Why Open Access is ranked the #1 issue in the IBM i community
"IBM's announcement to 'free' RPG from the bond of the 5250 datastream makes RPG the best solution for the development of business applications supporting the Model View Controller architectural pattern. RPG’s suitability for enterprise application development is enhanced by looksoftware’s ability to support multiple devices with a single handler."
Toscano Alberto, CTO, Sidim Spa
“RPG Open Access architecture allows IBM i customers to reuse their RPG investments, to support today and tomorrow’s new devices and technologies including web services and the Cloud, rather than starting again.”
Rod Riley, Stafford Group
“For me, the largest significance of Open Access is that it removes the last possible reason that anyone may have had for not starting the modernization process for their applications.”
Paul Tuohy, ComCon
"RPG Open Access announcement really excited the IBM i application development community. This architecture is the promise to re-launch IBM i as the platform where developing modern business applications is easier and more productive. This can be achieved only with the support of products, like lookserver for Open Access, that complete the base technology with the tooling to develop the new GUI for RPG applications and to integrate it via RPG Open Handlers."
Massimo Marasco - IBM i Technical Support - Italy
"The combination of RPG Open Access and looksoftware finally gives us the application development future we have been waiting for. Now we can modernize our existing programs efficiently and at the same time take full benefit of the new RPG Open Access options. It also covers the need of our users for flexible graphical clients - including Rich Internet Clients and mobile devices."
Norbert Bruckschlögl, Manager IT DEHN + SÖHNE
"IBM is making an investment in the future of IBM i with RPG Open Access. looksoftware adds value to their investment, enabling customers to take advantage of IBM's native GUI. With the capability to deliver multiple UIs from a single RPG program, the looksoftware tools manage the complexity of the myriad of modern user interface clients. RPG developers will focus less on the differences of browsers and mobile clients, and become more productive with the business logic of their applications."
Trevor Perry, Angus Thinks
"Traditionally, all output from RPG programs were forced into the limited 5250 data stream. In 7.1, the output could be sent to, for example, a web page or hand-held mobile device. I think this is what developers have always wanted."
Nick Cummins, Parker Hannifin, IBM I customer
"RPG Open Access is very much the kind of RPG enhancement we had been lobbying to get for years - even before we left IBM more than 12 years ago."
Jon Paris, Partner400
This Open Access function is a dramatic new option for RPG applications—if you want to bypass the 5250 requirement, this lets you write applications for the first time without outputting them to a 5250 data stream, and this will really open up a wide range of new application possibilities".
Ian Jarman, Manager of Power Systems Software, IBM
"ROA satisfies the #1 request from customers and ISVs in an open architecture and is developed and supported by IBM, the platform provider. ROA provides the long term, native code, path forward for any company with RPG investments"
Marcus Dee, CEO, looksoftware
"We are also excited about the release of Rational Open Access: RPG Edition, a new product that has the potential to transform the landscape of RPG development."
Hayden Lindsay, VP Rational, IBM
"For years, we were almost ashamed to admit that we are "old fashioned" RPG programmers. Now, with ROA and looksoftware's Handler, you can come out of the closet - we're back on the leading edge .... by simply adding ONE line of code to existing applications."
Alex Reiss, CTO, Eclipse Corporation, IBM i Application Vendor
"This technology potentially permits RPG programs to take full, direct advantage of an enterprise service architecture. ROA is really attractive because it lets the RPG programmer focus on logic and content.”
Mandy Shaw, iPerimeter, IBM i consultant
"For me, ROA is simply the proof that IBM is staying in the RPG game. I have applications written in a variety of languages but my fastest method of getting information from the DB to the UI is still RPG."
Brian Bradley, Vilden, IBM I Application Vendor
"With its versatility and ease of use, it's good to see RPG can still be a contender in our current age of technology. From someone who has worked with it for the past 25 years I see endless possibilities."
Scott Miller, Atlas Energy, IBM I customer