CNX

Leverage Valence to both add new functionality for your users AND put a new face on your existing System i applications!

IT managers “in the know” are keenly aware that for heads-down hard-core data entry, it’s tough to beat the speed of green screen (5250) programs. This is no surprise, as the 5250 interface was designed for just this purpose—to support the rapid-fire entry of relatively repetitive data by clerical personnel.

That said, when entering data that is more varied, or rendering information to the user that goes beyond basic elements for data entry, the flexibility of a browser-based interface can go a long way toward putting a fresh face on your System i applications and data. A browser also tends to be a more comfortable interface for employees that are relatively new to the work force, as these newly-minted employees have essentially grown up using browsers from an early age. Green screen interfaces are completely foreign to them and, for lack of a better word, “old” looking.

At CNX, we believe offering a hybrid model that can be made to support both modes (green screen and browser) delivers a “best of both worlds” solution. With our System i-based applications working in both environments, users can choose which mode suits them best. New hires that are unfamiliar with 5250 keyboard functionality will typically be more comfortable using the browser interface, while seasoned users of the system can, if they so choose, continue working in the green screen environment to which they are most accustomed.

Valence provides a straightforward Web 2.0 interface that allows users to “log in” to the System i through a browser, just as they would sign on to a regular 5250 emulation session. Upon logging in, Valence users are sent to a customizable navigation tree that includes all the applications to which they are authorized. Any programs that work in a browser, or even links to other web sites, can be included in these navigation trees.

If you’re like most RPG shops, most of your programs are still constrained to using a 5250 interface. But with Valence, core System i programs can be retrofitted to work in this framework and added to the navigation tree as they are made available by your IT staff. This means you can start by upgrading your core System i programs and gradually wean your users over to the new interface.

Again, the key here is to “build and enhance” your stable applications, not to “rip and replace” them. Anyone that has been through a large-scale system implementation knows the agony (time and expense) associated with overhauling hundreds of active applications. There is also a substantial risk of failure that nobody wants to have as part of their career record. We believe the Valence model we’ve developed for modernizing our own programs provides an attractive alternative to managers under pressure to defend or overhaul their System i applications that are currently green screen-centric. Why scrap hundreds of thousands of lines of time-proven RPG code when all you need to do is give a makeover to the user interface?