07
Thu, Nov
7 New Articles

Case Study: BCD's WebSmart

Case Studies
Typography
  • Smaller Small Medium Big Bigger
  • Default Helvetica Segoe Georgia Times
When members of associations, labor unions, and pension organizations are given an opportunity to exercise their legal right to elect new leadership or express a preference on policy, focus on precision and detail must pervade the voting process to yield valid and indisputable tallies. The VR Election Services division of Voice Retrieval and Information Systems in Dallas, Texas, is firmly committed to conducting objective elections for hundreds of thousands of voting members of credit and labor unions, pension and retirement systems, and university alumni associations.

Solid and secure technology removes human error from the voting booth. To automate the election process, the VR Election Services business unit conducts elections using Web-based systems that are back-ended with RPG applications running on redundant IBM eServer iSeries Model 720s. These systems, developed with WebSmart from Business Computer Design, while conveniently accessible from the Web, are steadfastly secure.

VRI was founded in 1984. The company's top man in IT, John Meleky, wrote all of its production RPG applications. When VR Election Services decided to add online election services to its range of offerings, Meleky started looking for a Web application development tool that would allow him to build a Web application to run alongside VRI's legacy RPG apps on an AS/400 Model 400. He first looked at WebSphere, which, says Meleky, "...was very complex. With all the training involved and long development cycles, it didn't fit into my timeframe. We found WebSmart was a better fit to help technicians with RPG skills. It was easy to set up, and BCD provided quick-start documentation that allowed us to be productive right away. It's the easiest product to use, bar none." Unlike WebSphere, WebSmart ran well on VRI's Model 400. "WebSphere would have required a brand new machine. The upgrade alone would have cost over $60,000." Since then, VRI has upgraded to redundant iSeries Model 720s. "This was a result of support issues and had nothing to do with WebSmart," says Meleky.

A large turnout is key for each election that VR Election Services conducts, so flexibility has been designed into its voting systems. Unlike the days of paper ballots and voting boxes, VRI's technology allows members of client organizations to participate in a variety of ways. VR Election Services uses WebSmart-developed applications to handle secure login and voting, while back-end RPG applications plot the numbers. Members of organizations that subscribe to VR Election Services access these applications from paper ballots, PCs, Interactive Voice Response (IVR) units, PDAs, and other wireless devices. "All of the collected data is kept in a single and secure central data repository on the iSeries system, making it much easier to work with." Meleky, an ardent supporter of iSeries technology says, "We are doing lots of different open systems work with the iSeries, and it's all based on WebSmart. We can attain all the functionality we need to lay the groundwork for everything else."

Rapid Development

Since each VR Election Services client has different requirements, new Web sites have to be developed for each one of them. "We can now write these applications in just a couple of hours," says Meleky. Once the functional ballot pages are developed, clients test them and make any needed changes. As a result, VRI developers are able to get back into a program and change it fast. According to Meleky, "These programs are very easy to modify. Every customer has preferences on how they want information presented, so naturally we make changes after the initial ballot is completed."

Since VR Election Services conducts elections that often have far-reaching outcomes, voters must be able to cast their votes without experiencing problems. Many of the company's clients have been on board for 20 years or more, largely because they can depend on VR Election Services to conduct elections efficiently, provide ample security, and deliver accurate election results. Says Meleky, "We run multiple elections at a time, so usually at the onset of an election, the traffic is very heavy." VR Election Services handles organizations that have between 6,000 and 600,000 members. Elections may last from one week to one month. "Our largest group of elections so far included over 800,000 members." So far, says Meleky, the applications developed with WebSmart have handled enormous loads and have never failed.

Security

Before any election can be held, a valid list of current organization members must be sent to VR Election Services so access to ballots can be controlled. Federal and state regulations governing privacy are tight, and the penalties for failing to protect their information are severe. "Using the streaming file transfer functionality within WebSmart makes it very simple for clients to send this data to us. They go straight out past their firewall with a browser with a secure connection with SSL encrypting the data. We also have a secure socket coming back to WebSmart that uses 'Smurfs' to identify the client. This makes it very secure, and I don't have to spend any time on it like I would with secure FTP server."

The VR Election Services Web site also complies with Secured Access Method (SAM) specifications and those put forth by the Payment Card Industry (PCI). "WebSmart facilitates all of this," Meleky says. To further ensure system integrity, he contracted with an independent company that scans his site on a daily basis at random times to ensure that his site is hacker-safe.

Other Projects

WebSmart is now one of VRI's strategic development tools. "By keeping everything on the iSeries and by using RPG and WebSmart, it's easy for us to maintain our systems." Meleky has devised his own kiosk system, which includes touch-screen PCs with browsers that talk to the Web over a WiFi link. Again, applications developed with WebSmart handle all of the transactions. "Users have an ID and password, and the traffic is encrypted via SSL 128 encryption. WebSmart 'Smurfs' allow all of this to happen and make it secure."

Also on the workbench is a self-service site so VRI Election Services clients can handle the administration aspects of their own elections. "We are going to give customers the ability to maintain member information which, for voting purposes, will qualify or disqualify them."

By applying technology that is secure, easy to use, and easy to manage, VRI Election Services has created 21st-century voting systems that represent a giant leap forward.

Robert Gast writes about technology and business. He is the managing partner at Evant Group Chicago. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..


http://www.mcpressonline.com/articles/images/2002/092705BCDCaseS00.png

Business Computer Design, Int'l, Inc. (BCD)
Contact: Eric Figura, Director, Sales and Marketing
950 N. York Rd.
Hinsdale, IL 60521-2950
Tel: 630.986.0800
Fax: 630.986.0926
Web: www.bcdsoftware.com
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS

LATEST COMMENTS

Support MC Press Online

$

Book Reviews

Resource Center

  • SB Profound WC 5536 Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application. You can find Part 1 here. In Part 2 of our free Node.js Webinar Series, Brian May teaches you the different tooling options available for writing code, debugging, and using Git for version control. Brian will briefly discuss the different tools available, and demonstrate his preferred setup for Node development on IBM i or any platform. Attend this webinar to learn:

  • SB Profound WP 5539More than ever, there is a demand for IT to deliver innovation. Your IBM i has been an essential part of your business operations for years. However, your organization may struggle to maintain the current system and implement new projects. The thousands of customers we've worked with and surveyed state that expectations regarding the digital footprint and vision of the company are not aligned with the current IT environment.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT Generic IBM announced the E1080 servers using the latest Power10 processor in September 2021. The most powerful processor from IBM to date, Power10 is designed to handle the demands of doing business in today’s high-tech atmosphere, including running cloud applications, supporting big data, and managing AI workloads. But what does Power10 mean for your data center? In this recorded webinar, IBMers Dan Sundt and Dylan Boday join IBM Power Champion Tom Huntington for a discussion on why Power10 technology is the right strategic investment if you run IBM i, AIX, or Linux. In this action-packed hour, Tom will share trends from the IBM i and AIX user communities while Dan and Dylan dive into the tech specs for key hardware, including:

  • Magic MarkTRY the one package that solves all your document design and printing challenges on all your platforms. Produce bar code labels, electronic forms, ad hoc reports, and RFID tags – without programming! MarkMagic is the only document design and print solution that combines report writing, WYSIWYG label and forms design, and conditional printing in one integrated product. Make sure your data survives when catastrophe hits. Request your trial now!  Request Now.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericForms of ransomware has been around for over 30 years, and with more and more organizations suffering attacks each year, it continues to endure. What has made ransomware such a durable threat and what is the best way to combat it? In order to prevent ransomware, organizations must first understand how it works.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericIT security is a top priority for businesses around the world, but most IBM i pros don’t know where to begin—and most cybersecurity experts don’t know IBM i. In this session, Robin Tatam explores the business impact of lax IBM i security, the top vulnerabilities putting IBM i at risk, and the steps you can take to protect your organization. If you’re looking to avoid unexpected downtime or corrupted data, you don’t want to miss this session.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericCan you trust all of your users all of the time? A typical end user receives 16 malicious emails each month, but only 17 percent of these phishing campaigns are reported to IT. Once an attack is underway, most organizations won’t discover the breach until six months later. A staggering amount of damage can occur in that time. Despite these risks, 93 percent of organizations are leaving their IBM i systems vulnerable to cybercrime. In this on-demand webinar, IBM i security experts Robin Tatam and Sandi Moore will reveal:

  • FORTRA Disaster protection is vital to every business. Yet, it often consists of patched together procedures that are prone to error. From automatic backups to data encryption to media management, Robot automates the routine (yet often complex) tasks of iSeries backup and recovery, saving you time and money and making the process safer and more reliable. Automate your backups with the Robot Backup and Recovery Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAManaging messages on your IBM i can be more than a full-time job if you have to do it manually. Messages need a response and resources must be monitored—often over multiple systems and across platforms. How can you be sure you won’t miss important system events? Automate your message center with the Robot Message Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAThe thought of printing, distributing, and storing iSeries reports manually may reduce you to tears. Paper and labor costs associated with report generation can spiral out of control. Mountains of paper threaten to swamp your files. Robot automates report bursting, distribution, bundling, and archiving, and offers secure, selective online report viewing. Manage your reports with the Robot Report Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAFor over 30 years, Robot has been a leader in systems management for IBM i. With batch job creation and scheduling at its core, the Robot Job Scheduling Solution reduces the opportunity for human error and helps you maintain service levels, automating even the biggest, most complex runbooks. Manage your job schedule with the Robot Job Scheduling Solution. Key features include:

  • LANSA 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.

  • LANSAWhen it comes to creating your business applications, there are hundreds of coding platforms and programming languages to choose from. These options range from very complex traditional programming languages to Low-Code platforms where sometimes no traditional coding experience is needed. Download our whitepaper, The Power of Writing Code in a Low-Code Solution, and:

  • LANSASupply Chain is becoming increasingly complex and unpredictable. From raw materials for manufacturing to food supply chains, the journey from source to production to delivery to consumers is marred with inefficiencies, manual processes, shortages, recalls, counterfeits, and scandals. In this webinar, we discuss how:

  • The MC Resource Centers bring you the widest selection of white papers, trial software, and on-demand webcasts for you to choose from. >> Review the list of White Papers, Trial Software or On-Demand Webcast at the MC Press Resource Center. >> Add the items to yru Cart and complet he checkout process and submit

  • Profound Logic Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application.

  • SB Profound WC 5536Join us for this hour-long webcast that will explore:

  • Fortra 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: