COMMON POWERUp 2023

We've all seen the national debt clock, fictitious to some, but a real threat to our country. Closer to home is a another threat just as serious and yet just as fictitious to some. We're talking about your organization's technical debt. Not the lease payments on your Power system, but rather the sum total of hidden exposures and future expenses that are brought about by less than optimal practices. Every company has it. They key is minimizing if not eliminating it through better practice, technology and collaboration. Join me as we explore some of the worst examples of technical debt and how to stop the bleeding, All while putting it into terms that your boss will understand.

Learning Objectives:
1. Understand the concept of technical debt and its adverse effects on an organization.
2. Be able to convey this message to non-technical C-level managers.
3. Take steps to eliminate (pay down) technical debt and prevent it from accruing in the future.

In this session several key IBM i architects and development leaders will review the highlights of the latest IBM i 7.5 release along with the Latest TR releases. Many of our favorites new features will be covered by this team from the IBM i lab in Rochester

Learning Objectives:

After this session you will know what IBM Power Systems Virtual Server is and what capabilities it has and what benefits it brings to IBM i users.  Beside the explanation of what PowerVS is you will hear, based on reference stories, why other IBM i users have chosen for PowerVS and how they benefit of using this solution. For people familiar with PowerVS, in this session also the new features, like Shared Processor pool and Global Replication Service, that have been implemented during the past year will be covered

Learning Objectives:
1: know what IBM Power Systems Virtual Server is
2:know the capabilities of IBM Power Systems Virtual Server
3:know about reference of customer who are using IBM Power Systems Virtual Server

In this session, Steve Will, IBM i Chief Architect, will give an overview of the latest features of IBM i, including the most recent announcements. Db2, Application Development tools, Db2 Mirror, Open Source, Security features, ACS, Navigator – it’s all in there!

Learning Objectives:
1. Learn the biggest recent features from IBM i
2. Get pointers to what other sessions can give you the details on specific big items.

The world is changing. You can see it if you look around you... computers understand your voice, cars drive themselves, and so much more! What will things look like in 10 or 20 years? How will the world change? And, most importantly, how can we be ready for it?

Learning Objectives:
1. Understand how automation is already changing the world.
2. Think about how it will change things over time.
3. Be inspired to become a part of it!

So now that you understand the extent of your technical debt, the questions is, how to start addressing it. You can't undo 30 years of debt in 30 days, but there are ways to pick away at it little by little, without the stress and deadlines associated with a big bang event. Join us as we explore some simple techniques to eliminate instances of one of the most prevalent forms of technical debt - hard coding. Plus, we'll also discuss one more form of debt that we didn't cover in "On the Clock", one that will most certainly rear its ugly head in the future.

Open AI and specifically Online GPT has captured the latest in IT headlines. In this session we will discuss the history of Open AI, how it has matured and the goals of the team behind the technology. We'll also explore (speculate) on its impact to education, finance and most assuredly, Information Technology. We'll wrap up with a live demo of the Copilot application and how it might add productivity to the typical IBm i shop, but at what cost?

As you may have discovered, there are many paths to modernization and digital transformation. The marketplace has many commercial tools that all bring unique value. Alternatively, one can leverage open source technologies to write reactive web interfaces, expose REST APIs, monitor the system, secure applications, or automate daily processes. This session will explore the FOSS (free open source software) option for modernization paths.

Learning Objectives:

Where is IBM i going? How is IBM investing in this integrated platform? In this presentation, Steve Will, the IBM i CTI & Chief Architect, and Alison Butterill, Product Manager for IBM i, will discuss the current state of the IBM i operating system, the underlying business, and the growing community of IBM i users. They will show the IBM i strategy that delivers value to IBM i clients and to IBM, they'll highlight key enhancements which strengthen IBM i’s place in your IT plans, and they'll discuss the future roadmaps for the platform.

Learning Objectives:
1. Understand the current IBM i strategy and the IBM i market
2. Understand the future direction of IBM i, and how that is helping clients today
3. Learn several client examples of innovative technology solving business problems using IBM i today.