At COMMON in Reno, Nev., yesterday, LANSA announced iFusion.net, a new solution that combines IBM and Microsoft technologies to form a unified architecture that enables organizations to fuse their tailor-made legacy systems with Microsoft solutions like the 2007 Microsoft Office System, Office SharePoint Server 2007 and Microsoft SQL Server or applications built with the .NET Framework. Achieving fusion means going beyond the limits of previous interoperability solutions-like refacing, data replication, or file transfer-to create true composite applications that deliver real time enterprise data and functionality to people as they need it, the company said.
Many organizations that run their core enterprise applications on IBM i servers also use a variety of Microsoft products around the edge. However, these technologies are often incompatible, meaning silos are created, data flow is obstructed, and end-users get frustrated. While each system serves a useful purpose, operating in a mixed environment incurs hidden costs and complexities that hinder business efficiency. LANSA has kept a foot in the IBM and Microsoft camps for more than a decade, and iFusion.net is a software development platform that unites these two very different worlds.
"Back in 1987, when we created the LANSA platform, every customer ran their critical applications on AS/400 servers," said Pete Draney, director and CEO of LANSA. "Today, most of our customers still have an IBM i server at the core, but we recognize that many have also made big investments in Microsoft products and skills. iFusion.net has been developed specifically for organizations who are running this mixed-mode environment, so they can concentrate on extracting value from their resources, rather than forcing everyone and everything to a common standard. This mixed mode environment is everywhere you look, so we hope that our neutral approach is something that everyone in the IT department can finally agree upon and move forward with-because end-users are getting tired of waiting," said Draney.
For the IT manager, a fused environment means that new applications are delivered faster, and at a lower cost, by reusing existing skills and resources. Application developers can enjoy the simplicity of a single skill-set that shields them from the peculiarities of the underlying technologies associated with IBM i and Microsoft. Business executives will get better access to data to improve decision-making and increase the fidelity of business intelligence throughout their organizations.
iFusion.net employs a repository-based architecture to ensure that rules governing database transactions are centrally maintained and enforced by all programs regardless of the platform or development language (C#, VB.NET, RPG, COBOL, LANSA, Synon, SQL, PHP). The result is zero duplication of business rules, tighter security, faster performance and more assured data integrity for organizations that depend on DB2 and SQL databases. This pragmatic approach is especially attractive to IT departments that run IBM i servers and have limited resources with which to modernize their core systems.
The demand to build on the iFusion.net platform is strong because of the many potential touch points between an IBM i system and Microsoft solutions. LANSA President Steve Gapp and Product Marketing Manager Dave Brault briefed MC Press Online at COMMON as to the types of challenges in which a company might utilize iFusion.net. Some of the most commonly found scenarios include the following:
Steve Gapp, left, and Dave Brault at COMMON in Reno, Nev., this week where LANSA announced iFusion.net.
• Fusing an eCommerce Web site built using ASP.NET to an IBM i ERP system, thereby publishing up-to-the-second inventory and pricing information along with the straight-through processing of orders.
• Drilling down to, and amending, live operational data on the IBM i database (DB2) directly from a Microsoft Windows--or Web-based dashboard, without having to launch a separate terminal session or window.
• Improving collaboration and workflow automation by combining tasks that require both Windows and IBM i functionality into a Microsoft SharePoint enterprise portal with a single sign-on.
• Giving Microsoft Visual Studio and .NET Framework developers the authority to perform Create, Read, Update and Delete transactions on the core databases without risk of jeopardizing data integrity or security.
iFusion.net supports multiple levels of interoperability between IBM i and Microsoft enterprise software, allowing organizations to reduce their development backlog, standardize their application infrastructure, and streamline their IT skills base.
"Microsoft and LANSA are committed to bringing value to their joint customers," said Kim Akers, general manager for worldwide ISVs at Microsoft. "iFusion.net is a big jump forward for IBM i system customers, enabling them to extend and modernize their back office systems," said Akers. "Customers using LANSA's new iFusion solution will be able to maximize the value of their systems with flexible and cost-effective development and deployment options that bring the value of the Microsoft platform forward.
For more information visit www.iFusion.net.
About LANSA
LANSA is a leading provider of application development, modernization and integration software. LANSA's powerful suite of cross-platform development tools lets organizations overcome the complexity inherent in creating and maintaining business applications. LANSA's integrated tool set is also the technology foundation for a wide range of business solutions from LANSA and over 300 Business Partners. Established in 1987, LANSA supports thousands of companies around the world with its products and services. For more information, visit www.lansa.com .
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