PowerTech Group Selected by IBM’s AS/400 SMPG
Jim Martin
In a major coup for security tools provider PowerTech Group (Tukwila, Wash.), the company recently announced that they have been chosen for IBM’s AS/400 Systems Management Partner Group (SMPG).
Through the selection, PowerTech Group’s PowerLock AS/400 security software will now be included in IBM’s software sampler CD—a collection of AS/400 software products that IBM ships with new AS/400s. In most cases, IBM usually selects just one or two products from a wide range of categories.
The selection marks the first time PowerTech has been chosen by IBM to participate in the SMPG. “To be picked by IBM is really exciting because there are a lot of security companies in the AS/400 field,” says John Vanderwall, VP of sales and marketing, PowerTech. “Its going to attract more customers for us but it’s also big that IBM is endorsing us.”
PowerLock discovers security breaches in AS/400s and then provides access control to AS/400 data, preventing unauthorized access through network tools such as FTP, ODBC and Remote Command. Through the program, it will be optimized for use on IBM middleware technologies within the application framework for e-business.
“IBM is committed to delivering solutions to help customers manage their AS/400 resources in the rapidly changing e-business environment,” says Judy Tenney, director of AS/400 systems software development, IBM. “We are pleased to include PowerTech’s applications as another option for our customer’s systems management and security needs.”