RE: Wow.

["Joe Pluta" <joepluta@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> From: Bob Moore - Arterial
> 
> Joe,
> 
> To my surprise, I also notice that Look Software are participating as
> well?
> 
> Bob

Yup.  Look has a new rich client interface.  They call it "Smart
Clients".

The apologists are stating that this conference is in no way about
moving applications off of the iSeries.  They say this even though the
MAP was created by Microsoft and ASNA and features ASNA's Monarch
product, which specifically is designed to move applications off of the
iSeries.  I don't know if they've drunk too much of the Microsoft
Koolaid, or if they think we have, but this is their story, and they're
sticking to it.

The big phrase I keep hearing, especially from Wayne Madden, is that
they are trying to stop the situation where someone wants to integrate
the iSeries with an existing Windows application, and the iSeries guys
say "No."  And yet, I'm looking at all the players in the MAP, and none
of them are about application integration.

They're either a product like Monarch, designed to move your application
to .NET, or Smart Clients, designed to move your user interface to .NET,
or ASNA Visual RPG, designed to move your RPG programmers to .NET.  Not
one of these products is about integrating .NET applications with
iSeries applications.

I don't know about you, but I don't know a single iSeries programmer who
would have a problem integrating with a Windows application.  Typically
it requires some sort of SQLServer<>DB2 interface, or maybe a realtime
link to DB2 data (<shudder> ODBC, in worst case).  It's not rocket
science and most competent programmers don't need a tool to help them do
it.

And maybe that's why all the tool vendors are part of this MAP deal:
there's money to be had in moving people off of the iSeries, even if it
doesn't do the client any good. 

Joe