Plus: BMC beefs up mainframe management tools.
Microsoft and eBay last week delivered tools that enable links between the 2003 editions of Excel and FrontPage and the eBay online auction service.
The tools will let frequent users of eBay’s service manage their auctions using Excel, including the ability to analyze sales and upload multiple listings at once, Microsoft says. FrontPage users will be able to display information from eBay on Web sites created using FrontPage. The tools take advantage of XML capabilities in the 2003 editions of Excel and FrontPage, and Web services APIs made available by eBay. The tool set for Office 2003 will be offered on eBay’s developer Web site and the Microsoft Developer Network site.
BMC Software last week upgraded its mainframe management software with features that will give bandwidth and capacity priority to mission-critical IP applications running on a mainframe. Mainview for IP 2.2 lets customers apply rules and policies to IP-based applications.
BMC acquired Mainview from Boole and Babbage in 1998. The software is installed on a mainframe, and once configured and activated, it will begin reporting on application metrics such as number of IP packets, bytes and sessions.
Also this week BMC is set to upgrade its Mainview for CICS (Customer Information Control System) software with a feature called application delay analysis that can pinpoint CICS applications performing badly and prevent any slowdown to business services. Mainview for IP starts at $24,000. Mainview for CICS starts at $33,000.
