Rochester has quietly unveiled four key enhancements to Client Access/400 for Windows 95 that benefit both RISC and CISC customers. These enhancements will keep our Windows 95 clients moving and will prepare us for the role NT will probably play as the future desktop environment of choice. At the same time, these same announcements help CA/400 fight off competitive attacks from Microsoft’s SNA Server. Here’s what IBM has offered.
Enhancement 1: AnyNet APPC over TCP/IP. A lot of client/server code has been written specifically to SNA/APPC APIs. These APIs include EHNAPPC, CPI-C, and WINAPPC. However, many sites are shifting to TCP/IP. To prevent a massive re-write of user code, IBM is providing AnyNet to the Windows 95 client. The result will be that the Win95 client will be able to execute those APPC calls seamlessly, without modification.
Enhancement 2: E-Mail Support. In addition, IBM integrated CA/400 for Win95 with the AnyMail/400 Mail Server frameworks by embedding the Microsoft Mail API (MAPI) into the client. As a result, CA/400 for Win95 users can now exchange E-mail directly with PC-based mail clients such as Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Notes, and Lotus cc:Mail, as well as OfficeVision. This enhances the ability of the AS/400 to act as an organization’s electronic post office. Prior to this enhancement, the only means of connecting these clients was through an SMTP gateway.
Enhancement 3: Dial-Up AS/400 Access. The announcement also provides CA/400 for Win95 with dial-up access to the AS/400 using a simple asynchronous modem. This is accomplished with a SLIP module that interfaces directly with Windows 95 communications services.
Enhancement 4: Unity. Finally, CA/400 for Win95 will sport some of the long- awaited fruits of Rochester’s Unity project. Unity gives CA/400 for Win95 an Explorer-
like interface to many OS/400 functions (see “Still Waiting for Unity?” in this issue). These include Spool File access, OS/400 messages, and printer and job management. Now that Unity is on the Windows 95 client, look for it to appear as well on an enhanced beta version of CA/400 for Windows 95 and NT. A “second release” of Unity with even more functions will also appear on the final ship version of the 95/NT client during the first quarter of 1997.
Business users want new applications now. Market and regulatory pressures require faster application updates and delivery into production. Your IBM i developers may be approaching retirement, and you see no sure way to fill their positions with experienced developers. In addition, you may be caught between maintaining your existing applications and the uncertainty of moving to something new.
IT managers hoping to find new IBM i talent are discovering that the pool of experienced RPG programmers and operators or administrators with intimate knowledge of the operating system and the applications that run on it is small. This begs the question: How will you manage the platform that supports such a big part of your business? This guide offers strategies and software suggestions to help you plan IT staffing and resources and smooth the transition after your AS/400 talent retires. Read on to learn:
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