Take a look at what Insider Weekly had to say about the biggest marketinfluencers for 2001! -- MIDRANGE-L

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Take a look at what Insider Weekly had to say about the biggest market
influencers for 2001!  My sixth year!!!!!

Al

(See attached file: 01-07-02_Insider.html)

Al Barsa, Jr.
Barsa Consulting Group, LLC

400>390

914-251-1234
914-251-9406 fax

http://www.barsaconsulting.com
http://www.taatool.com


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Insider WEEKLY


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For iSeries and AS/400 Managers

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This week in the Insider Weekly for iSeries and AS/400 Managers newsletter...

Key iSeries technologies to watch in 2002 [1]

iSeries watchers give predictions for 2002[2]

The Insider�s list of 2001�s biggest iSeries market influencers[3]

Key dates to watch in 2002[4]

Insider updates... [5]



Key iSeries technologies to watch in 2002

      Now that we are officially into 2002, watch for these key iSeries
technologies in the New Year.



Four kinds of Web Standards

      With an increasing number of shops participating in e-business, it is
expected that a demand for knowledge in Web Standards also will increase. Here
are four different types of Web Standards:

     Universal Description, Discovery and Integration (UDDI) is a set of XML
protocols and application programming interfaces that acts as an on-line
Yellow Pages for B2B transactions. Companies can search over the Internet to
locate partners and customers that suit their business needs. See 
www.uddi.com[6].

     Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) developed by Microsoft and IBM, is a
messaging protocol for accessing services on the Web. By employing XML syntax,
SOAP sends text commands across the Internet using HTTP. Because of its simple
exchange mechanism, SOAP also can be used to create a messaging system. For
more information see www.w3c.org[7].

     Web Services Description Language (WSDL) is an XML format for describing
network services. WSDL allows descriptions of endpoints and their messages
regardless of what formats or network protocols are used.

     Microsoft Net relies on HTTP, XML, SOAP and UDDI to transform the
Internet into a single computing experience. With .Net, applications hosted on
the Internet can be made available to the user via desktop as well as handheld
devices, no matter the programming language or operating system.

     Model 52. Keep your eyes peeled for the next generation of iSeries
hardware, slated for general availability around Labor Day 2002. The box,
based on Regatta technology, will come in three flavors: the Model 52L, M, and
H, representing low, middle, and high-end servers, respectively (IW 12/3/01).

     Although IBM has been mum on much of the new iSeries technologies to arrive
with the Model 52, shops can see relative enhancements on the new pSeries
Regatta server, which shares the new hardware.

     Dedicated iSeries Servers. Look for the trend of integrating
frequently-used iSeries middleware on an iSeries box, such as the iSeries
Domino Bumblebee and the iSeries Powered by WebSphere, to continue in 2002.
Acknowledging the increasing cost of system management, IBM has forged 
partnerships
with ISVs and created these boxes that offer preinstalled software (IW 12/3/01).
     Fast400 and Rochester�s Interactive Tax. While the battle between IBM and
Fast400 has recently mellowed, look to see more action in this area in the new
year. The architects of this CFINT-busting tool that rustled Big Blue�s feathers
in 2001 promise that they will be back in 2002 with a work-around for IBM�s 
PTFs.
Shops also may see changes in IBM�s treatment of the interactive tax.

     Web Standards. Introduced conceptually in 2001, SOAP, UDDI, WSDL, Web
services, Microsoft�s .Net, and other e-business standards will become
household words in 2002. These were created to resolve the interoperability
issues that occur when companies that run on different platforms and a
diversity of languages engage in e-business. As more iSeries shops enter the
e-marketplace, they will have to use these standards, which are becoming more
prevalent (see box).      WebSphere Workbench. In 2002, iSeries customers and
vendors alike are keeping their radar on the new Java-based WebSphere
Workbench. The Workbench, designed from Eclipse IDE technology, allows for
full integration of all iSeries development tools, as well as any homegrown or
vendor tools, through an open-source IDE (12/24/01).

     Jakarta TomCat and WebSphere Application Server V4.0. At the end of 2002,
shops enjoying IBM�s free offering of WebSphere Application Server Standard
Edition V3.5 will be faced with a big decision. When WAS V3.5 sunsets at the
end of this year, many shops will turn to either Jakarta TomCat, its free
replacement, or WAS V4.0, the pricey new version of the server.

Back[8]

iSeries watchers give predictions for 2002

     2002 will be the year of Java. �With the new tooling and the advancement
of e-business technology there will be major activity in the Java arena,� says
Bob Cancilla, founder, Ignite400.

     There will be a huge announcement in September. Model 52, the next
generation of iSeries hardware, is slated for announcement around Labor Day.
This will mark the first time shops will use three-phase current, increasing
the horsepower of the box dramatically, sources tell the Insider.

     iSeries Nation will disappear. Although Anne Lucas, IBM project executive
for iSeries Nation, has said she plans to double the citizenship of the
program in 2002, some users are skeptical that it will survive the year at
all. �iSeries Nation will fade away into nothingness, if it hasn�t already,�
says Bradley Stone, president, BVS Tools, Mankato, MN.

     2002 will not be as huge as 2003. �While 2003 will bring a bunch of
out-of-the-ordinary announcements such as interactive and memory on-demand,
2002 will be known for point events,� says one Insider source.

     New positions will be created to ensure security. After the tragedies in
New York and Washington, many shops are closely examining their procedures and
finding that they need to dedicate employees to securing their data. �This
year will bring great opportunities for people trained in security,� says
David Contreras, industry analyst, Contreras Associates, La Mirada, CA.      
People
will start to call it the iSeries. The running joke that it is spelled iSeries
but pronounced AS/400 may have fewer people laughing in 2002. �The pendulum
has started to swing and although many customers will forever call the box the
AS/400, the new name will catch on this year,� says Peter Massiello, partner,
OS Solutions, Danbury, CT.

Back[9]

The Insider�s list of 2001�s biggest iSeries market influencers

     Buell Duncan, vp of midmarket servers, IBM. Duncan has spent the last
year working to improve the proprietary reputation of the box. Fighting the
losses from Y2K, Duncan helped guide the iSeries to see a 10% increase in 
revenue
year-to-year in Q3. From asking shops to call him when they have a problem to
his strong investment in the marketing of the platform, Duncan has shown that
he is as dedicated to the platform as the average AS/400 user.

     Kim Stevenson, vp of iSeries marketing, IBM. Fighting the proprietary
reputation of the iSeries with both hands tied behind her back, and following
a tough act in Malcolm Haines, Stevenson has proven that the iSeries can be
marketed. From spots on World Business Report and the tech television show
.Com, to full-page ads for iNotes for Outlook, Stevenson has fought to
introduce the box to shops outside the install base. The question now is will
her efforts to reach the masses translate into greater marketshare.      
Architects
of Fast400. Whoever they may be, the creators of this CFINT-busting tool got
under both IBM�s radar and skin, resulting in a cat-and-mouse game over the
ethics of evading Rochester�s interactive tax. The architects claim that with
the tool, iSeries shops are able to trick the box into thinking a job is batch
when it is using interactive. Although IBM issued a PTF to halt the
effectiveness of the tool, Fast400 architects promise we have not seen the
last of them.

     Mike Smith, distinguished engineer, IBM. Famous among lovers of CL
Commands, Smith battled with Rochester this year to make long-awaited
enhancements to CL and proved that this old control language is not going
away. The enhancement of CL is a sign that not everything is going GUI and
that traditional AS/400 computing is not dead.

     Dave Slater, ww iSeries application development market manager, IBM. His
new pricing model and repackaging of the WebSphere Development Studio will
become the standard for tooling in 2002. The tools in the WebSphere
Development Studio are adapted to work as plug-ins into the WebSphere
Workbench. Additionally, WebSphere Site Developer and WebSphere Application
Developer replace the classic Studio and beta in the newly released WebSphere
Application Server V4.0. Now that all the tools are bundled into the Studio,
IBM hopes that the products are more accessible to iSeries customers (IW
10/15/01).

     Bill Rapp, sr technical staff member, IBM. From Apache to iSeries
Connect, Rapp is responsible for all the new e-business products introduced
for the iSeries this year. In addition to researching new e-business
technologies, Rapp also spends time interviewing users to ensure their
e-commerce needs are met.      Charlie Massoglia, president, COMMON.
Unbeknownst to the regular COMMON attendee, changes have been made in the way
this AS/400 conference is run. Massoglia, who became president of the
organization in late 2000, has a management style that has allowed COMMON
employees, board members, and volunteers more room to self-manage and be
creative. Massoglia will enjoy a second term as president in 2002.

     Al Barsa Jr., president, Barsa Consulting Group. Known in iSeries world
as a man not afraid to speak his mind, Barsa was first in the iSeries
community to speak publicly about the September 11 tragedy and what it meant
to iSeries shops. His standing-room-only session at COMMON in Minneapolis
touched upon the events of September 11, how one shop located at Ground Zero
was affected and how companies can help to ensure their data before a disaster
strikes (IW 10/01/01).      Linus Torvalds, creator, Linux (and the penguin).
This year, Big Blue sank millions of dollars into the Peace, Love and Linux
campaign. As part of this initiative, IBM introduced Linux running on a
secondary partition on the iSeries. While no shop is ignorant to the penguin,
only time will tell if iSeries customers will invest in this technology.

     Bill Gates, ceo, Microsoft. A year ago, IT professionals around the world
were anticipating the breakup of Microsoft and the demise of Gates. However,
after a year of Supreme Court rulings and virus attacks, the billionaire ceo
ended 2001 still directing the MS juggernaut.

Back[10]

Key dates to watch in 2002

     January 8 - Software Subscription sees a facelift (IW 11/19/01).

     February 12 - Fourteen LPPs removed from Software Subscription (IW
8/6/01).

     April 14 �18 - COMMON �Topping the Charts� in Nashville, TN.

     August 3 - WebSphere Workbench begins beta.

     July 20 - Slated announcement of OS/400 V5R2.

     September 3 - Slated general availability of Model 52, new generation of
iSeries hardware, and of V5R2, which is required on the Model 52.

     December 31 - WebSphere Standard Edition sunsets.

Back[11]

Insider updates...

On New Year�s Day, a single-engine aircraft crashed into the IBM headquarters
in Armonk, New York. The pilot, who was attempting an emergency landing, was
killed in the crash. No one on the ground was injured. The IBM building houses
the company�s global financing unit and was not damaged.
Competing jewelry retailers Zales, Kay Jewelers, Service Merchandise, Macy�s,
JCPenney and Sears have joined forces to create Jewelery.com. Powered by the
iSeries, this single site gives consumers the option of purchasing from any of
these stores online.
Each year, the Insider turns to our readers to learn the latest trends in the
AS/400 market. We then compile these results and present them to you in a
detailed form. To help, please fill out our brief survey at
www.the400group.com/aiwweb/promo/VIP2002.html[12].

Cordially Sarah Kimmel Peter Martin Editors







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===References:===
  1. #1
  2. #4
  3. #2
  4. #5
  5. #5
  6. http://www.uddi.com
  7. http://www.w3c.org
  8. #t
  9. #t
 10. #t
 11. #t
 12. http://www.the400group.com/aiwweb/promo/VIP2002.html
 13. mailto:customer@the400group.com

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