By Wendy Sanacore
IBM announced that program services for WebSphere® MQ V 6.0, WebSphere® MQ V 6.0.1 and WebSphere® MQ for z/OS V 6.0 will be discontinued as of September 2012.
IBM had previously announced an end to support effective September, 2011, but has since extended the date.
With the discontinuation of WebSphere V6, it is time for companies utilizing it to begin thinking about an upgrade to V7.
The latest version of WebSphere supports Java EE5, Web Services Enhancements and Web 2.0 Feature Pack.
About TxMQ
Since it’s inception, TxMQ has specialized in Mainframe software and mainframe systems support offerings. As mainframe software and mainframe applications and subsystems like DB2, z/OS, CICS, MQ, and DB2 continued to grow in popularity, so too did TxMQ’s offerings.
These expanded to include technologies like virtualization solutions including linux virtualization, network virtualization (cloud computing), and desktop virtualization, as well as mainframe modernization.
As the web became more prevalent and a part of the enterprise, we followed IBM’s offerings and added skilled resources and SME’s in areas like websphere, bpm and soa, including both Lombardi, and metastorm (now a part of open text), as well as Datapower.
Category: Uncategorized
March 2011 updates for WebSphere
By Wendy Sanacore
March is flying by. Here’s what’s new in the wonderful world of WebSphere this month.
1. IBM, Wholesale Applications Community partnering with Telecom to make building App stores simple
The storefront is built on the WebSphere Commerce customer interation platform and will provide mobile operators with a virtual space they can populate with apps.
It’s called the Wholesale Applications Community (WAC), and it has a catalog of more than 12,000 apps. Click here to learn more.
2. IBM addressing server workload demands
IBM is making additions to the zEnterprise System, including a new support for the IBM WebSphere DataPower X150 integration appliance.
They also introduced Storwize Rapid Application Storage Kit, which IBM states is quick to implement and allows simplified ongoing administrations and management. IBM states that it boasts a reduced downtime of almost 90% when compared to backups in SAP, oracle and Microsoft Exchange.
3. Nolio ASAP 3.1 available for IBM WebSphere
Nolio 3.1 was released earlier this year and was designed to minimize the possibility of human error during routine maintenance and upgrades as well as provide a clear, fully documented audit trail of interventions and process work flows. Learn more, here.
4. CapitalWare unveils new WebSphere MQ auditing tool
MQ auditor (MQA) enables an organization to track all MQ API calls performed by MQ applications that are connected to a queu manager, according to CapitalWare, which specializes in creating WebSphere MQ utilities. Here’s some further information on the subject.
About TxMQ
Since it’s inception, TxMQ has specialized in Mainframe software and mainframe systems support offerings. As mainframe software and mainframe applications and subsystems like DB2, z/OS, CICS, MQ, and DB2 continued to grow in popularity, so too did TxMQ’s offerings.
These expanded to include technologies like virtualization solutions including linux virtualization, network virtualization (cloud computing), and desktop virtualization, as well as mainframe modernization.
As the web became more prevalent and a part of the enterprise, we followed IBM’s offerings and added skilled resources and SME’s in areas like websphere, bpm and soa, including both Lombardi, and metastorm (now a part of open text), as well as Datapower.
Contact us today at 716-636-0070 ext 29 or email [email protected] to find the solution that’s right for you.
Middleware battle stays hot
By Wendy Sanacore
Oracle and IBM have been at it regarding who has the better Middleware solution…IBM WebSphere or Oracle Database?
Just as recently as last week, IBM released claims that “businesses using IBM WebSphere middleware on Power 7 hardware can get the lowest cost for performance in the industry.” In addition, IBM claims that it has “proven 76 percent higher performance than Oracle.”
IBM has even launched a new website proclaiming that they are better than Oracle and even sending some jabs in Oracle’s direction.
But there’s more to this story apparently…
In September 2009, the Transaction Processing Performance Council (TPC) fined Oracle over an advertisement Oracle placed in the Wall Street Journal, which claimed that systems using Oracle hardware and software ran faster than systems using IBM, based on TPC benchmarks. However, Oracle did not have the TPC results to support the claim at the time, and TPC ordered Oracle to pull the ads.
With the ongoing battle, it’s important to note that both IBM and Oracle are major players and therefore in strong competition in the middleware industry. So tell me, which middleware do you use? Oracle or IBM?
About TxMQ
TxMQ, headquartered in Buffalo, NY provides flexible staffing and software solutions across all divisions and departments within a company.
As a leading staffing and solutions agency, TxMQ provides placement of permanent and contract professionals within a wide variety of skill sets including Information Technology, Engineering and Manufacturing Operations, Accounting and Finance, Sales and Marketing, Human Resources, and Administrative Management.
Contact us today at 716-636-0070 ext 29 or email [email protected] to find the solution that’s right for you.
(View article source)
The iPandemic
By Wendy Sanacore
Apple just launched the iPad 2. It crows the benefits of being lighter, thinner and featuring a front-facing video camera for video chat and a souped-up processor.
The new iPad will release on March 11, but in my opinion, this absolutely begs the question…Why should we buy anything as a version one anymore when we know there will be a newer, more updated version just down the road?
Case in point, there have already been 4 versions of the iPhone with tease of an iPhone 5 launching this summer. What happened to all those people who ran out and waited in lines for Version 1? Are they now obsolete?
Apple has a great marketing plan. By hyping up the most recent version of its product, they can persuade the people who spent $499 on the previous product to go out and spend the exact same amount for Version 2. It’s all in the name of technology, I suppose.
What about you? Do you purchase the new Apple products as soon as they hit the shelf? I know one thing, I didn’t own the original iPad, but I sure do want the iPad 2…
About TxMQ
TxMQ, headquartered in Buffalo, NY provides flexible staffing and software solutions across all divisions and departments within a company.
As a leading staffing and solutions agency, TxMQ provides placement of permanent and contract professionals within a wide variety of skill sets including Information Technology, Engineering and Manufacturing Operations, Accounting and Finance, Sales and Marketing, Human Resources, and Administrative Management.
Contact us today at 716-636-0070 ext 29 or email [email protected] for more information.
Chuckenomics 101
By Chuck Fried
Chuckenomics 101
Yes America, the Great Recession is at an end. Sorry, while I do have a degree in finance, I won’t claim to be an economics guru, so let’s call my field of expertise “Chuckenomics.” The study of reality, as I see it, through my own version of Steve Jobs’ oft quoted ‘reality distortion field’ if you will.
Yes, I work in the IT consulting field, and thus have a tremendous amount of exposure to job seekers and hiring managers. That certainly colors my view. However, I also travel a bit for work and even manage to get in some vacation time now and then.
Recently, my wife and I took some of our kids to Orlando, where we spent one day in Disney World and one day at Universal Studios. Unless I miss my guess, these trips were a pretty good indicator of some significant improvements in the economy.
Remember now, I’m admitting to a biased point of view here and not claiming any scientific accuracy by a long shot, but it was pretty clear to us that people were not only jamming those parks, but also spending mad money on everything from $35 Harry Potter wands (can you say $.99 molded Chinese plastic), and $4 Butter Beer (can you say overly sugared cream soda), to $30 Mouse ears (see earlier comment on molded Chinese plastic).
Lines? Really. How about more than an hour wait for Space Mountain and another hour wait to get a table to buy overpriced, under prepared food, and so on.
We had a good chance to discuss this with the kids, as well as with my mother in law who was a real trooper and tagged along, and we all came to the same conclusion: Someone’s got money to spend if they come to Disney and Universal. It’s not a cheap trip.
Thus America, this concludes today’s lesson in Chuckenomics 101. Any questions?
Great SOA Resource right here
By Wendy Sanacore
I read a very interesting new white paper that was just published. “Speed SOA development and time to value with WebSphere Enterprise Service Bus Registry Edition”
This is a great resource if you’re new to SOA oro you want your business services to become more agile. I suggest reading this article and learning about WebSphere ESB Registry Edition.
Check it out and let me know what you think. It’s reported that WebSphere ESB Registry Edition provides the capabilities needed for your business to become agile while reducing cost and the giving you the ability to report on your SOA success.
I read a very interesting new white paper that was just published. “Speed SOA development and time to value with WebSphere Enterprise Service Bus Registry Edition”
This is a great resource if you’re new to SOA oro you want your business services to become more agile. I suggest reading this article and learning about WebSphere ESB Registry Edition.
Check it out and let me know what you think. It’s reported that WebSphere ESB Registry Edition provides the capabilities needed for your business to become agile while reducing cost and the giving you the ability to report on your SOA success.
Public Vs. Private Cloud
What is Private Cloud?
Private Cloud has generally been mainly used by large enterprise customers. This is an internally hosted Cloud service which is very secure. Large companies have been using it as a continualization of their previous virtualization efforts. Private Cloud is most often defined by companies that want their file backup to be in house or their software to be hosted on site.
Private Cloud is generally used by larger enterprises because of the requirement of IT expertise in house. Many smaller companies cannot afford to staff the IT department needed to run on a private cloud.
What is Public Cloud?
Public Cloud is the ability of companies to have their files backed up in externally hosted data centers. Public Cloud will back up and handle a number of different platforms and many enterprises have been effectively using private Cloud for many years.
This is particularly useful for small companies who have been using email as a file storage system. Switching to public Cloud will allow them to easily store their information off site.
However, many large enterprises don't want to explore the avenue of public Cloud because it takes the control of security out of their hands. They need to fully trust their hosting provider to handle all security measures. And while the data is encrypted, many companies feel more comfortable knowing that it is being watched over by their team of IT professionals.
According to a Redmond Channel Partner Webcast entitled "How Cloud Services Help Your Bottom Line," small and large companies alike are projecting a 30% spending increase for public IT Cloud services in 2011.
Take it to the Cloud.
Everywhere you turn now, you hear people buzzing about Virtualization and going to the Cloud. So, what is it? And why is it so great for your company?
Here's high level overview of what Virtualization is. Right now, most businesses utilize single application servers that run on an operating system across several data centers. This creates a very high cost scale factoring in hardware, data facilities, operating systems and costs and maintenance.
Virtualization is a new technology that provides an alternative to incurring all these costs by allowing you to run multiple virtual machines on a single physical machine, with each virtual machine sharing the resources of that one physical computer across multiple environments. Different virtual machines can run different operating systems and multiple applications on the same physical computer. Multiple operating systems can run concurrently on a single physical computer and share hardware resources with each other allowing you to safely run several operating systems and applications at the same time on a single computer, with each having access to the resources it needs.
With Virtualization, you don’t need to assign servers, storage, or network bandwidth permanently to each application. Instead, your hardware resources are dynamically allocated when and where they’re needed within your private cloud. Your highest priority applications always have the necessary resources without wasting money on excess hardware only used at peak times. Connect this private cloud to a public cloud to create a hybrid cloud, giving your business the flexibility, availability and scalability it needs to thrive.
In turn, this results in tremendous savings by consolidating the number of servers running. In addition, the ROI has been incredible for those companies that have switched to Virtualization. As a trend,most companies see a return on their investment in as little as three to six months.
Jeopardy! The IBM Challenge tests the limits of technology.
Is it possible? Can a computer be built to be smarter than a human being?
We're going to have to opportunity to see on Monday, February 14, when Watson – the IBM computer – competes against previous champions on Jeoprady! The IBM Challenge.
Watson began as a DeepQA machine. Operating on a single CPU, it could take up to two hours to answer a question. A large team of IBM folks worked tirelessly to upgrade him to be able to compete against two of the most well-known Jeopardy! champions of the day. But this isn't all fun and games, especially for IBM.
"IBM is not in the entertainment business. But we are in the business of technology and pushing frontiers," said David Shepler – IBM Research Project Manager.
According to the IBM website, Watson was developed as a way to determine whether a system can be designed that applies advanced data management and analytics to natural language in order to uncover a single, reliable insight in a fraction of a second.
I for one will be very curious as to how Watson performs on Jeopardy! this Monday. It's a scary concept to me that technology can be built to out think the human brain. What's at least comforting to me is the thought that while analytically, a computer may be able to calculate an answer based on formulas and input information, computers will never replace the rational, strategic inner workings of a human brain…at least they won't for a long time to come.
The rebirth of the mainframe
For anyone who thinks that the demand for mainframes is on the decline, take a look at this. In the fourth quarter of 2010, the demand for IBM’s System zEnterprise 196 mainframes skyrocketed their sales to a six year high. They helped drive IBM’s company sales up to $99.9bn, which is an increase of 4% compared to last year.
In a time when the economy seems to be fledgling, it is so nice to see a big company like IBM report such a large profit. It’s a testament to their business practices that they were able to reach almost a $100bn profit in 2010. And I think that should provide hope for all of us out there in the technology industry that there’s no direction for us to head, but up.
Just a note, while IBM hasn’t provided revenue projections for the first quarter of 2011, sources say that IBM is on track to deliver at least $13 in earnings per share this year. Maybe we need to go out and buy into IBM!
