Service Oriented Builds for Service Oriented Architectures

We are very happy to announce a new webcast that we are hosting together with the brand new IBM division, IBM Rational Build Forge. David Brauneis and Leigh Williamson from Build Forge are slated to speak.

Applications that are designed to fit the Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) are known as Composite Applications. Composite applications have additional challenges for build and release processes over traditional applications. For instance, composite applications are often made up of elements in different source languages, that need to be built on different platforms, and that require coordination across multiple machines in order to produce. Processing of composite applications frequently requires tools beyond traditional compilers and object link editors. Rational Build Forge provides build and release automation for development organizations. Come to this session to learn more about automating build and release of composite applications using Rational Build Forge. This session will cover additonal considerations for automating and example processes for using Rational Build Forge to build and release applications for a Service Oriented Architecture.

Please join us!

December 11th, 2007 at 2pm EST

RUG Call for Content!

Share your own tips and tricks, great ideas, or articles with the global community! We are dedicating this section of our newsletter to include content authored by YOU! Please contact us at info@rational-ug.org to share your content.

GRUG Council Update

Members of the Rational User Group Community:

This is a very quick note to let you know what the Global Rational User Group Council is doing for you. If you did not know, the GRUG Council is a small team of local user group leaders and others that help enable you to share ideas about IBM Rational tools and processes with your fellow colleagues. We are responsible for working with the IBM and Group Intelligence to keep the community web site up to date with the latest features and content that best helps the membership. This also includes making decisions about items like this newsletter and other features that the user group community offers through the community web site.

Additionally, many of the GRUG Council members are part of Client Advisory Groups, which are groups that plan and decide what features and functions are added to the tools and processes that we use. We are taking steps to be involved in as many of these groups as possible. When we have a seat at that table - YOU, the user are sitting there, as we are representing all 12,000 users as part of that committee. To that end, we may ask the user group community to occasionally fill out a survey or answer some questions about a product or two - we encourage you to do so, as these answers may have some impact on the direction of the products that we all use.

In future newsletter issues, we will introduce the GRUG Board to you, so you know who is representing you in these bi-weekly meetings. In closing, we thank you for being a member of the global Rational User Group Community.

Sincerely,

Glenn A. Stout, Ph.D.

President, Chicagoland Rational User Group (CRUG)
President, Global Rational
User Group Council (GRUG)

Rational User Group Community Statistics:

RUG Community Membership: 13,000
RUG Active User Group: 86
RUG Newsletter Subscribers: 8,500

UG News

Edmonton UG

The Edmonton UG was started by Tim Tuxworth only this September. He has recently held a meeting with Scott Ambler presenting and has been able to grow his group to almost 50 members. Tim has recently posted the presentation from his meeting in the Presentation Zone

New UG

RUGA (Rational User Group Austria)

Global Rational Community Member Survey

Please help us find out more on how you use Rational products by participating in our monthly surveys. This month's survey deals with Enterprise Project Management.

Ready for IBM Rational software Comes to You Webinar Series

The Global Rational Community is proud to announce a series of webinars launching this Fall. Upcoming Webinars:

November 14th at 12pm: Metrics for Management - with SourceIQ Source Code Portfolio Manager and IBM Rational ClearCase - Sponsored by SourceIQ

November 28th at 12pm: Policy-based SOA Governance for Rational - Strategies for Effective SOA Development - Sponsored by WebLayers

December 5th at 12pm: Business Objects Helps Transform Development and Applications Built With IBM Rational Development and Portfolio Tools - Sponsored by Business Objects

Webinar Archives

The archives of the recent webinars hosted by the GRC are now available at:

http://www.rational-ug.org/webcast.php

IBM Awards Grants to Universities Researching Global Collaboration in Software Development

IBM today announced that universities around the world are researching how to break down cultural and geographic barriers when developing software. Through Jazz Faculty Grants, universities are exploring the promise of global collaborative software development that taps into the skills and expertise of developers regardless of location.

Read more...

Looking for a way to simplify support and reduce cost? Explore ISA V3.x

The IBM Support Assistant (ISA) is a free local software serviceability workbench that helps you resolve questions and problems with IBM software products. With ISA, you can: 1) Search for an answer to your question or problem in many different locations at the same time; 2) Get speedy access to critical product information; 3) Run free troubleshooting and diagnostic tools on your troublesome application; 4) Shorten the amount of time it takes to resolve your problem with automated data gathering and submission.

Read more...

IBM Software support announces new features and search capability for the IBM Software Support Toolbar

This latest version of the IBM Software Support Toolbar provides enhanced stability, additional Search options for each Brand and an additional Tools "Quick Reference" link (created specifically for this release). Link is located under All support>Support Tools>Quick Reference". Those with the Toolbar already installed will receive an automatic update notice, or may manually check by selecting "Toolbar Updates" from the Toolbar's Option button dropdown. New users may visit the Toolbar homepage on ibm.com.

Read more...

Nulogx teams with IBM Business Partner SilverBlaze Solutions and IBM to improve its competitive stance by modernizing its product offerings

"IBM Business Partner SilverBlaze provided advanced skills in the technologies that we were required to use to meet and exceed customer expectations. We are confident that we can handle any customer demand with SilverBlaze in our corner." - Robert Morrow, President, Nulogx Inc.

Read more...

National Australia Group Europe (NAGE) - Teller system enhances customer service and lowers costs

National Australia Group Europe (NAGE) in the United Kingdom is undertaking a major re-engineering agenda to rationalize front-office and back-office systems onto a common application set.

Read more...

Presentation Zone

Do you have a presentation to share with the community on how to implement Rational software? Post it on the Presentation Zone!

A list of recent presentations:

Montreal Rational User Group (RUG) Presentation - Submitted by Serge Charbonneau of Montreal Rational Software User Group

Scott Ambler on Agile and RUP - Submitted by Tim Tuxworth of Edmonton Rational User Group

Landstar Presents A La Carte QA Services - part 1 - Submitted by Andrew Detandt of North Florida Rational User Group

Stephen Toop - Build Best Practices - Submitted by Julian Holmes of UK Rational User Group

Rational 'Talks to You' Teleconference Series

Starts on Nov. 14, 2007

SHARE Conference - Focus on SOA and Virtualization

February 24-29, 2008
Lake Buena Vista, FL

Rational Testing Management

Nov. 15, 2007
Brussels, Belgium

Rational Software Comes to You; Hosted by Rocketgang

Nov. 15, 2007
Tempe, AZ

Effective Software Testing: Tools and Strategies for Project Success

Nov. 22, 2007
Rome, Italy

Change and Release Management for Software Development

Nov. 27, 2007
Stockholm, Sweden

Change and Release Management for Software Development

Nov. 28, 2007
Copenhagen, Denmark

IBM developerWorks Live! mini conference

Dec. 05, 2007
Miami, FL

Rational Software Comes to You hosted by Number Six Software

Dec. 11, 2007
Vienna, VA

Metrics for Management - with SourceIQ Source Code Portfolio Manager and IBM Rational ClearCase

Nov. 14, 2007

Unleash the power of enterprise assets and skills with Smart SOA

Nov. 14, 2007

Test, analyze, and understand your embedded and real-time applications

Nov. 15, 2007

Policy-based SOA Governance for Rational - Strategies for Effective SOA Development

Nov. 28, 2007

Driving Business Success with Rational Process Library

Nov. 29, 2007

Business Objects Helps Transform Development and Applications Built With IBM Rational Development and Portfolio Tools

Dec. 05, 2007

Service Oriented Builds for Service Oriented Architectures

Dec. 11, 2007

Business Intelligence for your Software Assets

Dec. 13, 2007

TRIAL DOWNLOADS

IBM Rational Method Composer V7.2

Get a free trial download of the latest version of IBM Rational Method Composer V7.2 which helps you deliver customized yet consistent process guidance to your project teams and IT organization, and includes the latest version of IBM Rational Unified Process (RUP), which has provided process guidance to teams since 1996.

DEMOS

Extending RequisitePro's Requirements Management Capabilities with Rational Portfolio Manager

This presentation and demonstration provides an overview on leveraging the integration capabilities between RequisitePro and Rational Portfolio Manager to allow project managers to effectively prioritize requirements, and drive top-down project planning that focuses teams on critical requirements while ensuring that activities do not impact the project scope and delivery schedule.

Extending ClearQuest's Activity Management Capabilities with Rational Portfolio Manager

This presentation and demonstration provides an overview on leveraging the integration capabilities between ClearQuest and Rational Portfolio Manager to provide project managers with the communications and controls needed to ensure teams are optimized and activity costs are aligned with the overall project plan, helping to avoid cost and resource issues.

Incorporating Best Practices Processes into Software and Systems Delivery with Rational Method Composer and Rational Portfolio Manager

This presentation and demonstration provides an overview on how to leverage best practice processes across your IT Portfolio using Rational Method Composer and Rational Portfolio Manager. Learn how to extend control and empower teams by managing, authoring and deploying the appropriate methodologies and tools directly to project teams.

WHITE PAPERS/ARTICLES

RFG Analyst Report - Security and the Application Development Process

Incorporating application security protections into the software development life cycle early is essential for today's application deployment scenarios.

eKITS

Did you say mainframe?

Learn how you can extend modern application lifecycle management to IBM System z through the IBM Rational Software Delivery Platform (SDP). The Did you say mainframe? e-kit includes podcasts, webcasts, tutorials, white and red papers, demos, and articles designed to help ease the challenges of modernizing your enterprise. This complimentary kit for mainframe developers is a practical, how-to guide for making the most of an existing development environment, including the skills and infrastructure already in place at an established enterprise.

RATIONAL TESTING eKITS

Discover how Rational tools and best practices for testing can make your job easier. The new Rational Testing eKits provide you with valuable resources - including demos, webcasts, tutorials, and articles - that help you address your specific testing needs across the software lifecycle. Five new eKits are available covering the topics of Requirements and Test Management, Functional Testing, Performance Testing, Code Quality and Embedded Systems, and SOA and Web Services Testing.

IBM SPACES

IT Governance and Risk Management

The IT Governance and Risk Management community is to facilitate communication between customers, business partners and IBM thought leaders on IT management issues and solution-based case studies related to IT Governance and Risk Management.

From our sister community: Be heard by the entire TUG community!

The Global Tivoli Software Community, introduced a new feature named "Be Heard" on the TUG website that allows its members to communicate and share their thoughts and information easily with other TUG members! New "add a comment" and "add content" submission buttons have been added to the TUG website on pages wherever you see the above icon. The content and comments contributed by members of the community combine together to create a rare and unique collection of knowledge around Tivoli products and services. This invaluable and unique pool of information can now be instantly and easily accessed by any member of the site with just a few clicks! Check out the new "Be Heard" capability at www.tivoli-ug.org.

IBM Press -- Be Sure You're Taking Advantage of Special 40% User Group Discount!

The Global Rational User Group Community's special partnership with IBM Press entitles Rational members to 35% discounts on all IBM Press books (as well as additional select software titles from Pearson's Addison-Wesley Professional and Prentice Hall Professional imprints). Once logged in, click on "Member Benefits" and proceed to the IBM Press link. New featured releases include:

Kent Beck's "Implementation Patterns": Kent Beck- one of the software industry's most creative and acclaimed leaders- presents a Catalog of Patterns Infinitely Using for Everyday Programming (published as part of The Addison-Wesley Signature Series)

Reaching the Goal: How Managers Improve a Services Business Using Goldratt's Theory of Constraints by John Arthur Ricketts: For more than 20 years, manufacturing and distribution organizations have been using Eli Goldratt's Theory of Constraints (TOC) to drive powerful, continual improvements in business performance. Now, drawing on state-of-the-art IBM research, IBM Distinguished Engineer Dr. John Arthur Ricketts offers a complete, practical blueprint for using TOC in services businesses.

Score More Savings from IBM

For a limited time, purchase $25,000 worth of training in an IBM Education Pack - online account, and in addition to your automatic 10 percent savings you'll also receive $2,000 in bonus training dollars. That's $27,000 worth of IBM training for just $22,500 - $4,500 in extra training dollars! Purchase $50,000 in your online account, and in addition to your automatic savings of $5,000, you'll receive $5,000 more in bonus training dollars. That's $10,000 in extra training dollars! You may use the IBM Education Pack - online account, to pay for your Rational software, and other, training needs.

Now Available - Fall 2007 IBM Training eCatalog

Keeping technical skills up-to-date with constantly changing technology can be a challenge. But not anymore. Announcing the 2007 Fall IBM Training eCatalog. The catalog features 183 new courses, 25 updated courses and 25 technical conferences encompassing 29 curriculum areas covering hardware and software topics, including Rational software.

You can also request a print copy of the catalog.

IBM Rational Instructor-Led Online (ILO) courses

Get the education you need on Rational tools right from your desk and be part of a virtual classroom! Rational Education now offers Instructor-Led Online courses, which are synchronous classes with live instructor interactions, hands-on labs, and group interactions. ILO provides you with an alternative to traveling to a physical classroom location by training you in your own learning environment. ILO training also benefits those who need to train teams that are geographically dispersed allowing you to complete training locally in your own environment, and reduces the need for travel to a classroom.