Given that the words are abroad that the number of remote workers
is increasing - aside from wondering whether this is the case, and
who these people are - just what is available in the AS/400 space
to cater for any demands such a situation throws up?
A rag-bag of ideas springs to mind:
wireless-to-host technology;
mobile intranet;
laptop computers;
wireless application protocol (Wap) enabled internet access to
enterprise applications;
lan remote access for dial-up users;
connecting Windows users to mid range hosts using standard lan
protocols, or via the internet.
The common thread is the potential to link remote workers to
AS/400.
According to research from IDC, there are currently over 10
million mobile professionals worldwide, with some 1.2 million
teleworkers in the UK (see panel). The company defines a mobile
professional as 'anyone who travels away from the office at least
20 per cent of the time'. To date, these mobile professionals have
had difficulty in obtaining on-demand access to browse corporate
information, something enjoyed easily by corporate colleagues. The
typical mobile worker has had to wait until he/she can gain access
to a high-speed connection to check for the latest corporate
information.
Paddy Falls, co-founder and ceo of iOra says: 'Our product -
iOra Mobile Intranet - solves the problem of mobile workers not
having current business-critical information when they are away
from the office by transparently providing a secure, up-to-date
copy of the corporate intranet on their laptop.'
The spin is that corporate content providers can now ensure new
information - such as revisions to corporate policy documents,
sales kits, and competitive information - are all delivered to
mobile users. Mobile (sales and technical) staff no longer need to
manually download and save newer versions of sales presentations,
price lists, or other documents - iOra's product is claimed to
automatically and transparently keep the laptop content up-to-date,
transferring data over the internet up to 100 times faster than
with other solutions.
Nigel Follett, head of e-commerce ventures and founder of the
Outsource Group, says: 'Office workers are already reaping the
benefits of easy access to intranet based information. With iOra's
offering, mobile users can obtain the same level of accessible
information.'
Says Falls: 'The problem facing many companies is that their
critical information is currently locked behind firewalls, and it's
difficult to ensure their mobile staff are working with the same
information. Now, these people can be in a hotel, on a plane, on
site with a customer - and still be up-to-date with changes in
company information. For any organisation relying on mobile
salesforces, support engineers, consultants at customer sites, or
keeping executives informed as they move from location to location,
that's a lot on offer.'
The company has already notched up three successes - in the
petroleum, pharmaceutical, and insurance sectors. AS/400 can be
involved in customer configurations, says iOra. The core offering
is based on a Windows NT server.
Over at BOS, and its telecom subsidiary Lynk, md Dave Culley
says: 'The internet has become more prominent with more companies
believing in it now. We're seeing much activity in AS/400 remote
communications for all sizes of companies. We provide connectivity
solutions between AS/400 and PCs and lans, whether local or remote.
Our Lynk subsidiary also recently launched the TeleLynk family of
voice over IP solutions for SoHo applications.'
BOS offers Jadvantage, its Java based software solution, which
provides AS/400 to desktop, TN5250e, GUI emulation on PCs or
network computers and printing facilities via any standard browser.
The advanced server for SAA product connects up to 5,000 Windows
users to up to 250 mid range hosts via the internet, or by using
standard lan protocols.
The TeleLynk VoIP gateways are modular H.323 compliant boxes
that convert any PC on any IP network into a gateway computer that
may be connected to any corporate PBX telephone system, or directly
to PSTN lines, via standard analogue or digital connections. With
the kit on offer, the savings ramifications for companies hooking
up remote workers are mind boggling, to say the least. 'Free calls
take on a new meaning.'
Now, do you want real-time access to AS/400 based enterprise
applications from a mobile phone or hand-held computer using Wap
(wireless application technology) techniques? Intentia is promising
this, integrated into the Movex enterprise resource planning (ERP)
system. Three beta test sites are running in Sweden, all three in
the manufacturing arena, and involving after-sales service
operations. Movex runs mostly on AS/400.
Linus Parker, Intentia's md in the UK, says: 'We can offer
online real-time Wap access today, which opens up the mobile era
for enterprise applications. We're beginning with the Swedish
trials with applications for field service teams who can manage
their own work schedules and make new appointments if priorities
change. They can use mobile units to communicate direct - that's
status, service requirements, and fault reports information, or
ordering spare parts, or updating costs. Movex Wap reads and
updates the AS/400 based database in real time.'
Other applications have also been earmarked by Intentia for
exploitation, to provide customers with increased service levels.
Parker points to sales teams being able to check stock levels,
undertake product configurations and order processing, all in real
time. Finance staff can check the status of debtor days and cash
flow.
'We are expecting the technology to make a big impact on
business, by encouraging a real-time work anywhere, anytime, any
way culture,' says Parker. 'We're also expecting the impending
release of hand-held devices combining personal digital assistant
attributes with larger screens, and a mobile phone to increase
usability substantially. When broadband communication is rolled out
extensively, we're expecting an explosion in content, together with
both audio and video input from mobile phone users.'
Jon Winsett, Seagull UK country manager, says: 'We offer a way
to connect web-enabled wireless devices to business applications
running on S/390 and AS/400 platforms.' The devices, including
mobile phones and PDAs, can connect to the internet using Wap. This
February, Seagull joined the Wap forum (www.wapforum.org) which now
has 200-plus company members. The Wap forum was founded by
Ericsson, Motorola, Nokia, and Phone.com. There are expectations of
100 million mobile devices being Wap-enabled by 2003.
Seagull provides wireless-to-host connectivity through Java host
session connector and J Walk and WinJa product lines. New software
dubbed 'Williamsburg' is intended to automate the creation of XML
and Java interfaces for S/390 and AS/400 applications, enabling
companies to integrate core business systems with web sites,
portals, e-communities, etc. 'Expect products soon,' says
Winsett.
The moral of this piece appears to be remote workers and AS/400
can fit together rather well, which is another plus point chalked
up for the little box. l
Facts and stats
Boasting 99.97 per cent uptime, AS/400 is the world's most
popular multi-user, commercial business computer with 700,000-plus
systems installed in over 150 countries. AS/400 is a key business
system in 95 per cent of the Fortune 100 industrial companies, and
85 per cent of the Fortune 500 and second tier companies. There are
some 30,000 applications written for the AS/400. Last October,
AS/400 was awarded VARBusiness Magazine's 'most valuable player'
award for mid-range servers in the magazine's 'annual report card'.
IBM beat HP, Sun, and SGI in a poll of 3,800 value-added resellers,
receiving the highest single rating for product quality.
With IDC pushing out stats on 10 million mobile professionals
globally, the Institute for Employment Studies (IES) at the
University of Sussex, Brighton, reckons 4-5 per cent of the UK
workforce, or 1.2 million, are teleworkers. That number is expected
to double by 2003. The European Telework Organisation (ETO)
meanwhile says there are over four million teleworkers in Europe,
up from two million in 1997.
Inexpensive telecomms and widespread usage of computers have
enabled the possibility of relocating work to near anywhere. The
IES in its report 'Teleworking and globalisation' answers many
questions not addressed by traditional econometric tools and
methodologies. IES defines a teleworker as 'a person who works at
home or uses their home as a base at least one day a week using
both telephone and computer'. In the wealth of fact in the report,
the IES determines 52 per cent of all teleworkers are employees, 47
per cent are classified as self-employed, and 1 per cent as paid
family workers.
The banking, finance, insurance, and business services sector
accounts for 34 per cent of teleworkers, compared with 15 per cent
of the total workforce, says IES.
There are no known figures to hand which relate to what
processor a teleworker, mobile professional, or remote worker will
link up with. But as the main feature describes, the AS/400 is
adding another string to its bow, along with its mainstream
competitors, through flexing its muscles in this space.