IBM and Prometric have teamed up to offer a program that allows certification test-takers to quickly retake a failed test at "no additional cost" as soon as the next day. Now, here is the catch. There are indeed no additional costs, but there are costs for the branded vouchers.
In the United States, a Lotus voucher is $230, as are Rational, Tivoli, and WebSphere/XML/SOA vouchers.
So, basically, the vouchers are not gifts, but insurance policies within a brand.
For more information, visit Prometric's Take it Again website.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Announcing IBM Lotus Notes and IBM Lotus Domino 8.5.1
IBM Lotus Notes and Lotus Domino 8.5.1 include many features and enhancements that improve usability for both the end user and developers
Electronic release on October 12, 2009
IBM Lotus Notes and Domino 8.5.1 now includes many new features and
enhancements.
The first major change expands on options for building or expanding on Domino
applications. Domino Designer will now be freely accessible in IBM developerWorks®
for no charge. This expansion in access brings Domino's RAD tool to a broader
community of developers aimed at increasing the solutions that are available for the
Domino platform.
The second major change for this release is a repackaging of Domino client solutions
in order to simplify the purchasing options to better align with how people work vs.
what they need to complete their work. The Domino client options are delivered as
a client access license (CAL), where access to the Domino platform is put into two
categories: Enterprise CAL and Messaging CAL.
The third major change for this release includes a vast array of features for
accessing data across the form factors (desktop, mobile and Web). This release
includes many features and enhancements that improve the usability of the
solutions for both the end user (Lotus Notes, Lotus iNotes, and Lotus Notes Traveler)
and developers (Domino Designer).
Lotus Notes
Lotus Notes Traveler
Lotus iNotes
Domino Designer
Lotus Enterprise Integrator
Electronic release on October 12, 2009
IBM Lotus Notes and Domino 8.5.1 now includes many new features and
enhancements.
The first major change expands on options for building or expanding on Domino
applications. Domino Designer will now be freely accessible in IBM developerWorks®
for no charge. This expansion in access brings Domino's RAD tool to a broader
community of developers aimed at increasing the solutions that are available for the
Domino platform.
The second major change for this release is a repackaging of Domino client solutions
in order to simplify the purchasing options to better align with how people work vs.
what they need to complete their work. The Domino client options are delivered as
a client access license (CAL), where access to the Domino platform is put into two
categories: Enterprise CAL and Messaging CAL.
The third major change for this release includes a vast array of features for
accessing data across the form factors (desktop, mobile and Web). This release
includes many features and enhancements that improve the usability of the
solutions for both the end user (Lotus Notes, Lotus iNotes, and Lotus Notes Traveler)
and developers (Domino Designer).
Lotus Notes
- Expanded Quickr integration
- Introduces Protector integration
- More tools to increase productivity through innovations in usability
- Increased extensibility through XPages and widgets
Lotus Notes Traveler
- Introduces enhanced security features for Nokia S60 devices
- Adds Apple iPhone support
Lotus iNotes
- Auto refresh and inbox unread count
- Expanded Quickr features
- Additional policy support
- Introduces greater calendaring and scheduling features including new support for Sametime Unyte
Domino Designer
- XPages are supported in the Notes client.
- XPage performance and scalability enhancements.
- XPage active content filtering.
- Dojo updated to 1.3.2.
- Improved ability to use Dojo in XPages.
- Designer performance enhancements.
- New LotusScript® and JavaTM editors.
- Working sets usability enhancements.
- Domino Designer extensibility APIs.
- New design element for building iWidgets.
- Composite application enhancements for Notes and Symphony applications.
- Composite application support for XPages.
- Provide Java APIs for Notes User Interface classes.
Lotus Enterprise Integrator
- Windows® 2008 - 32 bit and 64 bit
- ODBC 5.3.2 (Open Database Connectivity)
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Fix Pack 1 for Lotus Notes and Domino 8.5
IBM has released the first fix packs for Lotus Notes and Domino 8.5.
More details and download links are available from IBM at http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?rs=463&uid=swg24023874.
More details and download links are available from IBM at http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?rs=463&uid=swg24023874.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Introducing Lotus Foundations
IBM Lotus® Foundations Start is a complete infrastructure and collaboration solution for businesses with 5-500 employees with limited or no on-house IT resources. Complete with all the essential software needed to power a small business, Lotus Foundations Start also enables you to run a variety of business applications. A departure from traditional small business solutions, Lotus Foundations is designed to simplify the IT experience. It can be launched in under 30 minutes and leverages self-managing and self-healing capabilities that minimize the need for human intervention, freeing you up to focus on running your business.
Email and Collaboration
The award winning Lotus Notes and Domino provide advanced email, calendaring, and contact management as well as rich web features.
Office Productivity
The IBM Lotus® Symphony suite enables users to create, edit and share word processing documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. Symphony supports the OpenDocument Format (ODF) and is designed for mixed environments.
Backup and Recovery
Lotus Foundations includes a low-touch backup facility that enables you to confidently make backup copies of your information. This easy to use system allows everyone to manage their backups in an automated or manual fashion.
Security
Lotus Foundations includes security services designed to protect your important information so that you can stay focused on business with minimal disruption. These security services provide rich mobile access to your workers while at the same time helping to stop threats from reaching your network. With automatic updates, Lotus Foundations' anti-spam and anti-virus tools provide enterprise wide protection. Plus, with built in VPN technology, your network is even more secure from unauthorized visitors.
Ease of use
Lotus Foundations is a self-governing system that automates many critical tasks and provides proactive system checks, so the need for in-house IT staff is reduced or eliminated. Lotus Foundations is self-configuring, self-managing, self-protecting, and self-healing features. The system automates configuration, adjusts itself according to workload demands, anticipates and defends against security breaches, and detects, diagnoses, and repairs potential issues.
Interoperability
Your team members know how they work best. To do their jobs effectively, they need to be free to use the tools to which they are accustomed. Because those tools come from a variety of places, IBM® Lotus® Foundations is flexible and works with your existing IT infrastructure.
For more information, please visit IBM's Lotus Foundations site.
Email and Collaboration
The award winning Lotus Notes and Domino provide advanced email, calendaring, and contact management as well as rich web features.
Office Productivity
The IBM Lotus® Symphony suite enables users to create, edit and share word processing documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. Symphony supports the OpenDocument Format (ODF) and is designed for mixed environments.
Backup and Recovery
Lotus Foundations includes a low-touch backup facility that enables you to confidently make backup copies of your information. This easy to use system allows everyone to manage their backups in an automated or manual fashion.
Security
Lotus Foundations includes security services designed to protect your important information so that you can stay focused on business with minimal disruption. These security services provide rich mobile access to your workers while at the same time helping to stop threats from reaching your network. With automatic updates, Lotus Foundations' anti-spam and anti-virus tools provide enterprise wide protection. Plus, with built in VPN technology, your network is even more secure from unauthorized visitors.
Ease of use
Lotus Foundations is a self-governing system that automates many critical tasks and provides proactive system checks, so the need for in-house IT staff is reduced or eliminated. Lotus Foundations is self-configuring, self-managing, self-protecting, and self-healing features. The system automates configuration, adjusts itself according to workload demands, anticipates and defends against security breaches, and detects, diagnoses, and repairs potential issues.
Interoperability
Your team members know how they work best. To do their jobs effectively, they need to be free to use the tools to which they are accustomed. Because those tools come from a variety of places, IBM® Lotus® Foundations is flexible and works with your existing IT infrastructure.
For more information, please visit IBM's Lotus Foundations site.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
EGL - Enterprise Generation Language
This week I am taking a course on using EGL with Rational Business Developer and thought I might tell you a little about EGL.
EGL, which stands for Enterprise Generation Language, was developed by IBM as a high level, platform-independent business programming language. Basically, EGL is abstracted a level above programming languages like Java and COBOL. The generator and compiler work together to actually write the required source code (e.g. Java, JavaScript, Ajax, COBOL, SOAP, etc.) in all the required languages for the specified runtime environment(s). Thus, the developer works in EGL and doesn't worry as much about the underlying languages. This can and will radically simplify development.
I am definitely the kind of person who shies away from code generators, so I assure you that this is different. Rather than generating code, you are writing code which in turn generates the appropriate code for the runtime environment. This means you write once, but generate as needed and allow the EGL compiler to handle the specifics of each environment.
Just as COBOL and FORTRAN reduced the use of Assembly Language, EGL will reduce the need to code for every platform and network.
EGL achieves platform independence by compiling EGL program specifications into the languages that provide support for the desired runtime platform.
EGL, which stands for Enterprise Generation Language, was developed by IBM as a high level, platform-independent business programming language. Basically, EGL is abstracted a level above programming languages like Java and COBOL. The generator and compiler work together to actually write the required source code (e.g. Java, JavaScript, Ajax, COBOL, SOAP, etc.) in all the required languages for the specified runtime environment(s). Thus, the developer works in EGL and doesn't worry as much about the underlying languages. This can and will radically simplify development.
I am definitely the kind of person who shies away from code generators, so I assure you that this is different. Rather than generating code, you are writing code which in turn generates the appropriate code for the runtime environment. This means you write once, but generate as needed and allow the EGL compiler to handle the specifics of each environment.
Just as COBOL and FORTRAN reduced the use of Assembly Language, EGL will reduce the need to code for every platform and network.
EGL achieves platform independence by compiling EGL program specifications into the languages that provide support for the desired runtime platform.
Monday, June 1, 2009
How a tactical HATS solution became a strategic asset - A Customer Story
My esteemed colleague and friend Kenny Smith is presenting at the Rational Software Conference this week in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
Kenny's presentation is titled "How a tactical HATS solution became a strategic asset - A Customer Story" and deals with how he and his team brought value and cost-savings to TSYS, a powerhouse in the financial industry.
Kenny's presentation is this Wednesday morning, June 3, at 11:15 am.
Kenny is the owner of Strongback Consulting, a leader in many IBM products. We've worked together over the years and his ability to synthesize new technologies into new solutions is amazing. He's also a dynamic and humble public speaker.
If you're at the Rational Software Conference, I encourage you to attend his presentation.
The following is a synopsis of his presentation.
Learn how one customer stemmed revenue loss, and is now reaching into new accounts using Host Access Transformation Services (HATS) to transform their 3270 green screen application to a modern, easy to use Web application. HATS gives you the tools needed to extend your 3270 and 5250 applications to the Web, portlets, rich clients, browsers on mobile devices, or as Web services without changing the underlying green screen application code. This session will include an introduction to HATS followed by a case study on how Total System Services, Inc. (TSYS), a provider of electronic payment services, extended their 3270 credit card processing application to the Web quickly, with low development costs, reduced training time, and high end user satisfaction.
Kenny's presentation is titled "How a tactical HATS solution became a strategic asset - A Customer Story" and deals with how he and his team brought value and cost-savings to TSYS, a powerhouse in the financial industry.
Kenny's presentation is this Wednesday morning, June 3, at 11:15 am.
Kenny is the owner of Strongback Consulting, a leader in many IBM products. We've worked together over the years and his ability to synthesize new technologies into new solutions is amazing. He's also a dynamic and humble public speaker.
If you're at the Rational Software Conference, I encourage you to attend his presentation.
The following is a synopsis of his presentation.
Learn how one customer stemmed revenue loss, and is now reaching into new accounts using Host Access Transformation Services (HATS) to transform their 3270 green screen application to a modern, easy to use Web application. HATS gives you the tools needed to extend your 3270 and 5250 applications to the Web, portlets, rich clients, browsers on mobile devices, or as Web services without changing the underlying green screen application code. This session will include an introduction to HATS followed by a case study on how Total System Services, Inc. (TSYS), a provider of electronic payment services, extended their 3270 credit card processing application to the Web quickly, with low development costs, reduced training time, and high end user satisfaction.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Good Guys
This past week I was visiting a client overseas. I have done only a small amount of work for this client as my role has been to advise and do limited research. I am quite comfortable doing this, as each client has different requirements and levels of experience. This client is exceptionally experienced and just needed some pointers and ideas.
During my visit, my client took the time to show me how each area of my work contributed to their latest product release. I was flattered and appreciative that a client, especially one in the software development market themselves, would be so generous with their time and share how my work directly aided them in delivering their product. This is way beyond what I could expect.
This meeting said two things to me. First, that my work, however limited, added real value. More importantly, it said something about this client. Their actions speak to the kind of people they are. Although they did the heavy lifting, they were mindful of each participant in the development process, including me. Usually I am the project leader; thanking everyone for their contributions. This time I was being thanked. It is nice to collaborate with such fine people.
The client's name is Mainsoft, a leading provider of interoperability software products for Windows and open systems. My work focused on their SharePoint Integrator product, which integrates Lotus Notes and Sharepoint. Among their many rich and varied integration offerings are products integrating Rational and Websphere with .NET and Sharepoint environments.
During my visit, my client took the time to show me how each area of my work contributed to their latest product release. I was flattered and appreciative that a client, especially one in the software development market themselves, would be so generous with their time and share how my work directly aided them in delivering their product. This is way beyond what I could expect.
This meeting said two things to me. First, that my work, however limited, added real value. More importantly, it said something about this client. Their actions speak to the kind of people they are. Although they did the heavy lifting, they were mindful of each participant in the development process, including me. Usually I am the project leader; thanking everyone for their contributions. This time I was being thanked. It is nice to collaborate with such fine people.
The client's name is Mainsoft, a leading provider of interoperability software products for Windows and open systems. My work focused on their SharePoint Integrator product, which integrates Lotus Notes and Sharepoint. Among their many rich and varied integration offerings are products integrating Rational and Websphere with .NET and Sharepoint environments.
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