IIUG Insider (Issue #29)
13 June 2003
Other Issues
Highlights: Jerry's Report, IIUG Job Board, IDS for LINUX on the Mainframe, and More...
Welcome to the International Informix Users Group (IIUG) Insider! Designed
for IIUG members and Informix user group leaders, this publication contains
timely and relevant information for the IBM Informix community.
Contents:
- IIUG President Updates the Membership
- Jobs Posting Facility Slated For Implementation July 1
- IDS 9.4 Now Runs on Mainframe Linux
- IBM Data Management Conference (Las Vegas) - Update
- Got a Sales Question or Problem? Ask IBM Informix!
- IIUG's U2 Discussion Forum
- IBM Updates Informix Courses for IDS 9.4
- IBM Informix Screen Saver Ready!
- WebSphere Road Show Launched
- Useful Links
- Closing and Credits
IIUG President Updates the Membership
Upon adjourning the recent IIUG Board meeting in San Francisco, California, IIUG President, Jerry Hamilton, sharpened his pencil and began writing his latest update to the membership. Here it is, in its full glory:
Tuesday, June 10, 2003
Hello from San Francisco! I thought now would be a good time for me to update everyone on the current happenings of the IIUG Board of Directors. As the Board concludes their meetings here in San Francisco, I have a lot to tell you about. Our meeting goals were to establish a solid business plan for 2004, as well as, reviewing and strengthening IIUG's working relationship with all divisions of IBM.
I had created a full agenda with tight timelines and I'm really proud of the Board for all their hard work and dedication to working to completion on all agenda items. Our schedule included early start times and late ending times, as well as, a meeting on Saturday night! Nevertheless, the Board accepted the challenge and I'm happy to say that we had a successful meeting and accomplished our goals.
One of our first orders of business was to fill a vacant Board seat. The Board approved a motion to appointment Chris St. Aubin. Chris is a long-time, recognized Informix user from Reebok, in the State of Massachusetts, USA. You may remember Chris from our Board elections last summer. Chris came up just short in our elections last year, so we felt you would approve of his appointment to the Board.
Usually during this Board meeting we elect a new Board President. Due to a heavy professional workload I pulled out of the Presidential elections. Fred Hubbard, recently appointed to the Board, has decided to place his name on the Presidential ballot. Fred's business relationship with IBM will end on 30 June and he will begin to occupy a Board seat on 1 July. The Board will elect a new President during the week of 7 July. Stay tuned.
One of our biggest challenges during this Board meeting was to build our 2004 Business Plan. Not only did we need to plan for 2004, but we also had to review 2003 to date, what worked and what didn't. We also wanted to make sure we didn't omit any new worthwhile ideas for the coming year. The Board worked together and composed a list of tactics in support of our mission statement. Some initiatives are new; some are the same reliable ones that work great every year. We will present our 2004 Business Plan to IBM on July 1st.
On Monday afternoon the Board met various IBM representatives, including Tom Rosamilia, Paul Rivot, Sue Riley, Sharon Thompson, Glenda Albertson, Jonathan Leffler, Shaun Moe and Omkar Nimbalkar. During six productive meeting hours, we learned about WebSphere EGL, the IBM business culture, the IBM DB2 Information Management marketing organization, projects that the IIUG and IBM could work on together, IBM's 2004 plans for Informix marketing and the marketing campaigns planned for the second half of 2003. As a result of these meetings we think we have achieved the best working relationship with IBM that IIUG ever had!
During the next several months we'll be spending a great deal of time working with IBM Learning Services building the agenda and creating sessions for the Data Management Technical Conference, which is scheduled for the October in Las Vegas. From what I've seen so far, it truly looks like an outstanding event. It's never too early to start making plans to attend and take advantage of the $150 IIUG member discount. The Board is making arrangements for our traditional Informix Users Group Leadership Council meeting and the IIUG Annual General Meeting. We'll refine our logistics and agenda this month and communicate them to you shortly. As it is now traditional, this Tech Conference will be a great opportunity for our local leaders to meet IBM Exec's and many of the current Board members.
Best wishes.
Jerry Hamilton
IIUG President
president@iiug.org
Jobs Posting Facility Slated For Implementation July 1
In a recent IIUG satisfaction survey, quite a few members expressed interest in an IIUG hosted facility to post job openings and contact information for Informix job candidates. ENews is happy to report that the foundation work for this endeavor has been laid, that its testing has begun, and that the IIUG's online job board launch is planned for 1 July 2003.
Online forms developed for collecting information on current openings offered by employer members and job candidate information volunteered by members will be tested and refined to include member feedback over the course of the next few weeks.
IIUG hopes that this facility will evolve into a dynamic and active location for job opportunities and interested members to connect. A link will be featured on the IIUG home page so that members may log in and access the forms to submit the appropriate information. As with any new technology venture, the IIUG will seek feedback on how to further develop this facility to maximize its value and function.
IDS 9.4 Now Runs on Mainframe Linux
IBM announced the availability of Informix Dynamic Server 9.4 Enterprise Edition, ISA 1.5, CSDK 2.81 and Informix 4GL on Linux for zSeries on 10 June, 2003.
The announcement said: "IDS on Linux for zSeries is a great marriage of technologies each working to provide the robustness, scalability and reliability that customers demand. IDS 9.40 is the first IBM database engine to fully exploit the large memory, 64-bit capabilities of the Linux kernel on zSeries, and provides an excellent upgrade path for our Linux customers and customers on prior software platforms who need a high-performance, Internet-scalable data management system. It also offers great benefits for customers looking to consolidate or centralize their data processing environments."
More information is available at http://www.iiug.org/news/articles/IDS_LINUX_for_zSeries.html, including:
- Why Linux for zSeries?
- Why IDS on Linux for zSeries? and
- Identifying Opportunities
IBM Data Management Conference (Las Vegas) - Update
Mark your calendar for the 2003 IBM Data Management Technical Conference: 27-31 October in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA! This event will include over 100 Informix sessions as well as many others in support of other IBM software products.
As it is now traditional, IIUG will host special events at this conference, including the IIUG Leadership Council meeting, its Annual General Meeting and a special usability lab for WebSphere 4GL.
Take advantage of the special $150 registration discount. Just remember to select "IIUG Member" under "Attendee Type" in the online registration form. For additional information, please visit the IIUG Conferences Corner at http://www.iiug.org/calendar/conferenindex.php.
Got a Sales Question or Problem? Ask IBM Informix!
Over two years ago, IBM launched an e-mail address intended to provide answers to questions related to the acquisition of Informix Software: ibmifmx@us.ibm.com. Once the acquisition was complete, the same address offered answers to non-technical questions related to the integration of Informix Software into IBM Data Management Solutions.
At the present time, ibmifmx@us.ibm.com accepts questions and delivers answers with fierce resolve to questions of all natures, including technical, sales, support, education, etc.
This address is available from www.iiug.org through a highlight on the IIUG homepage which triggers a new e-mail message window copying IIUG. We encourage you to use this facility as it integrates IIUG into your inquiry and response process.
IIUG's U2 Discussion Forum
Did you know that there is an U2 e-mail discussion list that you can participate in when you join the IIUG? In fact, IBM's U2 team has started working with IIUG to better support this list and explore other initiatives to offer more value to the worldwide U2 community, such as adding U2 content at IIUG's local user group meetings.
IIUG would like to invite all U2 users to become members of IIUG. This is indeed a timely moment as IIUG's recruitment drive is under way. Please join at no charge by going to http://www.iiug.org/join then subscribe to the "u2-list". Once an IIUG member, you can refer other U2 fans to IIUG and win prizes. Details on the IIUG Referral Program may be found at http://www.iiug.org.
IBM Updates Informix Courses for IDS 9.4
Nicole Silvia Hayes, of IBM DB2 Information Management Skills Opportunity Development and Awareness forwarded ENews the following announcement:
IBM has recently updated three of its most popular IBM Informix courses for IDS 9.4, presenting an enhanced opportunity to upgrade your skill set and maximize your IDS investment. These updates apply to the following courses:
- FN757, IBM Informix Advanced Structured Query Language;
- L2578, IBM Informix Dynamic Server Internal Architecture; and
- L2935, Migrating form IBM Informix Dynamic Server 7.x to 9.x.
For schedules and more information please visit: http://www-3.ibm.com/services/learning/us/catalog/db2/?informix
IBM Informix Screen Saver Ready!
The screen saver was designed by IBM's Informix and DB2 development teams with IIUG input to depict the integration of the best parts or IDS, XPS, Red Brick, DB2 and new technology into what Informix had called the "Arrowhead" vision of the next-generation platform for e-business database computing.
It runs for approximately two minutes, building the road map of the next-generation DB2 while your personal computer rests. Find this screen saver at
http://www.ibm.com/informix and download it free of charge.
WebSphere Road Show Launched
IBM has invited IIUG members to attend their online WebSphere-Express roadshow and learn how the new set of Express software and the IBM WebSphere-Express Enablement Program can help accelerate time to market.
Get an overview of the midmarket business landscape from analyst Amy Wohl. Learn about IBM WebSphere Application Server-Express and IBM WebSphere Portal-Express. Discover business partner opportunities, starting with the innovative WebSphere-Express Enablement Program. Hear what early-adopter IBM Business Partners say about their WebSphere-Express solutions for the midmarket and why they have invested in WebSphere-Express.
Get the facts on IBM WebSphere-Express and the Express Enablement Program by attending the roadshow online at http://www.ibm.com/software/info1/websphere/partners/expressroadshow/index.jsp.
P.S.: IIUG has learned that WebSphere Application Server-Express has been integrated with IDS 7.1 and 9.3, while WebSphere Portal-Express will be integrated with IDS in the very near future.
Useful Links
In response to your input, we have created a new page on the IIUG web site containing all the links we used to include. Please find it at:
http://www.iiug.org/quicklinks.html.
Closing and Credits
The International Informix Users Group (IIUG) is an organization
designed to enhance communications between IBM and its worldwide
user community. IIUG's membership database now exceeds 17,000
entries and enjoys the support and commitment of IBM's Data
Management division. Key programs include local user groups and
special interest groups, which we promote and assist from launch
through growth.
