What is ISPW?

ISPW is a comprehensive software change management (SCM) product that replaces CA SCM for Mainframe (formerly CA-Endevor) and Serena ChangeMan ZMF, as well as older products like CA-Librarian, CA-Panvalet and IBM's SCLM.  It provides both mainframe and distributed cross-platform application deployment and cooperates with local versioning tools like Subversion, CVS and PVCS.

Why choose ISPW?

1. Cost savings

   ISPW will reduce typical CA-Endevor or ChangeMan ZMF costs by 20% or more!  With no MIPS-based pricing/upgrade fees, ISPW reduces costs immediately with even more savings over the long term.

2. Control cross-platform applications

   ISPW deploys both mainframe and distributed code to the application runtime servers, from a central point of control, with one command.  Back-out, if required, is just as simple.  ISPW extends your existing site promotion and approval processes to the distributed world with minimal effort.  By interfacing with distributed versioning tools, ALL of an application's source and executable components are stored centrally, so they're automatically included in site-wide disaster recovery procedures.

3. Guaranteed productivity improvements

   ISPW delivers greater ROI through improved functionality & productivity. With GUI-like mainframe & Eclipse IDEs, that integrate with existing developer tools / utilities, ISPW saves valuable time, reduces training and eliminates points of failure.  Tools supported include IBM’s DB2, CICS, and IMS with optional support for IBM QMF, CA-Telon, CA-Coolgen, Adabas/Natural and a large number of development utilities. Ask about ISPW's productivity guarantee.

4. Real-time project control and visibility

   Built for cross-platform projects, by project managers, ISPW's intuitive interface displays every module's position in the life cycle, in real time, so potential conflicts can be caught before they become an issue.  Project life cycles are displayed graphically so project managers can track parallel change streams through Development, Test, QA and Production environments.  Access to up to the minute information make old-style project status reports a thing of the past.

5. Faster changes with fewer failures

   With increased automation, integrated test tools, better project management and cross platform support, there is less to know, less to do and less to go wrong.  ISPW automatically links disparate tools together in the proper sequence and passes the correct parameters every time – saving keystrokes while reducing errors, elapsed time and training costs.  More automation and fewer points of failure means more success, more often.

6. Risk avoidance

   With a whole generation of IT staff ready to retire, the greatest risk many organizations face today is knowledge transfer.  ISPW's built-in knowledge repository flattens the learning curve for the next generation by retaining file names, test scripts, parameter settings and other data that new staff typically have to learn.  ISPW is the "software that manages the software", so it lets people focus on the business requirements.

7. Audit compliance

   With ISPW, approvers can review and sign off mainframe and distributed code updates in one step.  Approvals are just a step in the change cycle, so there is no need to bolt on redundant processes just for audit and SOX compliance.  Proven lifecycle test and promotion processes ensure development steps are rigorous and repeatable.  Approval levels for audit, management and production control are established once, in the central security system, and used throughout the change cycle.  Action date/time stamps ensure traceability.

8. High performance

   ISPW eliminates performance problems.  Architected as a DB2 application with a high speed data transfer layer, ISPW encompasses remote LPARs, distributed development and remote application servers on z/OS / Windows / Linux and Unix transparently.  Automatic EBCDIC and ASCII translation, plus network encryption and compression save time, ensure security and make file locations irrelevant.

9. Low risk implementation

   ISPW has automated migration routines for many SCM products, including CA SCM for Mainframe (formerly CA-Endevor), Serena's ChangeMan ZMF, CA-Librarian, etc.  Source versions, descriptions, compile parameters and date/time stamps are migrated automatically so no history is lost.  Migrations typically happen in phases with a “catch up” run at the end, eliminating the big bang approach that derails many projects.  ISPW experts are there to help, both onsite and remotely, every step of the way.

10. Hands-on training

    Although highly intuitive, with many of the utility and development tools transparently integrated, there is still a need for administrator, developer, approver and production control training.  This often starts ahead of the actual install on the ISPW Demo system with the sandbox application. System videos and scripts also speed up the learning process.  Early users learn from the ISPW SCM experts and become a centre of excellence in most customer locations.

11. Support Excellence

    If you are tired of fighting with your current supplier over long standing problems and version upgrades, ISPW is a breath of fresh air.  The original ISPW technical team is still together building new features and supporting our customers.  Remember the days when you worked WITH a supplier to meet common goals?  Well those days are back!

12. Customers trust ISPW

    After 23 years in business we are proud of what our customers say about ISPW.   Please ask them – they are our best sales people.

In short, ISPW saves money, satisfies auditors, delivers incredible function, produces great returns, and integrates the mainframe and distributed worlds.   We look forward to hearing from you.