Quite literally out of the blue, IBM have further invigorated support for their 10-year-old operating system by allowing the OS to run on its latest architecture, the Power9 – a processor type that it was never supported on.
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IBM i 7.1 was originally launched on April 13th 2010 and is the longest supported release of any IBM i midrange platform in the family history since the birth of AS/400.  In October 2020, IBM announced that 7.1 will enjoy a support extension of two years, but even with this, this still limited the platform to incumbent servers and there wasn’t even the hint that Power9  would or even could be supported in the future. 

This is great news for IBM i shop of whom were limited on potential server upgrades, but it does come with some caveats.  First, upgrades are limited to a select few options – Power9 servers with the designations 9009-22A & 22G.  Next, there are some I/O restrictions which may have implications depending upon configuration.  Also, you will have to purchase your new box with 7.3 or 7.4 and you will have to be on software maintenance too.  Only with these, on a qualifying server, will you be allowed to download your 7.1 keys.  Even then, you may find your service fees double as you will also have to pay for the 7.1 service extension.

All being said, IBM have done the business in providing an upgrade path to their latest technology.  This is great news for businesses running on legacy IBM i.

For further reading please see the official IBM i release notes ​and the excellent article in IT Jungle.

Due to #Covid19UK restrictions this month, the date of the next @i_ug_uk education event i-POWER Midlands has changed from Tuesday 10th November to Thursday 10th December.

REGISTRATION OPEN HERE:
https://www.i-ug.co.uk/

Utilities 400 are proud members of #iUG and look forward to the rescheduled event.

#IBMi #AS400 #iSeries

From 'what is a Barcode' to investigating turn-key real-time barcoding solutions - we'll introduce you to what you need to know to help transform your barcoding potential. 

Successful IBM i enterprise use barcoding within all aspects of their operation.  From tracking work in progress, directing shipments to identifying appropriate parts and material and document control, the benefits of accurate information, real-time visibility and a highly efficient work force are clear. 
 
Join IBM i experts Utilities 400 for a webinar on everything you need to know on Barcoding for your IBM i enterprise.
 
During this 30 minute webinar, we’ll introduce you to

• Why barcoding is required.
• The different barcode types.
• How to create barcodes in an IBM i environment.
• How to choose the correct barcoding device for your processes.
• The importance of looking beyond ‘batch’ processing.
• Real-time, multi-faceted point of transaction technologies.
• How to deliver native IBM i barcoding that integrates with your ERP.

 
By the end of the webinar, you’ll have a fundamental understanding on how you can introduce real-time barcoding into your IBM i enterprise and the associated benefits. 
 
ShowMe Barcode offers a simple but powerful method of introducing barcode technology and/or upgrading from batch to real-time processing.  Using ShowMe Barcode applications provides business the opportunity to reduce errors and make huge gains in efficiency.  ShowMe Barcode works in parallel with your ERP providing appropriate information and instruction to the barcode operative while providing fully validated, live reading and writing to your IBM i.

REGISTER NOW to join us for this webinar on 4th November:

In this clip from the Dewhirst Group ShowMe Barcode Case Study, Paul Medforth, IT Manager discusses why they chose ShowMe Barcode to replace the incumbent barcoding systems within their #IBMi enterprise.
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For the full video case study, see our ShowMe Barcode page

.Utilities 400 provide B2B eCommerce for business both on and off the IBM i.  For more details please see ShowMe Webshop for on-premise IBM i eCommerce and iVolution Webshop offsite and non-IBM i installations.

IBM i 7.1 was launched on April 13th 2010 and is the longest supported release of any IBM i midrange platform in the family history since the birth of AS/400.  Before now, IBM i 7.1 had support for 2,929 days, against an average of 1,436 days across 25 releases since June 1988 when the AS/400 was launched.  With the proposal that 7.1 will enjoy another support extension, this time of two years, we will have seen an incredible 4,755 days of support.

Here's a chart originally published by IT Jungle that details the release cycle:

Alison Butterill, IBM i office manager said of the proposed extension, "We have a number of clients who have not yet moved for a variety of reasons, some of the reasons for customers staying with IBM i 7.1 are due to applications, some are due to support for peripheral devices they need.”

Utilities 400 are committed to supporting our IBM i customer base on multiple levels of IBM i OS.  Indeed, we still will have a partition on our development box that runs on v5.3.  So, if you still have a box that's over 15 years old, we still have iterations of our solutions that can support you.  ​

A recent report completed by IDC suggests that modernised IBM i and System Z applications enjoy both a higher satisfaction rating and lower overall costs than migrating off those platforms.  

IDC measured the results of modernisation and migration projects by surveying IT leaders at 440 businesses in Australia, India, New Zealand, United Kingdom and United States and published the results in their 'Quantified Business Benefits of Modernising IBM Z and IBM i to Spur Innovation'.   The report investigated a range of metrics including performance, experience, security, web enablement, agility and more and across ALL metrics, the businesses that modernised their applications scored higher than their migrated counterparts. 

The study pointed out that modernising not only reduced risk from replatforming but also improved innovation potential and allowed the business in question to grow faster.  The IDC report found that stigma against legacy machines is unfounded and that using the rich information collated by the incumbent systems can be reused and repurposed to great effect. 

Indeed, businesses that modernised their IBM i enterprise have done so with a view on improving key areas with the most popular digital transformation initiatives for IBM i businesses including IoT, Analytics and Web enablement.

In conclusion, the study highlighted that there are great opportunities for IBM i businesses to improve their operations through modernisation.  Applications from business such as Utilities 400 can help empower business to enact on new technologies WITHOUT the need to migrate. 

IBM continue the growth of its Power Systems.  In the second quarter ended in June, the server market turned in one of the best quarters in its history – even when you consider the inflation adjusted revenues from the peak Dot-Com Boom nearly two decades ago as 2000 was coming to a close. According to the research done by IDC, server spending rose by 19.8 percent to $24.04 billion, and server shipments rose in near parallel by 18.4 percent to 3.19 million machines. 

For the full story, please read the article at IT Jungle:
https://www.itjungle.com/2020/09/14/just-how-big-is-the-whole-power-systems-business/

Join us on Tuesday 18th August for a webinar regarding the impact of COVID-19 on B2B purchasing decisions.  During this 25 minute session, we'll analyse the key points highlighted within the latest industry reports and discuss the trends for B2B purchasing, the risks of continuing conventional methodologies and how best to improve business opportunities through an eCommerce strategy dedicated towards your IBM i enterprise.
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To join the webinar, please first register using the button below:

The session will be recorded so should you register and not be able to attend, then you will receive a link to view webinar at your convenience. 

Each attendee [live or recorded] will receive a link to download our whitepaper 'Killing COVID-19 through eCommerce'