New Job Scheduler release enhances interface flexibility for IT and business process automation

Issued by Global Research Partners for SPI Group
Johannesburg, 27 Nov 2013

SPI, the African distributor for utility software products and services to the open systems segment of the IT industry, today announced the availability of version 3.4 of Help/Systems' Web-based enterprise job scheduler Skybot Scheduler. This latest release of Skybot includes more flexibility and control in automating IT and business processes by adding a Web services API, a command line interface and integration with Robot/SCHEDULE.

Companies with sophisticated IT systems benefit from the time and resource savings that best-of-breed job scheduling software offers. The new Skybot enhancements give IT professionals access to more efficient programming to easily fine-tune scheduled application functions with remote access to business systems, and the ability to organise output into groups so that a single action achieves results over large numbers of discrete tasks.

Skybot Scheduler's new Web services API improves efficiency by reducing time, integrating existing software modules and providing cost savings through consolidation. Job schedules can also be manipulated with the new Web Services feature, by using a new command line interface available on any Skybot agent. The command line can be embedded into almost any application.

Skybot 3.4 also has built-in cross-system reactivity with Robot/SCHEDULE, the world's most advanced job scheduling software for IBM's Power Systems including AS/400, iSeries and System i. Status changes coming from the Robot/SCHEDULE server can serve as prerequisites for Skybot jobs and job suites, and Skybot Schedule objects (jobs, job suites, member jobs) can serve as prerequisites for Robot/SCHEDULE jobs and group jobs. Reactivity now runs both ways between the systems. This release brings IBM's Power Systems into the scheduling domain along with Unix/Linux and Windows, so that jobs on the different platforms can now be interdependent.

"This update is a direct reflection of our ongoing commitment to our customers," commented Janet Dryer, CEO of Help/Systems. "Our clients asked for more flexibility and control with their job scheduling software, and our staff worked hard to make it a reality."

For further information, please contact Chris Anderson at tel. (+27) 11 234 1560; fax (+27) 11 234 1387; e-mail chris@spi.co.za.

Skybot Scheduler

Skybot Software, a division of Help/Systems, develops automation software for multiple platforms. Skybot Scheduler is an intuitive, Web-based job scheduler that automates complex business processes within enterprise software applications such as SAP, Oracle and Informatica.

Help/Systems is a leading provider of systems management, security and business intelligence solutions. Help/Systems software reduces data centre costs by improving operational control and delivery of IT services. Founded in 1982, the company has 14 offices worldwide and more than 7 000 customers, from small businesses to Fortune 100 companies. Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Help/Systems sells its solutions directly and through strategic partners worldwide.

Help/Systems brands include: Robot, SEQUEL Software, PowerTech, Skybot Software, Safestone, CCSS, InterMapper and ShowCase.

SPI

SPI is a South Africa-based company that provides utility software products and services to the open systems segment of the ICT industry. It is the sole sub-Saharan Africa distributor for USA-based FacetCorp; USA-based Innovative Routines; USA-based Help/Systems, the new owners of Open Systems Management; Privileged User Manager from Australia-based Applecross Technologies; and UK-based Xi Software. SPI also develops some of its own software utilities to complement the overseas products that it distributes. It is also the southern African reseller for Esker, a leader in document process automation and fax solutions.

SPI has a wide and varied customer base and includes organisations such as Aspen Pharmacare, Johannesburg Municipality, University of Johannesburg, Metropolitan Health Group, P G Bison, Sasol, Stellenbosch University, Triangle Sugar, UCT and Unisa, and partners with other key ICT players such as Business Connexion.

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