DTM for iSeries Customer: O2

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How O2 Migrated From OfficeVision/400 To DTM for iSeries With Minimal Effort

On 31 May 2002 O2 , a leading provider of mobile communications services, acquired the DTM for iSeries technology and began its migration away from IBM's OV/400 product. With the assistance of Inventive Designers, DTM for iSeries was smoothly implemented at O2 and fully operational only 2 months later. O2 currently produces approximately 100,000 customer letters a month using DTM for iSeries.

For years O2 had relied on the OfficeVision/400 software for printing customer letters. Standard letter templates were created and merged with extracted customer data afterwards by application programs. A major hardware upgrade, however, forced O2 to upgrade their software from V4R5 to V5R1. As OS/400 V5R1 does not support OV/400, an alternative that would cause minimal disruption to normal day-to-day production as well as being functionally equal had to be found quickly.

Minimal migrating efforts thanks to OV/400 lookalike functionality

At the time of searching for a migration solution, there wasn't anything available on the market that had the same functionality as OfficeVision/400 did and many migration solutions would have involved O2 in a lengthy and time consuming change process of many of their programs. Having to schedule a major application change would have delayed the software upgrade which in-turn would have delayed their hardware upgrade.

DTM for iSeries was found to be the only suitable solution. It combined a very fast and easy conversion process with almost all the same functionality as OfficeVision/400 had. O2 didn't have to change any of their CL batch jobs and programs which create customer letters. As they were generating large numbers of customer letters every month from several databases, this was a critical benefit for them.

Thanks to the similarity in functionality, there had to be very little re-training for the letter administrators to adapt very quickly to the use of DTM for iSeries. "Hardly anyone noticed there had been a major software change. The DTM for iSeries product is excellent and couldn't have been a better choice", mentioned O2's Technical Support Analyst Bill Singleton. The F1 function key, which provides an invaluable help text page for each command, is considered as one of the best features.

Very fast and easy conversion process

To prepare for the conversion, O2 installed DTM for iSeries on their test system and used one database to test letter creation. After considerable testing, the software was installed on their live system. The switch appeared to be relatively easy. First they converted all the old Office Vision letter templates into the new DTM for iSeries folders. Once this process was completed and the system library list was changed, they immediately started producing customer letters with DTM for iSeries.

The only real issue O2 had to deal with was their use of RUMBA, an emulation package which is not supported by DTM for iSeries. They worked around this by installing a copy of the IBM Client Access PC5250 emulation on several PC's, so their letter administrators can access and update the letters within the DTM for iSeries folders.

"We have had an excellent service from Inventive Designers. In the 12 months that we have had DTM for iSeries we only had to place 2 calls for assistance. Both calls were responded to by the support service quickly and the answers were very helpful" , stated Bill Singleton.

About O2

O2 is a leading provider of mobile communications services with 100% ownership of mobile network operators in the UK, Germany and Ireland, as well as a leading mobile internet portal. Additionally, the company has operations on the Isle of Man - Manx Telecom and owns O2 Airwave - an advanced, digital emergency communications service. The combined group turnover for the year ending 31 March 2003 reached £4,874 million.

Contact information

Mr. Bill Singleton
Technical Support Analyst
Bill.singleton(at)o2(dot)com
+44-1928-70.20.32