The purpose of this blog is to assure IBM i POWER Users (who also think their server is an iSeries/AS400) that there is a future for IBM i. Disclaimer: "IBM i" is the operating system. "iSeries" and "AS400" are IBM servers that precede IBM POWER. I knowingly use these terms combined to reach a larger audience with web site that host my blog. As an IBM Business Partner and cloud hosting provider, I talk to IBM i users every day. A lot of “pundits” claim IBM i is old, dying technology. I … [Read more...]
How To Prepare For IBM i/iSeries/AS400 Cloud Hosting – The Basics
The purpose of this blog is to prepare you to streamline your process to determine if cloud hosting makes sense for you. My sense is that you don’t do this every day, so this checklist will help you gather the key information you will need to quickly figure out if cloud hosting can work for you. Getting A Quote When you think about the possibility of cloud hosting, you want to get an idea how much it will cost. After all, hosting has to be economically feasible if it is going to make … [Read more...]
“Please Listen. Then Give It To Me Straight.”
Please forgive me if I sound self-indulgent. But this week I had too many sales calls with low-caliber sales people. I have been in sales since I was 22 … 44 years. Sure, when I started I knew nothing, my selling skills were weak, and I was trained to close hard. Thank goodness I got over that! But I was so insecure about my lack of technical, business and processes knowledge that I worked very hard to understand how my products worked, the depth and breadth of my prospective clients’ … [Read more...]
STD – “Software Transfer Dilemma” and Outrageous Fees
Many IBM i (iSeries/AS400) are considering changing their legacy POWER server because of IBM announced hardware and software support expirations as well as software providers who may longer support older versions of their applications. So, if you can no longer get IBM hardware support, IBM software support or application support from your software vendor, you have to start evaluating your options. Most IBM i users I talk to only consider major hardware upgrades every 7-15 years. In other … [Read more...]
IBM i Security Built In From The Beginning. Integration And Hardware Independence, Too.
A few weeks ago I published a blog about IBM i security built in at the beginning. I want to highlight sections of Frank Soltis book “Inside the AS/400.” Dr. Soltis notes that the AS400 security features were not an afterthought. Specifically, the IBM i has actually 2 operating systems – the IBM iOS and the License Internal Cover (LIC or microcode). IBM iOS runs on top of LIC, which is part of the POWER server hardware. LIC runs “under” iOS. LIC knows the details of the hardware and … [Read more...]
Why IBM i (iSeries/AS400) Owners Do NOT Have to Pay for Custom Programming Every Time There’s a Hardware Change
Hint: The Simple Answer Is Technology Independent Machine Interface (TIMI) You need software to run your business…and you need hardware to run your software. Your software—or more precisely, what your software does—is the reason you spend money on information technology. Some of that money has to go toward hardware, of course, but hardware is, functionally speaking, twice-removed from the “action.” Running your business profitably and efficiently is the “action,” and that’s why you want to … [Read more...]
8 Reasons Cloud400 IBM i (iSeries/AS400) Hosting Is So Popular
What make Cloud400 so POPULAR? The short answer is that Cloud400 IBM i (iSeries/AS400) hosting is Simple and Affordable? As IBM i experts working with AS400 since it was first introduced in 1988, we have designed and refined Cloud400 to be simple and affordable. How can that be? Hosting can be complex. Hosting requires skills and technology for IBM i, networking, security, redundancy, backups, operations, disaster recovery and support. That’s tricky stuff. Well, while it is tricky … [Read more...]
IBM i Was Designed Secure In The Beginning. Not Added On After The Fact.
How Secure Is IBM i? As we all know, very secure. No IBM i Viruses Let's start with viruses, since they still represent the single largest threat to computer security. In a nutshell, there are no known IBM i viruses. Compared to its main rivals, Windows, UNIX and Linux, this is impressive. For example, a quick Google search for Windows viruses reveals more than 55,400,000 hits. No IBM i Vulnerabilities What about vulnerabilities? Well, one of the most respected information … [Read more...]
If An IBM i Server Could Talk, You’d Never Hear These 5 Excuses
There’s a lot of talk these days about cognitive computing and artificial intelligence. Well, let’s pretend for a moment your IBM i can talk. Here are 5 excuses you will never hear from your IBM i server. 1) “I just froze up and started deleting files because I got hit with ransomware.” The IBM i object–oriented architecture does not permit frightful software like ransomware to exploit an IBM i. 2) “I just got a virus. I won’t be working right.” Again, the IBM i object–oriented … [Read more...]
Cloud400 For Large Enterprise Users
Several commentators have told me that they are surprised large Enterprise users are interested in cloud hosting. These folks reference surveys that suggest large IBM i users have large IT staffs, sophisticated data centers and favor on-premise technology. Clearly, we see that with a portion of the IBM i market. We also believe the commentators are correct about that part of the market. There are many factors that favor on-premise technology for these users. Larger Clients Who Want To … [Read more...]