs:

  • Application Innovation Program--Under this program, IBM will provide more software vendors with no-charge services to enable their solutions for the iSeries. The services will include access to IBM-hosted servers for development and testing, education and support services, and conversion programs. To deliver the expanded assistance, IBM will provide additional iSeries experts and development resources in six of its Innovation Centers. The centers slated for expansion are in the United States, Australia, China, France, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom.
  • Tools Innovation Program--IBM will also devote more resources to tool vendors who enrich the iSeries' development environment. Besides assisting more vendors through its Innovation Centers, IBM will also list many of the vendors' tools within its iSeries Developers Roadmap. This puts third-party tools on more of an equal footing with IBM's own development products. It also acknowledges the critical role that such tools play in meeting needs that IBM's WebSphere development environment does not address.
  • iSeries Innovation Program--IBM is also pledging to increase collaboration with software vendors and tool providers. As part of this pledge, Big Blue will provide increased access to technical experts in Rochester who can assist on application integration efforts, benchmarks, and other development projects. The company will also form new advisory councils to coordinate with Partners on industry solutions and the evolution of the iSeries' development and runtime environments.
  • Comarketing opportunities--As part of the new initiative, IBM will expand iSeries marketing on several fronts. The company will run more prime-time TV commercials, radio spots, and newspaper ads, including a four-page spread that is appearing in the Wall Street Journal today. In addition, the company will provide more comarketing dollars to iSeries Business Partners for their own advertisements. Much of the comarketing money will be distributed through PartnerWorld Industry Networks, an IBM program for software vendors and solution providers that includes comarketing support.

One important piece of thinking that underlies the iSeries Innovation Initiative is a significantly revised version of the iSeries Developers Roadmap. While this would normally be the perfect place to insert a diagram of the new version, I do not have a copy that is ready for the Web. Suffice it to say for now that the new version moves the Roadmap forward in several important ways. It includes open technologies that both IBM and non-IBM development platforms use, including XML, JavaServer Pages (JSP), and Web Services. At the same time, it acknowledges the strategic role that ILE RPG and the other ILE languages play in modernized iSeries applications. For the first time, the Roadmap also includes space for the modernization tools of IBM's Business Partners. Finally, the new version shifts the goal of the Roadmap away from application portability and toward application integration and business process integration. This aligns the iSeries Developers Roadmap with IBM's goal of helping its customers become integrated, agile, On Demand businesses.

While many elements of the iSeries Innovation Initiative are still just promises on paper, the promises demonstrate that IBM is serious about reengaging with the iSeries community. If the company delivers on the commitments it has made, it will significantly boost the financial, technical, and marketing assistance it provides to hundreds of iSeries Business Partners. That would translate into a significant increase in the kinds of modernized solutions that will help the iSeries gain market momentum. And that is precisely what Mark Shearer, the new iSeries General Manager, wants to achieve. Indeed, Shearer told the iSeries Business Partners last Thursday that he wants to reestablish a "culture of growth" in which hundreds of additional Partners join with IBM to go to market on the iSeries.

While I could say much more about the iSeries Innovation Initiative, I will have to do so in another issue because I am packing my bags for Las Vegas so that I can study IBM's latest Partner programs and products up close. If I'm not kidnapped by Elvis impersonators, I'll be back next week with a report on what I learned.

Lee Kroon is a Senior Industry Analyst for Andrews Consulting Group, a firm that helps mid-sized companies manage business transformation through technology. You can reach him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

LEE KROON
Lee Kroon is a Senior Industry Analyst for Andrews Consulting Group, a firm that helps mid-sized companies manage business transformation through technology.
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: