400 & RPG to the Net

I have been given the task to "get on the Internet now".
We have a 720 at V4R4 and going to V5 this year at some point.
All applications are written in RPG and home grown.

I have a programming staff of 1 junior pgmr and 1 beginner pgmr plus
myself.,1 network guy and 2 operators.

We would like to start with inquiry and then be able to allow our agency
force to quote/app direct to our 400.
In other words live real time data access to our 400 database files. Read
and write.

I have investigated many ways to do this. I have been given a modest budget
to accomplish this.
Security from management's side is not an issue until it happens. I believe
the opposite and want to be smart.

I am toying with putting 400 on Internet with a Sonic Wall box as my
firewall on network.
Either develop applications with E-RPG or use some product that transforms
RPG into GUI code as you develop
so it can be used either green screen (in house) or GUI (net).

I do not want to maintain same program 2X. (1 in house 1 on net).

IBM came in a gave us a proposal to add a 170 as an Internet box.
Management immediately threw this out
as too costly.

Has anyone had any experience with these so called Internet tools and if so
good or bad idea?





Karl Lauritzen Jr.
National Lloyds Insurance
American Summit Insurance
*klauritzen@natlloyds.com
*klauritzen@american-summit.com