One of the frequent concerns we currently hear from many of our clients is what options do they have for business continuity beyond basic tape backup. Disclaimer: IBM i is an Operating System of POWER servers. iSeries and AS400 are IBM servers. I use IBM i, iSeries and AS400 interchangeably in my title and text to make it easier for internet users to access information like this for their research. Recovering From Unexpected Down Time First, let’s consider the causes of … [Read more...]
7 IBM i (iSeries/AS400) Cloud Hosting Misconceptions
Despite the growing popularity of IBM i (iSeries/AS400) cloud hosting, I still encounter many misconceptions people have about moving their IBM i applications to the cloud. The purpose of this article is to highlight 7 common misconceptions and explain why these misbeliefs are not true. Disclaimer: IBM i is the current operating system brand name for the POWER server. iSeries and AS400 are brand names for older IBM servers. I use them interchangeably for convenient SEO user … [Read more...]
10 Common Landmines When Evaluating New ERP Software
You may know it is time to change your ERP software. Even so, there is a lot more to select the right fit then compare 4 or 5 software choices. Software Evaluation Has Complexities And Risks That Cannot Be Overlooked Software evaluation and implementation is fraught with risks and unpleasant surprises, even for competent IT teams and business executives. Neglect to investigate the “landmines” and you dramatically increase your chances for a failed implementation…and a career … [Read more...]
How To Dramatically Increase Productivity
In the last 6 months, Richard Koch’s books on the 80/20 Principle, The Star Principleand Simplify have crystalized my thinking. Many of us have heard about the 80/20 rule -- 20% of our inventory generates 80% of our sales, 20% of our sales team generate 80% of our revenue, 20% of our customer generate 80% of our profit, and so forth. Even so, I have never had anyone so thoroughly make the case for the 80/20 principle as Richard Koch. Or articulate it so well. This 10 minute video easily … [Read more...]
Reliable. Redundant. Responsive. 3 Reasons Cloud Hosting Is WAY Better Than On-Premise
Sometimes bad events can lead to insight. That is what happened to me this week. Power Failure Results In 4-Day Delay To Final Repair. My company maintains older hardware that IBM no longer supports. One of my favorite client’s legacy Intel server with Windows 2003 failed on a Saturday afternoon due to power failure that affected their entire building. This server was flat non-functional. From what little information we could gather remotely, it took one of my top engineers and myself 4 … [Read more...]
Leasing’s Sneaky Tricks — Part 1 of 3
We are getting closer to that time of year when businesses are most active adding new IT hardware. Many finance these new acquisitions with lease financing. In the 1980s, I was in the leasing industry and saw first-hand many sneaky tricks that are still in use today. If you are unaware of them you may wind up paying WAY more than you ever expected and, unfortunately for you, you will have no legal recourse to get your money back. So, how do you protect yourself? Well, here’s what to look … [Read more...]
Does IBM i Have A Future? You Bet It Does! – Part 2
IBM i Evolution – A GREAT Presentation By Steve Will. I recently watched Chief Architect for IBM i Steve Will’s 60-minute webinar sponsored by HelpSystems. If you are an IBM i user, this is an EXCELLENT presentation particularly because Steve so clearly explains the evolution of OS400 to IBM i. This is a MUST watch webinar. Steve explains how IBM has made amazing transformations to the underlying IBM i technology WITHOUT disruption above the new technology. Check … [Read more...]
So You Have IBM i (iSeries/AS400) High Availability Replication Are You Good To Go?
The purpose of this blog is to highlight the importance of High Availability Monitoring, Problem Remediation, and Maintenance Services. Disclaimer: IBM i is an operating system. iSeries and AS400 are legacy IBM servers that run i5/OS and OS400 respectively. I use all 3 terms interchangeably to attract a wider audience on the web. If you are using High Availability (HA) to replicate your IBM i production environment to a secondary system – Congratulations on making a great move to protect your … [Read more...]
Is Your IBM i Server (iSeries, AS400) Nearing End Of Life?
The purpose of this blog is to identify end of life servers and factors so IBM i users can start thinking about their options. Disclaimer: “IBM i” is an operating system. “iSeries” and “AS400” are servers that IBM used to market. I use these terms interchangeably to reach a broader audience who Google for information. IBM users should be aware that many IBM i Servers (iSeries/AS400) will have hardware support withdrawn between 2019 to 2020. Most notably, these are 9406-520, 9406-525, 9407-515 … [Read more...]
IBM i. Unbeatable.
Why Your IBM i (iSeries/AS400) Is One Of The Best Decisions Your Organization Made This blog is meant to be shared with IBM i user management and stakeholders to remind them how their operations benefit from this marvelous server. IBM i is truly a remarkable business platform without peers. Let’s be clear. Business people focus on revenue, costs and profit. Obvious? Yep. Let me highlight the IBM i key features that business people “get” right away when it is explained: 1) … [Read more...]