Four Hundred Monitor, April 15
April 15, 2020 Jenny Thomas
While COVID-19 continues to dominate headlines worldwide, there is still much happening in the world of IBM i. Last week we told you about the new CEO of IBM, Arvind Krishna, taking the helm, and this week we fill you in on the latest Technology Refresh on what’s become available for IBM i 7.4 TR2 or IBM i 7.3 TR8. As much as we would all like for all business to get back to usual, it is nice to have some semblance of normal with the Spring announcements. We’ve got that story and the latest news below, followed by our section listing the IBM i community’s to the pandemic. Be well.
Top Stories From Outside The Jungle
(IT Jungle) The Spring Technology Refresh for IBM i is now available.
(MarkeyWatch) Red Hat may save IBM’s bottom line in the year of the coronavirus.
(TechSpot) COBOL programmers are still in demand, so IBM is offering a free training course.
(Yahoo Finance) An analysis of IBM’s financial position for the long haul.
COVID-19 Response Updates
(IntelliChief) This blog looks at the push by many businesses to go paperless in response to COVID-19.
(Raz-Lee Security) In an effort to help organizations keep their employees and families safe while continuing business operations, Raz-Lee is offering its iSecurity Anti-Ransomware solution for free until July 1, 2020.
(iTech Solutions) This Q&A session offers some tips and tricks for working from home with your IBM i. Keep an eye on iTech Solutions website for more webinars to help you through the lockdown.
(COMMON) A new series aimed to help bring together COMMON community members with IBM i and remote work experts is happening on Wednesdays.
(IT Jungle) Will we make it through the current pandemic storm? Out editor-in-chief Tim Prickett Morgan has some thoughts.
(IT Jungle) Tim Prickett Morgan and Alex Woodie team up to profile how IBM i vendors are adapting to the new normal with news from Maxava, CNX, Rocket Software, New Generation Software, Infor, Raz-Lee Security, ARCAD Software, System i Developer, iTech Solutions Group, and COMMON.
(IT Jungle) Chordia Consulting offers our readers a significantly reduced rate for a remote IT healthcheck with a variant tuned specifically for IBM i shops and their special characteristics.
(Maxava) High availability software maker Maxava is making its Monitor Mi8 product, available free of charge to customers using its Maxava HA clustering software so they can monitor and manage their machines remotely
(IT Jungle) Our own Alex Woodie looks at how companies and conferences from our ecosystem is coping with the global pandemic.
(Fresche Solutions) A special deal for free licenses to Presto web development tools for IBM i to help companies with cope with remote workforces.
(System i Developer) RPG & DB2 Summit is planning to replace its March conference with a virtual conference beginning April 1.
(SQL iQuery) Stay in the know with Bob Cozzi’s map of the latest U.S. COVID-19 coronavirus statistics.
Redbooks, White Papers, Blogs, and Other Resources
(Profound Logic) This annual survey uncovers valuable data on the IBM i industry. The results will be especially important this year as COVID-19 sweeps across IBM i businesses. Take 10 minutes to fill out the survey and get entered to win prizes.
(Computer History Museum) A fun site to visit if you’re looking for something to pass the time, this page looks back at women in computing.
(HelpSystems) This recorded webinar features three IBM i experts who examine disruptive incidents that most IT teams overlook and show you the best ways to anticipate these disruptions and maintain business continuity.
(Fresche Solutions) How are you leveraging your systems and innovating for the future? Fresche’s 2020 IBM i in Business Survey will provide critical understanding into the role that IT plays in business. Participants will receive a report and invitation for a live session about the results.
(IBM Skills Gateway) IBM’s TechU is hosting free weekly webcasts. Get more information and register here.
Chats, Webinars, Seminars, Shows, and Other Happenings
April 15 – Webinar – COMMON’s free series “Work from Home: A COMMON Guide to Success” will address the challenges to working effectively and efficiently from home. The series consists of panel discussions taking place on Wednesdays from 12 – 1 p.m. CT. Panelists are recognized experts in this community, with in-depth experience working from home, and will share their tried and true expertise in these discussions. Get more information and register here for this week’s discussion: How To Be A Productive Employee From Your Home.
April 16 – Webinar – Learn how to eliminate technical debt in your IBM i application in this webinar – Check IBM i Code Quality & Security – Automatically. We will demonstrate how to use ARCAD CodeChecker to check source code automatically, as you develop, to detect code quality and security flaws as early as possible in the cycle.
April 17 – Webinar – COMMON’s free series “Work from Home: A COMMON Guide to Success” will address the challenges to working effectively and efficiently from home. The series consists of presentations and discussion around issues specific to telecommuting in an IBM i shop. Get more information and register here for this week’s telecommuting presentation: How To Set Up Your Home Printer With ACS.
April 22 – Webinar – COMMON’s free series “Work from Home: A COMMON Guide to Success” will address the challenges to working effectively and efficiently from home. The series consists of panel discussions taking place on Wednesdays from 12 – 1 p.m. CT. Panelists are recognized experts in this community, with in-depth experience working from home, and will share their tried and true expertise in these discussions. Get more information and register here for this week’s discussion: Taking Care Of Yourself When Working From Home.
April 24 – Webinar – COMMON’s free series “Work from Home: A COMMON Guide to Success” will address the challenges to working effectively and efficiently from home. The series consists of presentations and discussion around issues specific to telecommuting in an IBM i shop. Get more information and register here for this week’s telecommuting presentation: How To Access Your IBM i Without VPN: Configuring And Understanding The Risks Involved.
April 29 – Webinar – COMMON’s free series “Work from Home: A COMMON Guide to Success” will address the challenges to working effectively and efficiently from home. The series consists of panel discussions taking place on Wednesdays from 12 – 1 p.m. CT. Panelists are recognized experts in this community, with in-depth experience working from home, and will share their tried and true expertise in these discussions. Get more information and register here for this week’s discussion: What To Do If You Find Yourself Furloughed.
April 30 – Webinar – The Mid-Atlantic Group of IBM i Collaborators (MAGiC) will hold its April meeting online featuring a discussion of Flask and Python. Get more information on “Pass the Flask and Quickly Pour IBM i Python Web Apps and Services” at this link. Membership is not required to attend these free meetings.
May 5-7 – Digital Event – IBM has turned its Think conference into a “digital event” as a new approach to its signature events in light of COVID-19. Learn about the latest advancements in open technologies from hybrid multicloud to data and AI. Interact with the luminaries who are using this tech to transform our lives. Root your reinvention in this year’s reimagined event experience.
May 14 – Webinar – The Mid-Atlantic Group of IBM i Collaborators (MAGiC) will hold its May meetings online. Get more information on “Rapidly Create Responsive Web Applications” at this link. Membership is not required to attend these free meetings.
May 21 – Webinar – The Mid-Atlantic Group of IBM i Collaborators (MAGiC) will hold its May meetings online. Get more information on “The Zen of Using PHP without Zend Server” at this link. Membership is not required to attend these free meetings.
POSTPONED TO FALL – May 12-14 – Orlando, Florida –The nation’s leading ERP software event, the ESS – Enterprise Software Showcase for Manufacturers and Distributors is the longest running event of its kind. ESS brings together ERP software buyers and vendors to facilitate the software selection process. Created by Technology Evaluation Centers (TEC), and hosted by TEC and Godlan, Inc. ESS is a learning hub for businesses to see live demos from five of the top ERP Software packages all in one place – all while gaining an understanding and getting tips on how to make informed, smarter software decisions.
POSTPONED – June 1-3 – Framingham, Massachusetts – Join the Northeast User Group (NEUGC) Conference where attendees will be saying cheers to 30 years. NEUGC is the largest technical conference in New England for IBM i.
June 9-10 – Bedfordshire, England – i-UG’s annual Flag Ship conference is a two-day event held at the Wyboston Lakes Executive Centre in Bedfordshire. Expect a great mixture of educational workshops, classroom sessions, and fun, including: Hands-On Workshops; User Experience Panel; Executive Round Table Session; Vendor Solution Sessions; and Extensive Expo Hall. System i Developer (SiD) will also be back to deliver a range of 75-minute lectures aimed at IBM i developers.
June 22-23 – Livonia, Michigan – The Michigan IBM Power Systems Technical Education Conference (MITEC) is still scheduled to take in June and will feature more than 45 sessions covering topics such as system architecture, application development, mobile applications, RPG, Python, business intelligence, disaster recovery, and performance monitoring.
July 23-25 – Costa Mesa, California – OCEAN TechCon20 will be taking place and features three days of inspiration and innovation featuring such many expert speakers including Patrick Behr, Scott Klement, Doug Mack, Aaron Magid, Dan Magid, Eamon Musallam, Mike Pavlak, and Alan Seiden.
POSTPONED – August 31-September 3 – Tampa, Florida – POWERUp 2020 will offer between 350-400 sessions presented by more than 100 IT professionals, and features the largest exposition of its kind. This conference structured to give you the pure education and professional connections needed to best enhance your career.
