Other Issues

Highlights: IUC'02 Highlights, Exec Summits, IDS 9.4 Beta, Webcast Update, Four Js Training, Referral Extended, and More...

Welcome to the International Informix Users Group (IIUG) Insider! It contains timely and relevant information for the IBM Informix community.

Contents:

1. The 2002 Informix User Conference from Within
   
2. Janet Perna's Executive Summits Coming to a USA Cities
   
3. IDS 9.4 Beta - Last Call
   
4. IBM Informix Products Sold & Supported by IBM PartnerWorld for Developers
   
5. Webcast - Ask-the-Developer Webcast on Client SDK APIs - 26 September
   
6. Four J's Offers Discount to IIUG Members for Training in North America
   
7. IIUG Membership Referral Program Extended through 27 September 2002
   
8. Special Upcoming Event Note: Washington DC Forum 2002
   
9. Useful Links
   
10. Closing and Credits
    

The 2002 Informix User Conference from Within

This Insider will only even begin to cover what all happened in almost a week's time. However, there will soon be an official recap in the IIUG Conferences Corner [http://www.iiug.org/calendar/conference_corner.html] and a "highlight" on www.iiug.org to catch your eye. And yet, we believe the following tidbits are of special interest:

• 2003 IIUG Board has been installed and is already hard at work.
  More at: http://www.iiug.org/members/election/new_board_2003.html
   
• The 2002 IIUG Directors Awards were presented to Carlton Doe and Art Kagel.
  More at: http://www.iiug.org/members/directors_award.html
   
• Mark Scranton valiantly made the case for enhancing IDS' marketing visibility from the perspective of our bits and bytes membership to a star-studded panel of IBM Data Management executives.
   

Here is a selection of quotes from IIUG members who attended IUC'02:

"It was great to hear from the IDS dev team and listen to their plans to improve IDS, and bring DB2 tools to IDS in future revisions. I found them to be an open and honest group, as techies are..." Chris St. Aubin, Reebok.

"It was great to finally meet the members of the IUGLC that I hear from on a regular basis through email. Sharing information on the challenges faced by other local user groups provided new ideas to use for the AZIUG." Deborah Decorrevont, Choice Hotels.

"The message was loud and clear that Informix has now been completely integrated into IBM and all Informix products are now a part of the IBM product family." Syed Kamal, Gillani, Inc.

However, the event was very different from the traditional glitzy Informix conferences. IBM Learning Services, the organizer, created an eminently educational event, while IBM Data Management assisted with speakers. This wasn't a platform for product launches or big marketing fluff. Good party, though!

Janet Perna's Executive Summits Coming to a USA Cities

Invite your company's IT executives to an IBM Data Management Executive Summit featuring Janet Perna and get them exposed to IBM's thought leadership, strategy & direction around data and information management, including Informix products.

Janet is IBM Data Management Solutions Vice President and General Manager, and one of the most influential personalities in the software world.

IBM's invitation reads as follows:

"As companies become e-businesses, they are finding that information is central to redefining the relationship between their company and its customers and suppliers. Transforming core-business processes like customer relationship or supply chain management dictates that they leverage information and the web to help grow revenues, enhance service, and improve efficiency."

"Leveraging information starts with managing e-business transactions and includes analyzing information to gain insight. It also means managing the rich data formats - images, documents, video, audio - that define e-business today. Finally, it means delivering comprehensive, relevant information throughout portals to diverse, expanding audiences - customers, suppliers and employees."

"IBM's data management offerings, including the Informix product portfolio, play a central role and help customers leverage information. This event reviews IBM's experiences, offerings and directions for helping companies leveraging information to gain competitive advantage."

The dates and locations for these Executive Summits are:

For more information, please send e-mail to ExecEvent@IIUG.org.

IDS 9.4 Beta - Last Call

IBM's IDS team is looking for additional 9.40 beta sites specifically in North America. The beta program is targeted to start mid October and end mid January. Beta sites have the ability to influence the IDS product quality and direction and will be in direct contact with Development during the program.

Platforms/OS supported:

• AIX 5.1 32 bit
   
• HP-UX 11.0 64 bit
   
• Solaris 2.6, 7 and 8 32 bit
   
• Windows 2000
   

Requirements:

• Be a IDS 7 or 9 customer
   
• 1 engineer for duration of program
   
• Provide and follow detailed test plan, participate in a weekly call
   
• Be willing to act as a reference
   

If you are interested, please contact Helene Tur (650-926-6011, turh@us.ibm.com) no later than 27 September 2002.

IBM Informix Products Sold & Supported by IBM PartnerWorld for Developers

IBM has informed us that Informix developers worldwide can now order Informix and IBM software through the PartnerWorld for Developers (PWD) Software Mall, and obtain support through PartnerWorld for Developers Technical Support.

These offerings are part of the ongoing migration of Informix's Solution Alliance Program into PartnerWorld for Developers.

By purchasing the PWD Value Package for Developers, business partners get the following:

• Access to the Software Mall, where they can order Informix products, and all other IBM software for development and certification at significantly discounted prices.
   
• Access to the PWD Hardware Mall, where they can purchase discounted IBM hardware.
   
• Marketing collateral templates
   

For more information on the PWD Value Package for Developers, please visit:

http://www.developer.ibm.com/welcome/guide2002/valuepackage.html

The Middleware Technical Support Value Option Package offers:

• $2400 unlimited email support (prices may vary in some countries)
   
• $3600 unlimited email and voice support (prices may vary in some countries)
   

All Informix technologies will be supported by PWD, along with all DB2 and WebSphere applications with the purchase of this offering.

For more information, on the Middleware Technical Support Value Option Package, please visit:

http://www.developer.ibm.com/welcome/guide2002/charges.html

Webcast - Ask-the-Developer Webcast on Client SDK APIs - 26 September

IIUG's webcast series, in collaboration with IBM, continues next week with a highly technical conference titled "Getting the Best Performance from the IBM Informix API Products".

This presentation will focus on how to reduce data processing time between client and server (and vice versa). Since the physical transfer of data to and from the server accounts for the lion's share of this time, emphasis is placed on optimization settings that ensure faster performance. To provide a rough estimate of how a particular optimization setting performs (under conditions where that setting is isolated as much as possible from other factors), some test results will be presented. Such topics as code-set and data-type conversion, object handling, and client-server communication will also be covered.

To find the meeting time in your location, please see the World Clock Meeting Planner: http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/meeting.html

For additional information, please visit http://www.iiug.org.

Four J's Offers Discount to IIUG Members for Training in North America

IIUG and Four J's are pleased to provide IIUG members with a 15% discount on Four J's Development Tools training.

Courses are available in Dallas, Texas, on the following dates:

• 8-9 October: Four J's BDS Fundamentals
   
• 10-11 October: Developing Four J's Web and Web Service Applications
   

For developers, trainers, and consultants, these courses will provide the core skills necessary to develop BDS applications that run seamlessly across Internet, Windows, and Web Services platforms. Both classes assume basic knowledge of 4GL development and prepare attendees for future certification testing. They are also appropriate for business partners who wish to provide licensed training as a Four J's business partner.

Please see http://www.4js.com/fourjs/site/news.shtml?eve_id=5 for more information and a brief description of each course. To receive a registration packet, please email: training@4jsamerica.com.

IIUG Membership Referral Program Extended through 27 September 2002

Get your last referrals in and improve your chances to pick among the nicer IIUG mementos. Here is the list to choose from:

For more info, please see http://www.iiug.org/referral/

Special Upcoming Event Note: Washington DC Forum 2002

Don't miss this year's East Coast premier IBM Informix event. Forum 2002 will be held 8-9 November in Falls Church, Virginia. Note that Art Kagel will be presented the IIUG Directors Award there. For details, interested members and prospective exhibitors should visit http://www.iiug.org/waiug.

Useful Links *** Newly Update by Popular Demand ***

Closing and Credits

The International Informix Users Group (IIUG) is an organization designed to enhance communications between IBM and its worldwide user community. IIUG now exceeds 15,000 members 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.

Sources:	IIUG Board of Directors
Editors:	David Smith, IIUG Board of Directors Fred Hubbard, IIUG Managing Director Paul Etcheverry, IIUG Editor
For comments, please send an email to ug@iiug.org.