Archive for June, 2006

In our lifetime to have these 8 teams left in the quarters is something else..

I’m not sure if its like this at all IBM locations, but here at the Toronto Software Lab, we have access to a live feed for the World Cup Soccer matches on our Thinkpads. I’m too busy to watch the games, but its good to have on in the background and jump back once and a while to see the score. Check out this great commercial from Adidas, its been airing throughout the World Cup. I wish I knew what song that was in the background.


Update: The making of that commercial:

Wow, I never thought I would be adding the word Geekdinner to my vocabulary, but I guess there is a first time for everything. Fellow IBMer Ed Brill is organizing a Geekdinner next week, and in his own words:

For those who have not been, the term “geekdinner” is caringly applied to IT folks of all ilk, or even IT afficionados. In other words, you don’t really have to be a geek or a nerd to attend a geekdinner. It’s just an informal way for people who participate in an electronic community to get together in meatspace.

If your interested, read his post and let him know.

I came across a solid 4 part series today, simply titled “JSF for nonbelievers”. The articles do well to dispel many of the rumours and worries surrounding JSF. While discussing the architecture and framework, the author solidifies his points through great examples.

Link to the articles

Back in May Gartner published a report on the i5 with the lackluster title “IBM i5/OS Operating System”. I’m sure upper management put pressure on Mary (Mary Hubley, the writer) to keep the article as unbiased as possible. Initially the article was only available by Gartner for $95, but now can be downloaded for free from IBM.

The article, blunt at times, is a great introduction to the i5/OS, especially for those who have had little exposure to the system. The report starts off my saying:

Even though the System i5 experienced something of a revival in 2005, Gartner has noted an ongoing decline in market share since it peaked in 2000, and recent Gartner surveys suggest this trend will continue. That is not to say that the System i5 is in its exodus; on the contrary, it is still a viable platform. IBM has done a good job to ensure this, with renewed investment in hardware and software, and it has been giving independent software vendors (ISVs) incentives to modernize their software. Customers are responding with new purchases. However, many customers are still seeking alternatives as they transfer some unessential work from aging AS/400 platforms to less expensive Windows or Linux servers. Though it has seen some improvement, IBM must work to keep customers interested.

But then goes on to say:

…IBM has renewed its interest in the System i5 … IBM recently devoted a dedicated sales team to concentrate on new System i5 customers, while another team continues to focus on selling upgrades to the installed base. IBM also started an “Initiative for Innovation Program” to encourage ISVs to modernize their applications and to deliver more applications. As a result, IBM says there are over 600 new i5/OS applications and 220 tools being developed. In addition, IBM has included essential advancements to modernize its i5/OS systems, including Linux and Windows support, clustering, LPARs and virtualization technologies. Further, IBM introduced a multimillion-dollar advertisement campaign, called “Why ‘i’? It’s Simple.” This campaign’s key message is simplicity – that the System i5 reduces complexity in the IT environment, and that it is easier for IT staff to manage a system that has had its kinks worked out by the vendor.

The article makes no mention of the recent early release of PHP (Zend Core) for the i5. Personally speaking, PHP on the i5 is ground breaking: The stability, security, strength of the i5 combined with the rapid, open development of PHP – it’s a match made in heaven. The report highlights SMBs as IBM target, but fails to realize the emerging technologies which the i5 has embraced.

The reason for using an i5 is simple; customers have seen this for years:

Through its long life span, the OS/400 operating system – now i5/OS – along with its System i5 computer line, has outlasted nearly all of its proprietary system competitors. System i5 servers have the reputation of being painless to manage and operate, cost of ownership is generally low, and enduser organizations can devote minimal IT administrators to support them. Users can often move their applications forward through multiple generations of technology change. It is just this simplicity that SMBs, IBM’s target market, are saying they want. IBM is accommodating their requests with its still simple-to-manage, yet up-to-date, line of System i5 servers.

The i5/OS, coupled with its System i5 hardware, is considered a highly reliable, secure, and high-performing product, which the respondents in the U.K. survey indicated were important. This bodes well for the System i5 and perhaps will attract some IT organizations looking to consolidate underperforming Windows, Unix, and Linux servers.

Link to report

Over the year I would go every so often to Ed Brill’s blog and read up on the latest Lotus Notes developments. Now and again I’d read a post about the new Sametime coming up, version 7.5. So fast-forward in the story: I start at IBM last week, today I’m having some problems with the current Sametime, and a college recommends the alpha version of 7.5 (This is the last Alpha version, future releases begin as Beta).

Forget the fact that I am an IBM employee, speaking as a software enthusiast, Sametime 7.5 is very impressive. Its light years ahead of the current version of Sametime and seriously rivals the best IM clients on the market today. It has all the features you’d expect in an IM client including file transfers, voice, telephony, sending announcements, etc. From what I understand it’s also extendable with plug-ins.

It’s obvious that there is a market for IM clients in the workplace, and I wouldn’t be surprised if more and more companies are becoming weary of trusting the security of Microsoft or MSN with sensitive information.

I was on course the past 4 days at 3600 Steels (IBM Canada head office) learning the basics of RPG IV V5. RPG is one of the few languages still used today that was initially designed to be used with punch cards. Over the years, IBM has continued to improve the language, starting to move away from the column oriented structure and giving the programmer powerful features including pointers, subprocedures etc.

The name should be changed though; it stands for Report Program Generator. Back in the day that would make sense, but today RPG is used for much more. I won’t be using RPG directly, but learning the native iSeries (i5) programming language is important. Follow these links to learn more about RPG and IBM Training.

This past Friday was a pretty big day: Five years of Software Engineering and Management came to a close, with a 2.5 hour Convocation Ceremony. Thirty hours of class per week, endless studying, late night programming, weekends spent at UTM library – from a schooling point of view, I guess it was worth it.

Don Pether, CEO of Dofasco was given the Honorary Degree at my convocation. That week McMaster also gave Michele Landsberg, Pat Quinn, Bob Rae, Milli Gould, Ed Buffett, M.G. Vassanji, Douglas Coleman, Ronald Bayne, and Charles and Margaret Juravinski Honorary Degrees also.

Last week was my first official week as a full-time regular at IBM. I’ll be working out of the IBM Toronto Lab as a Software (iSeries Eclipse) Developer. I’m really happy to be coming back to IBM. I had offers (o)/interviews(i) for Accenture(o), Microsoft(i), Telus Mobility(o), Google(i) and others, but my first choice was IBM. I’ll be on course this week learning the fundamentals of RPG IV Version 5.

A couple weeks ago we went to play Granite Ridge Golf Club in Milton, Ontario. Was it the high winds, rain or hail, after the third hole we decided to get a rain check and leave. This past Wednesday we went back amidst the humidity and a temperature of 41 to play our round. On the bright side we used a golf cart, which made it tolerable.

Granite Ridge is comprised of two great courses. The first is the par 70 Ruby and the second (which we played) is the par 72 Cobalt. The course is in amazing shape and is only a half hour drive out of Toronto. Green fees range in the low 40s.

By far the most difficult hole on Cobalt is the 527 yard par 5 7th hole. From the tee a drive of 245 is needed to clear the first water hazard, which runs through the fairway. The remaining 250 yards has water running along the right, with a large bunker in front of a slightly elevated green.

Overall Granite Ridge is a great course, which holds true to their slogan: “The Public Course with the Private Club Atmosphere”.