You can't be sure your software applications work properly without testing them. Solutions available for the IBM i help automate the testing process. But there are issues.

Written by John Ghrist

Before any software application is ready for sale or deployment, it has to be tested to make sure it works as intended. Although you personally have probably seen some software that seemed like it might not have followed that path, a majority of applications, whether homegrown or offered for commercial sale, must have some testing behind them.

Companies interested in improving their IT department's effectiveness recognize ITIL's contribution in optimizing IT processes and thereby providing better service for their users.

Written by Philippe Magne

Editor's note: This article is an extraction from the free white paper "ARCAD and the ITIL Framework," which is available at the MC White Paper Center.

Companies that are concerned about the effectiveness of their IT organizations can take advantage of best practices models such as the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL), the Capability Maturity Model (CMM), and Control Objectives for Information and related Technology (COBIT) to help them evaluate and improve their processes. Let's take a look at the advantages of adopting the ITIL framework in your organization.

ISVs and enterprises must move forward, while leveraging their existing knowledge and investments.

By Greg Schottland

Editor's Note: This article is excerpted from the white paper "The System i Challenge," which is available free from the MC White Paper Center.

The System i (formerly known as iSeries and AS/400) is a midrange platform produced by IBM. In the '90s, the AS/400 platform became one of IBM's greatest success stories. A symbiotic relationship between platforms and independent software vendors (ISVs) proved to be a critical success factor for both the platform and the application providers. The value propositions of the System i platform and the advantage over alternatives led thousands of enterprises and ISVs to develop vertical applications based on System i and to put their trust into and base their future on this environment. It was the golden age of the platform, and new vertical solutions were created one after the other.

If you implement minimal testing practices, you can only expect minimal testing results.

By Ryan Lloyd

Many organizations are motivated to conduct testing and employ test professionals only because testing is a necessary part of software engineering. Acting out of necessity, organizations also tend to lean quite heavily on the de facto standard ways of performing testing activities, often relying on practices that have been in place and unchallenged for years. The problem with testing motivated by necessity and the enforcement of generic practices and standards is that many testing practices simply do not align with modern development methodologies or an organization's culture.

What is the IBM partner program? Why is it important to you, the customer? And what is the best way to find and select an IBM Business Partner?