1. Is IBM Planning a Big Layoff?

While small numbers of employees have been getting laid off beginning prior to the holidays, a larger layoff is rumored.

2. Frank Soltis, Father of AS/400, Retires from IBM

Soltis' views on system architecture and his unique approach to protecting business software assets led to the most successful commercial computer platform in history. By Chris Smith The man known as the father of the System i and tod

3. Eaton Taps IBM for Vehicles Driven by Fluid Power

UPS to test trucks that cut fuel use by 50 percent.

4. Dick Bains, IBM S/38 Giant, Dead at 64

One of a team of three that included Frank Soltis and Roy Hoffman, Bains helped design the S/38 and subsequent IBM architectures. By Chris Smith Dick Bains, one of the original team of three engineers to develop the IBM S/38, has died.

5. MC Press Online Hosts Rare Webcast Video Detailing IBM Smart Business

The Webcast explains how the new IBM Smart Business platform strategy and IBM Smart Market , combined with solutions from IBM partners like EXTOL International, make it easier than ever to locate, acquire, and manage business solutions.

6. IBM Positions Lotus Sametime Unyte for a Global Audience

Product enhancements and a worldwide distribution agreement signal a move to ramp up Web conferencing. By Chris Smith The downturn in the economy, increased energy costs, and emphasis on green technology in order to reduce our collectiv

7. Tell Your Life's Story with Network Diagramming Software

The question is, were you born with--or without--talent? By Chris Smith Since your life is inextricably intertwined with the enterprise network, isn't it true that if you created a diagram of the network it would be almost the same th

8. Zend Releases New Version of Zend Framework

This version includes a new DB2/400 adapter that makes it easier to access data on IBM i. By Chris Smith Developers who were adventurous enough to try to develop Web applications on IBM i using PHP and Zend Framework often ran into a fe

9. IBM's Investment in Unified Communications Is Paying Off

Large companies are signing up to equip their employees and partners with integrated communication solutions based on IBM Lotus Sametime. By Chris Smith With all of this software that IBM now offers, one might wonder what the hottest-se

10. Key Management Appliance Takes Security to a New Level

A new solution from Patrick Townsend Security Solutions marks a giant step forward in encryption key management. By Chris Smith I was listening to a presentation on security and encryption key management at last summer's OCEAN confe

11. Identity Management Solutions Evolve Toward Broader Acceptance

As solutions become easier to implement and maintain, the presence of compliance regulations coupled with rising external threats will likely drive their widespread adoption. By Chris Smith In earlier columns in MC Systems Insight and M

12. Google Poised to Launch Video and Voice Chat Service

Gmail users soon will be able to launch a video session as easily as they send an instant message. By Chris Smith Back in the early '90s, I used to work for Verizon when it was known as GTE. The company was in the process of compute

13. IBM's STG Unit to Cut Workers

Some 200 employees will get pink slips but some may find jobs elsewhere in the company.

14. Password Profiler 2 Creates Order from Chaos

A new release of a popular utility for managing and securing passwords provides a place to store all your personal information. By Chris Smith I have written in the past of the importance of having solid passwords to protect your data. I

15. IBM Honors Data Champions

MC Press author Roger E. Sanders among 23 individuals recognized for work helping others understand IBM technology.

16. AS/400 Champion Tom Jarosh Dies at 55

The IBM vet steered the iSeries into its dual-role of business and e-business servers while enhancing blade servers to run today's enterprise applications.

17. Is Working with the .NET Tribe a Secret to Surviving in Paradise?

LANSA's Open for .NET solution is designed to help make integrating Microsoft applications and IBM data a trouble-free experience. By Chris Smith Ever roll into work and think you're actually in Gabon on the set of Survivor? Eve

18. Security Professionals and Hackers Team Up Against Criminals

While Internet security breaches have increased noticeably of late, individual dangers are morphing into risks to entire countries. By Chris Smith The profusion of malware and the sophistication of attacks on personal, business, and now

19. Will the 2008 Presidential Election Be Derailed by Electronic Voting Machines?

Easy federal money prompted many states to move to electronic voting, a decision they are now trying to reverse. By Chris Smith Imagine you're on the Titanic. The captain has set a course across the North Atlantic that is heading st

20. Reading Between the Lines of IBM's Third-Quarter Report

Though reported revenues of older System i servers are down, the replacement Power Systems servers are doing well. By Chris Smith IBM announced new hardware and software offerings this month just before it released its third-quarter fin

21. A Good Search Engine Can Augment Business Intelligence Use

The Go! Search module in IBM Cognos 8 V4 supports unstructured data, thereby expanding a searcher's reach while enhancing the BI user's self-reliance. By Chris Smith Recent articles raise the question about the positioning of en

22. Key Teams with Avnet on Virtual Impact Assessments

Users get close-up on virtualization technology at day-long seminar.

23. Plan to Recover Files Before They're Lost

Everyone loses data sooner or later, but preparation can serve as inexpensive insurance. By Chris Smith Have you ever noticed how some of the most interesting stuff winds up in your junk email folder?   Emails come in fr

24. IBM Focuses on 'Engaging' Business Users with Latest Version of Cognos 8

New V4 is all about supporting better decision-making by supplying timely and more accurate information in a personalized way. By Chris Smith IBM Cognos last week released a new version of IBM Cognos 8 business intelligence software tha

25. Build Business Database Applications Online with Zoho Creator

Zoho adds powerful features to Zoho Creator 3.0 and introduces a new Marketplace to buy and sell the resulting Web applications. By Chris Smith There are times when you need a small application in a hurry, and you don't feel like sp

26. Bytware Sold to Private Equity Firm

Audax Group, which owns Help/Systems and recently bought PowerTech, purchased the company.

27. A New Desktop Environment May Get You Thinking out of the Box

If you have never tried a virtual desktop, you may find it's not only more comfortable to work in, but also adds a little fun and variety to your regular routine. By Chris Smith I like to think of myself as a sort of 3D kind of guy.

28. Exploring Second Life Presents Tantalizing Opportunities

As in real life, you may not find what you seek in this virtual world, but you probably will emerge with a smile and desire to return. By Chris Smith The big news this week is that there's hope--hope that I may soon have a social li

29. The World of Enterprise Content Management May Be Shaking

But it's not due to colliding protons in Switzerland. By Chris Smith IBM announced last week that it has been working with Microsoft, EMC Corp., and several other companies for the past two years to develop a specification using Web

30. Spiceworks Employs Crowdsourcing to Tap the Wisdom of the Masses

Network management software offers IT professionals access to their peers' best practices while providing a free basket of first-rate tools. By Chris Smith When aviator Steve Fossett disappeared on a solo flight over Nevada in 2007,

31. IBM Releases Lotus Symphony V1.1 as Users Begin Considering the Linux Desktop

Development teams continue to enhance Symphony as IBM bundles it with Lotus Notes and Sametime in a move to edge Microsoft off the desktop. By Chris Smith IBM Lotus released V1.1 of Symphony last week, a release that runs significantly

32. Microsoft Sleeper Silverlight Scores Olympic Knockout

Battle lines form around who will dominate emerging rich Internet applications. By Chris Smith As the 2008 Summer Olympics fade into memory and the athletes bring home the gold from what is being dubbed the "great haul of China,&qu

33. Will Google's Android Cure iPhone-Envy?

The emerging open mobile platform promises a wealth of opportunities for developers and may quench longings for Apple's tempting touch-screen device. By Chris Smith Psychologists this summer have identified a new emotional syndrome sp

34. As IBM Reaches Out to Business Partners, Will They Reach Back to IBM?

A new marketing initiative hopes to stimulate a dialogue with Business Partners and ultimately strengthen ways that IBM can support increased sales to the SMB market. By Chris Smith IBM has announced it will spend $1 billion this year o

35. Laptop Technology Comes of Age

Dell's announcement this week of new laptop designs marks the state of the art in a long and arduous road toward building the ideal portable computer. By Chris Smith This week's announcement by Dell that it's introducing a n

36. Microsoft Sleeper Silverlight Scores Olympic Knockout

Battle lines form around who will dominate emerging rich Internet applications. by Chris Smith As the 2008 Summer Olympics fade into memory and the athletes bring home the gold from what is being dubbed the "great haul of China,&qu

37. Let the Games Begin! (But Let's Watch Them on PCs)

The two hallmarks of the 2008 Olympics are that all TV broadcasts will be in high definition and that all events will be streamed live to our computers. By Chris Smith The 2008 Summer Olympic Games begin in Beijing today, and the event

38. Power Systems Off to an Impressive Start

While users may have gasped when they read that System i server revenues plummeted during the second quarter, it's all business as usual, according to the group's GM. By Chris Smith IBM Power Systems had a "great quarter,&qu

39. Does "Monitoring the System" Mean Checking Our Mental Health?

The breakdown of San Francisco's network administrator Terry Childs serves as a warning sign to us all. By Chris Smith Reading about the fall of network administrator Terry Childs in San Francisco sends a chill down my spine.

40. Isn't There Always Room for Another Promising Backup Solution?

The importance of preserving data combined with the inconvenience inherent in most backup solutions leaves room for new contenders. By Chris Smith I've chronicled my frustrations with backup software, but there's a new kid on th

41. Mobile Business Intelligence Gains Traction

After a tepid response a few years ago, mobile BI products now appear ready for prime time as larger companies look forward to benefiting from their implementation. By Chris Smith In the march toward smaller, lighter, and more portable

42. Collaborative Web Site Invites Users to Help the Visually Impaired

IBM Labs comes up with novel idea to make the Web more accessible. And we can help. By Chris Smith For some reason, when I think of the size of the World Wide Web, I think of that scene at the end of The Perfect Storm where fisherman Bobb

43. Xobni Turns Old Emails into a Useful Data Repository

The free plug-in for Outlook promises to advance the state of social networking--for good or bad. By Chris Smith There are two ways to look at email: the masculine view and the feminine view. The masculine view says that your hard drive

44. OCEAN Technical Conference Gets Users Pumped About Power Systems

The 15th annual conference drew more than 200 people for a day of educational sessions and IBM presentations. By Chris Smith The OCEAN User Group held its 15th annual Technical Conference last week and hosted in excess of 200 people who att

45. Virtualization Can Be Part of an Affordable Disaster Recovery Solution

Touted for reducing energy consumption and making efficient use of servers and floor space, virtualization can also be the foundation for a smart DR plan. By Chris Smith I don't know whether it's because of improved communicatio

46. Rochester Celebrates the 20th Anniversary of AS/400

The event presents an opportunity for reflecting on the success of a unique platform and gives rise to the question of whether it will last another decade--or perhaps longer. By Chris Smith IBM workers in Rochester, Minnesota, and their

47. Being Cute with Passwords Eventually Might Be Very Costly

Using a random-number generator, however, can give you an unbreakable password. By Chris Smith I've been writing for the past few weeks about security and encryption and ways to take care of yourself and your computer in t

48. IBM Enhances Social Networking with Lotus Connections 2.0

The new release focuses on improved customization, interoperability, and enhanced management of the user's most relevant information. By Chris Smith IBM this week released Lotus Connections 2.0, an enhanced version of what is now th

49. RoboForm Turns "Duh Password" Factor in Your Favor

Ever print out your passwords just before leaving on a trip? That's not necessary with the right password management software. By Chris Smith As I was getting ready to leave for COMMON in Nashville last spring, I wondered if I would

50. Moving from High Availability to Enterprise-wide Operational Resiliency

Having the right technologies in place after a disaster can save your data, but is that enough to save your business? By Chris Smith If you think that meeting compliance standards has been difficult and that once you get there your chances