Dan Burger
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If RDi Was Free, Would You Go For A Ride?
August 16, 2017 Dan Burger
Some interesting developments have occurred with the Rational Developer for i (RDi) team. First came the extraction from IBM Software Group and relocation within the IBM i development organization. Then came the integration of RDi development efforts involving IBM and HelpSystems. What’s next? Perhaps a free lightweight version of RDi designed to entice more IBM i developers to trade in their old tools and take a closer look at what they can gain with RDi.
A new request for enhancement (RFE #108558) may gather enough momentum to bring a free RDi to market. That leads to the question of whether …
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Four Hundred Monitor, August 16
August 16, 2017 Dan Burger
If you read Steve Will’s blogs and follow his itinerary of speaking engagements, you wonder if the guy is on pace to set a record for promoting the IBM i platform. And we don’t even know all the behind the scenes stuff. The strategy is simple. Have Steve Will talk and blog until every IBM i customer realizes that this system is fully capable of running a modern business. But that the message has to reach beyond the IBM i faithful. By his own admission, he is reaching about 1 percent of those who should be hearing the story. He …
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What’s Old Is New Again: The IBM i Means Business
August 11, 2017 Dan Burger
It seems like a lot of companies are simply dumbfounded when it comes to IT staffing. Maybe it’s the inability to cope with the accelerated evolution of information technology. Determining how much upgrading is necessary for a given business model is not a follow the leader game. And an IT strategy based on “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” has led to trouble for many businesses where IT is broken and in need of repair. Too often there’s a rush to save business with technology without taking care of the business first.
“The biggest challenge of business is learning …
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Subscription-Based Change Management Added To IBM i MSP Menu
August 9, 2017 Dan Burger
Software subscriptions can be a good solution for companies looking for operational benefits using cloud hosted services for their development systems, as well as their backup systems. Because this type of IT strategy is forecasted to become increasingly common – companies will search for greater efficiencies and cost savings – IBM i vendors Midrange Dynamics and iTech Solutions have partnered to provide a new set of subscription services.
iTech will add subscription-based Midrange Dynamics Change Management Software (MDCMS) to the portfolio of solutions that the Power Systems solutions and services company offers.
The subscription includes codes for HA/backup systems, as …
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Four Hundred Monitor, August 9
August 9, 2017 Dan Burger
We all know the short answer to the “What is Watson” question. Watson is IBM’s cognitive computing superstar. What to do with Watson and how to do it is a little foggy. If you’ve read the IT Jungle articles, you’re ahead of most. But if you’re still sorting out artificial intelligence, machine learning, and deep learning, this interview with IBM’s Alison Butterill and Jesse Gorzinski could help see cognitive more clearly.
Also in this issue, internship programs can help grow your IT staff while injecting youth and new skills. Internships attract talent. Think of it as an extended interview and …
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IBM i Gets Some Development Help
August 7, 2017 Dan Burger
Faster, faster, must go faster. In order to pick up the pace of IBM i development, Big Blue has enlisted the support of HelpSystems, with the goal of accelerating enhancements to Rational Developer for i, PowerHA System Mirror for i, and Backup, Recovery and Media Services (BRMS) on i. HelpSystems will take the product enhancement development lead, while working with the existing team in Rochester. IBM will continue to integrate and deliver these products into the IBM i operating system.
The transition is under way. Roadmaps are being discussed. IBM and HelpSystems are building the infrastructure and environments required for …
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IBM i Trading Punches In The Automotive Supply Chain
August 7, 2017 Dan Burger
Manufacturing in the U.S. is experiencing some drastic changes. In the supply chain, IBM’s midrange computers have been a controlling force. The automotive supply chain is a great example. But are the wheels coming off this legendary IT platform? Future-thinking tier suppliers are brain wrestling with the question of whether to modernize or migrate.
There is a combination of technologies, architectures, and costs to balance. And then there’s the wild card of partnerships, trusted advisors, customer feedback, and corporate mergers and acquisitions that factor into decision making. How is the IBM i faring in this sea of change?
It seems …
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Education And Enterprise Computing Not Passing The Test
July 24, 2017 Dan Burger
The education-to-employment system flat out fails for most employers and young people seeking employment. Let’s introduce that elephant in the room right now. It’s not a dry well, but it’s not close to being what it should be. It’s much bigger than the IBM i community. It’s bigger than the IT industry. But it certainly is a factor in filling positions at IBM i shops. The mismatch between colleges and the needs of the job market is apparent.
There are expectations and finger-pointing on both sides: the educational system and the employers. What there doesn’t seem to be is the …
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Eamon Musallam: Insights on i
July 19, 2017 Dan Burger
Things that make a difference. We’re all looking for what’s essential. Too often we get distracted by the inconsequential, improbable, and inapplicable. Sometimes those distractions are built into the way we’ve always done things. The fate of organizations, the fate of our professions and the fate of IBM i are in the balance.
Last week, I had a conversation with Eamon Musallam, president of the OCEAN user group, which is based in Orange County, California. We talked about real work that is getting done by IBM i shops to solve problems and how a user group continues to be …
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Four Hundred Monitor, July 19
July 19, 2017 Dan Burger
The graying of the IBM i workforce is opening the door for somewhat of a youth movement. Yes, that has the potential to be culturally shocking. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Some youthful influence is needed in organizations (yours might be one of them) that have done little to change the IT formula in the past 20 years or more.
This week Monitor also includes articles on what’s tormenting IBM’s cognitive superhero Watson, a blockchain blockbuster deal for IBM, and an interview with the RDi chief architect and his insights into what RDi can do for you.
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