As you know I am always on the lookout for interesting news on the AS/400 and I found the following at http://blogs.systeminetwork.com

January 4, 2011

IBM i Enthusiast Asks for Cloud-based i

Aaron Bartell isn't the kind of guy to sit on the sidelines and think, "If only." No, Aaron likes to make things happen. Take, for example, his current idea for personal instances of IBM i.

Aaron would love to see IBM i more readily available to developers who might like to practice on it or get to know it better.

To that end he has asked IBM to create an affordable program that provides access to IBM i. Take it away, Aaron:

Cloud-based i

I'm curious to know how many developers have an idea to pursue on IBM i but can't because of a lack of access to a machine. I've found that it's incredibly difficult to obtain access to your own instance of IBM i. You either need to be incredibly fortunate to work for somebody that lets you use their IBM i system to expand your personal horizons, or you need a big wallet to purchase an entry-level machine at around $15,000.

I'm on the IBM ISV Advisory Council and have submitted a formal request for an end-user lease program that would let developers lease an IBM i LPAR "in the cloud" for market rates—about $65 per month.

IBM does offer the Virtual Loaner Program (ibm.com/systems/vlp), which lets you configure a new instance of IBM i via a web browser in about five minutes and two hours later IBM emails you login credentials to the automatically created IBM i LPAR. I've been using this VLP service for about four years and am amazed at how seamless it is. The only issues are that there are legal limitations on how you can use the machine, it's only accessible via a VPN connection (i.e., you can't host a public website on it), and your use expires after two weeks.

IBM has the technology, it just needs us to demand that the company take it further for the benefit of not only current IBM i customers, but also for the next generation of developers who are coming out of colleges in droves and only know Java and .NET.

Again, please let me know (aaronbartell@mowyourlawn.com) if you would like to have access to IBM i in the cloud. I need to go back to IBM with numbers and examples of how people would use such a service if it existed.

One thought I had is if IBM doesn't fly with the idea, would it be affordable, profitable, and possible for a third party to run with it and make it happen?

—Rita-Lyn Sanders, Senior Industry Editor

Posted by rsanders at January 4, 2011 12:49 PM