Thoroughly Modern: The Mid-Year Check – Accelerating IT Projects and Modernization for the Second Half of the Year
August 7, 2023 Christine McDowell
Summer is the ideal time to reflect on your IT and technology goals for the remainder of 2023 and look ahead to 2024, envisioning the possibilities in front of you.
A mid-year reset can be a game-changer for effective time management and goal achievement. By reflecting on your accomplishments, revisiting your objectives and taking action, you can set yourself up for success in the coming months.
Sharing some resources and updates that can help you get a jump on projects before business ramps up in September.
IT Leadership Educational Series
Earlier this year Fresche hosted an IT Executive Series providing 30-minute power sessions that focuses on the latest IT trends and initiatives that can be implemented quickly for immediate business value. The sessions speak directly to IT leaders and focus on answering key questions that are top of mind for IT executives today.
What’s New in IBM i Modernization
Modernizing RPG, COBOL and/or CA 2E (SYNON) applications is no longer a question of why but how. The prospect of creating new web & mobile apps, leveraging existing applications, implementing APIs, extending ERPs and learning new technologies can be overwhelming. This educational session covers the options that are available to you and how to get there.
Launch of Subscription Pricing for Fresche IBM i Software Products
And, speaking of options, if you didn’t catch it last week, Fresche announced some big, exciting news: We officially launched subscription pricing for our flagship IBM i development, productivity, and modernization software products. We kicked off this transition with the immediate availability of subscriptions for Presto, our market-leading automated green screen modernization product.
Modernization solutions should be easy to access, easy to use, easy to scale and fit any IT budget. Subscription-based pricing fits these requirements perfectly by offering a low-risk, low-cost way to get more from investments into existing IBM i systems.
Access subscription options or download a free Presto trial here.
Make Quick Wins Part of Your IBM i Modernization Strategy
All modernization efforts are not made equal. When you’re planning a roadmap to modernize your applications, it is crucial to prioritize changes that can deliver immediate value to the business. The quick wins at the top of your list should be those that the business is looking for and can get behind.
This is particularly true in 2023 as we see more IT leaders needing to prove ROI and focus on “quick win” initiatives. Chris Koppe recently hosted a webinar where he provided a great summary of opportunities for improving business processes and incremental strategies that deliver value quickly. You can view the recording here.
Adopting a Crawl, Walk, Run Approach to Cloud
Let’s face it, relying solely on business growth projections or immediate capacity is not the most efficient approach toward infrastructure upgrades anymore.
So, what’s better? Choosing the ideal workload model for your business aka determining where to run which applications. If you’re considering ways to leverage cloud and managed services and maximize the value you stand to gain from virtualization without taking giant leaps or risks, read this blog post to learn how to be cloud smart. And, getting advice from the experts can help point you in the right direction so speak with a Fresche cloud expert to learn about your options with everything from hosting to cloud migration, managed services and more.
Optimizing IBM i Systems Management with Remote Managed Services
How much time do you spend managing your IBM i systems? I’ve spoken with many IT professionals who wish they had time to focus on strategic activities (or take a vacation!) instead of worrying about day-to-day systems maintenance.
If you’re struggling to find skills and resources to manage and safeguard your IBM i systems, you aren’t alone. Many IT leaders are single threaded with limited/retiring resources and unable to support growing business demands. Fresche’s cloud expert Raymond Hammell wrote about the skills challenges in a recent IT Jungle article that you can access here. Additionally, he conducted a webinar that is available on-demand that provides a great overview of how organizations are optimizing IBM i system management with Remote Managed Services (24x7x365 support, remote Network Operations Center and Security Operations Center monitoring, backup processes, disaster recovery and more).
Practical Strategies for Enhancing IBM i Security
A staggering number of companies fail to prioritize the security of their IBM i by leveraging its built-in security features. This is a missed opportunity that leaves their data vulnerable to both internal and external threats.
Securing your valuable data shouldn’t be a gamble – here are a few on-demand sessions designed to empower companies like yours with invaluable insights and practical strategies for enhancing IBM i security this summer.
What Developers Need to Know About IBM i Security
Discover the essential elements of IBM i security that developers should be aware of. Gain insights into industry-leading practices and equip your team with the know-how to build robustly secure applications.
Zero Trust Security on Your IBM i
Learn how adopting a zero trust security model can provide comprehensive protection for your IBM i environment. Understand how to protect against evolving threats and safeguard your critical assets in this session.
Top 5 Security Vulnerabilities on IBM i
Uncover the top vulnerabilities that pose risks to IBM i systems and learn effective methods to mitigate them. Stay ahead of potential threats by arming yourself with the knowledge needed to fortify your defenses.
IBM i IFS Network Security
Protect your sensitive data by understanding the intricacies of securing the Integrated File System (IFS) on IBM i. Explore proven techniques to enhance your network security and maintain the confidentiality of your valuable information.
Make the most of the rest of 2023 and get a jump on your IT projects. Access these resources and start turbocharging your success today!
Christine McDowell is vice president of corporate marketing and business development at Fresche Solutions. She started her career administering IBM midrange machines and is now a driving force in the world of IT. With over three decades of experience in the industry, Christine has a wealth of knowledge and insight that she brings to her role at Fresche. She is a strong leader with a proven track record of growth and is known for her ability to develop successful industry relationships. Above all, Christine is dedicated to ensuring customer success in everything she does at Fresche Solutions.
This content is sponsored by Fresche Solutions.
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