Tone Announces New DYNA-STEP(TM) 3.1 to Drive Mainframe Application Efficiency and System Productivity

New DYNA-STEP 3.1 Streamlines z/OS Application Management, Drives System and User Productivity, Saves Mainframe Resources, and Provides a Transparent Replacement for the TSOPLUS Software No Longer Supported by CA


ANAHEIM, CA--(Marketwired - Mar 25, 2015) - Tone Software Corporation, a global provider of comprehensive management and productivity solutions for IBM z/OS mainframe environments, today announced immediate availability of the new DYNA-STEP™ Dynamic STEPLIB and ISPF Library Management Solution Release 3.1. The enhanced release includes a new Application Invocation Assist (AIA) facility to drive higher user productivity and faster access to applications, while also streamlining global application environment changes and application security management across the z/OS environment.

Workloads in today's z/OS mainframe environments are undergoing explosive growth, collectively processing nearly 30 billion business transactions per day. With workloads on the rise, z/OS teams are seeking innovative ways to increase efficiency and productivity, while also reducing resource consumption. Tone's DYNA-STEP 3.1 release addresses these issues with a powerful combination of TSO, ISPF, STEPLIB, and application management capabilities, including the new Application Invocation Assist (AIA) facility. Using AIA, z/OS teams can define easy-to-use keywords that dynamically allocate and invoke specific application environments for authorized users. Once defined, users simply enter the AIA keyword, and the application environment is immediately and efficiently invoked, dynamically allocating all libraries and resources necessary in the most resource-efficient manner.

Further, AIA streamlines global application environment changes, enabling z/OS teams to simply update their AIA definitions to invoke new application versions, without changes to keywords in use throughout the user community. As a result, user retraining is eliminated, operational disruption is minimized, and user productivity is retained across application changes and upgrades. Additional security benefits are also realized, enabling z/OS teams to initiate and disable application access for users through the AIA definitions, without exposing application-specific libraries or definitions.

"The new DYNA-STEP 3.1 release empowers mainframe shops to effectively optimize their TSO and ISPF environment by providing high-productivity application experiences for their user communities, while also minimizing system resource consumption and library maintenance," stated Shirley Balarezo, president, Tone Software. "Using DYNA-STEP 3.1, z/OS teams can truly drive higher efficiency throughout their operating environment," she added.

Key Capabilities to Reduce Resource Consumption and Drive System and User Efficiency

Using DYNA-STEP 3.1, allocation of key STEPLIB and ISPF libraries is automated, dramatically reducing system I/O and contention on STEPLIB volumes, and eliminating much of the overhead associated with TSO. Through DYNA-STEP, users can switch between test and production systems, and seamlessly work with multiple application environments through all 32 ISPF split screens, without repetitive logoffs. The results are improved overall system performance and increased user productivity -- major benefits for z/OS shops. Further, Tone's DYNA-STEP enables both systems programmers and application programmers to quickly and easily test multiple versions of identically named reentrant program modules at the same time -- a unique capability not available in any other solution. As a result, release upgrades and application rollouts can be accomplished more rapidly and efficiently.

A Transparent TSOPLUS Replacement for Users Facing End of Maintenance and z/OS Migrations

As today's mainframe shops plan and execute their z/OS 2.x migrations, many will face the necessity of replacing their TSOPLUS software, which is no longer supported by Computer Associates (CA). DYNA-STEP 3.1 provides immediate relief for TSOPLUS users through the new AIA facility that transparently replaces the TSOPLUS On Demand Application (ODA) feature, as well as dynamic STEPLIB allocation capabilities that painlessly replace embedded TSOPLUS STEPLIBX allocations. Further, DYNA-STEP delivers support for extended allocations and extensive ISPF library management capabilities, as well as a seamless TSOPLUS transition experience through straightforward TSOPLUS migration aids that eliminate the need for manual conversions.

Tone's new DYNA-STEP 3.1 is certified for all levels of z/OS through 2.1, and is available immediately under a wide variety of licensing options to fit any organization size and budget. A no cost evaluation is available upon request.

Please visit www.tonesoft.com for more information.

About Tone Software Corporation

Tone Software Corporation is a global provider of enterprise-wide business computing solutions that address cross-platform output management, distributed systems management, enterprise communications, and mainframe productivity. Tone's host mainframe solutions provide significant productivity and cost savings benefits to business organizations, and directly benefit the IT management and technical teams responsible for managing, automating, supporting, and maintaining the business critical host systems and applications pivotal to their company's core mission. With a firm foundation of proven ability spanning more than three decades, TONE has built an unparalleled reputation for delivering premier software solutions and exceptional customer service and support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. For more information, go to www.tonesoft.com.

Tone's enhanced DYNA-STEP 3.1 release provides a new Application Invocation Assist (AIA) facility