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iSeries shops look for simplicity in Web-enablement tools

      Third-party Web-enablement solutions that (directly and indirectly) compete with IBM’s WebSphere Development Studio are popping up all over the iSeries market. What might the abundance of these tools mean to iSeries shops and to the success of IBM’s WebSphere family?

      Insider Weekly asked Big Blue, third-party solution providers, and their customers to respond to this question — here is what they had to say:

      “The game has changed, and we [IBM] have changed the rules. From a server perspective, WebSphere Application Server (WAS) Express [which comes integrated in i5/OS as of IBM’s May 4, 2004 announcement] runs effectively on 300 CPW — the smallest machine that we ship has 500 CPW. And, a mere mortal can install and configure WAS Express in two to three hours. Web-enabling applications without any customization takes one day, and complex applications can be done in less than two weeks with the help of eLearning Labs [details below]. WAS Express has addressed the complexity, difficulty, and apprehension iSeries shops associate with WebSphere,” says David Slater, worldwide market manager for iSeries application development products, IBM, Toronto, Canada.

      IBM’s WebSphere. Slater explained that, “Once upon a time, WebSphere wasn’t playing well in the Web-enabling space. Only the high-end guys could afford Web-enablement solutions, but now we [IBM] want to create solutions for the SMB market space. Thus came the WebFacing tool in 2001.”

      According to Slater, recent announcements and enhancements to WebSphere Development Studio have made the product more accessible and manageable for smaller shops. “We have a WebFacing workshop available through eLearning Labs for $10,000, and Internet education (where users can view the lectures and labs through a browser interface). With this, users can customize their complex applications in under two weeks,” says Slater. For more information, see www.elearning-labs.com.

      Additionally, Big Blue is now incorporating WAS Express into i5/OS — meaning that another Web application server is not required. Also, WebSphere Development Studio Client Advanced Edition (announced on Friday, July 16, 2004) handles the majority of the workload for the user, according to Slater. For more information, see
www-306.ibm.com/software/awdtools/wdt400/news/ga071604.html.

Customers continue to implement third-party solutions

      Still, iSeries users are intimidated by the WebSphere tooling and are looking to vendors for answers. “I have WebSphere, but it is vastly more complicated than what my people are ready for. I have worked with WebSphere, but it was complex to set up, then once I had it going, it didn’t thrill me. I just gave up on it,” says Gerald Hammack, (a Profound Logic RPG Smart Pages customer) director of the technical services division, Orleans Parish Criminal Sheriff’s Office, New Orleans, LA.

      He continues, “Profound Logic’s tool is simple to use and straightforward. The Integrated Development Environment is easy to work with, and I don’t have to hunt for error messages to find out what’s wrong. This means that my guys are busy doing the job that I hired them to do, instead of having to learn HTML and Java just to find out where the problems are.”

      Profound Logic Software’s RPG Smart Pages looks at a shop’s RPG code and builds applications around it utilizing wizards (which create the application so that the developer does not have to do any of the coding). “With over 200 templates for the wizards to draw from, applications can be created within minutes of a short download and install time,” says Alex Roytman, chief technical officer, Profound Logic Software Inc., Dayton, OH.

      “RPG programmers will want to have a very general understanding of Web development and HTML, but these skills are not necessary for success,” he continues. Profound Logic offers training courses at an additional cost, but RPG programmers can learn the tool from scratch within one week, according to Roytman. The light version of this product is available for $2,000, and the price extends to $23,000.

      BOSaNOVA’s Jadvantage provides SQL-based file transfer that is done on a per-user basis, does not require a separate server, and uses the printer emulation from BOSaNOVA’s TCP/IP product so that users can utilize custom print drivers.

      “The tool is user-friendly, because administrators create custom templates for the users, and the GUI interface automatically changes the look of applications once the product is installed [this feature can be turned off]. Also, all of the keys on the keyboard are fully supported, and there is no need to learn RPG, Java, or HTML to successfully implement this product,” says Martin Pladgman, president, BOSaNOVA Inc., Phoenix, AZ. Pricing comes in a variety of packages, but generally begins at $2,240 for 10 users on a single iSeries server.

      “BOSaNOVA’s Jadvantage was one-third the cost of IBM’s [equivalent] solution, and it does everything that I need it to do. Plus, I have used products of theirs [BOSaNOVA’s] in the past, and I know that their support is fantastic,” says Joe Handle, MIS manager, Brothers Electronics, East Brunswick, NJ.

      ASNA’s Visual RPG for .NET, a Windows-based RPG compiler, also utilizes existing code on the iSeries to develop applications that run under Microsoft’s .NET platform. “With the solutions’s five-day learning curve, users will be developing Windows Web applications and Web services with ease. Users can have Web sites up and running within a month of inception,” says Tim Jannsen, executive vice president, ASNA, San Antonio, TX. One license costs $3,500, while the package (including one license, one week of training, and Visual Studio .NET) starts at $6,000.

      “I looked at IBM’s tool, and the ramp-up time was a lot longer than what I could invest at the time, and it took a monster box to run it. ASNA’s tool was just a better fit for speed, and it hooks up to a small iSeries box. Also, if you have a question, you have to get IBM’s third level of support to talk to someone who knows the answer, while I have called ASNA for support and talked with the president a number of times,” says Chris Houser, president, Integrity Consulting Services, Shawnee, KS.

      For more information on each of these products, refer to the box below. For more information on additional Web-enabling products available from third-party solution providers, see IW 6/28/04.