Manta Technologies: Your Resource for IBM i Training
Manta offers a complete library of courses for programmers, operators, system administrators, and users of the IBM i operating system, which runs on IBM Power Systems.
All of our courses are web based and run in all popular browsers.
Save During Manta's Anniversary Sale!
In celebration of Manta's 31th birthday, we are offering any course, series, or combination pack — including the complete IBM i Training Library. — at 20% off. The sale ends July 31.
Develop Your Own "Manta" Courses
By William A. Hansen, Ph.D.
Manta President
When Manta rolled out its first AS/400 courses in 1994, we knew we had something special. No other vendor offered computer-based training that contained detailed exercises which perfectly simulated the AS/400 environment. 30 years later, we remain the only training vendor with this capability.
The software underlying every Manta course is an eLearning system called EasyTutorTM. EasyTutor was developed by Manta's sister company, Hansen Training Systems, Inc. (HTS), as a vehicle for producing IBM mainframe courses. Early versions featured a 3270 terminal simulator and plug-in syntax parsers for various mainframe command and programming languages, including COBOL, MVS, JES2, VSAM, CICS, and others. We added a CL command parser and 5280 simulations in 1991, the same year we acquired an AS/400 and fell head-over-heels in love with it.
EasyTutor was a game changer for HTS. Not only could we simulate all IBM mainframe and midrange systems, its ease of use cut our development time in half. Not content to rest on our laurels, we pushed EasyTutor thought six major rewrites, which have offered the following enhancements:
- An XML-based scripting language that includes HTML as a subset
- World-wide, web-base delivery of all courses
- An integrated learning management system (LMS) for student scheduling and tracking
- Simulation of graphical user environments (GUIs)
- Built-in animation capabilities
- Audio and video support
In recent years, HTS has decided to share this magic. Two versions of EasyTutor are now available to the public.
- The EasyTutor Development Kit provides authoring facilities and support for course delivery. It requires the use of Apache or an equivalent HTTP server.
- The EasyTutor Learning Management System includes the EasyTutor Development Kit plus support for the LMS-related activities of student tracking and reporting. It requires the use of Apache Tomcat or an equivalent Java application server.
Both products can run on Windows, Linux, or IBM i systems.
For more information about HTS and its EasyTutor eLearning authoring system, please visit https://HansenTrainingSystems.com. Or, call me directly at (800) 406-2682 ext 101.
Multi-User Licenses
Manta courses have a concurrent user license, meaning that you may train any number of students — just one at a time. With sufficient scheduling, most customers have no problem using a single-user license to train as many as 5 or 10 people.
If your organization prefers to train students in groups, rather than one at a time, consider a multiple-user license. Unlike the single-user license, the multiple-user license lets multiple students use the same product simultaneously.
The user limit applies to whatever product(s) you order. If you buy a one-user license for the entire library, for example, only one student can use the library at a time. To increase the number of students who can train simultaneously, you can move to a five-user license for the library or buy additional user capabilities for only those products used by multiple students. A popular combination is a single-user license for the library and a five-user license for the Program Development Combination Pack.
For any product, moving from a single-user license to a 5-user license increases the price by only 50%. Each additional student over 5 increases the price by 10% of the single-user price.
There is no problem in underestimating your need. If a student cannot access a course because it is currently being used, he or she will be told to try again later. In addition, you will receive an email to alert you to the potential problem. If you get the email frequently, you can upgrade to a larger license at that time.
Save on Renewals
Manta's basic license gives you access for a full year. This is generally more than enough time for operators, system administrators, and programmers to complete all of the courses in their respective subject areas. Doing so, however, requires most students to commit to finishing one or two courses each week. Depending on the number of students sharing a license and individual job requirements, it is possible that not everyone will complete training on time. Moreover, most organizations have ongoing training requirements, due to new hires and the need for experienced employees to learn new topics. We see this fact reflected in the customers who have renewed their licenses every year since the online version was introduced in 1999.
To support such ongoing training needs, Manta makes it easy for you to extend your license as long as you need it. We will send you a renewal invoice automatically, thirty to sixty days before your license expires. The second-year price is one half of our listed first-year price to reflect the expected drop in usage after the initial training demand. For the third and subsequent years, the price is one fourth of the list price.
Rather than waiting for a renewal notice, you can prepay for the second and, optionally, the third year of training. A 10% savings is built into the price for each additional year. Moreover, if you opt for additional years during a sale — such as the current 20%-off sale — the discount is applied to the full price. This is a great way to lock in your savings for years to come!