ProData Computer Services has announced RDB Connect 3.0, the newest release of its System i remote database connectivity product. RDB Connect provides access to cross-platform realtime data on remote systems from the System i. With the new version, users can access any remote database from the i as long as it has an ODBC or JDBC driver assigned. RDB Connect already supports access to MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, Postgre, DB2 database, and others. You can use the product's collection of commands and functions to integrate data using RPG, Cobol, or CL. It communicates directly with remote databases, providing record level I/O as well as the import/export of remote data to and from the i. You can use RDB Connect in batch or interactive programs, making it easy to generate reports, analyze information, and synchronize data from all disparate servers. "RDB Connect drives our DBU Remote Database plug-in, and many of our customers wanted that same remote database access integrated within their business applications," reports Allen Hartley, ProData owner and CEO. "RDB Connect lets our customers easily share data across platforms within their programs, which can eliminate data transfers or duplicate data entry in some cases. With this release, we go beyond the current support databases and allow access to almost all databases out there."

--Vicki Hamende, application development & database editor