Common Europe Webinars

Common Europe Webinars are short, online, educational or solution provider sponsored content delivered to our members through an online learning platform. These webinars offer a unique learning experience for those members who cannot attend an in-person event or who simply want to supplement their education or information received from Common Europe and its solution provider community. Webinar education is delivered by industry experts, IBM developers, and like-minded peers.


Upcoming Webinars

Common Europe has organized yet another exciting webinar, for FREE, as a benefit of your membership in Common Europe.

What Does Your Job Look Like in 2030: A Vision of IBM i Work in the Future

Tuesday 1 October – 11:00 CEST (10:00 BST)

Register For The Webinar Now

Within 60 days of its release, ChatGPT hit 100 million users in 2022, a feat it took TikTok 9 months to achieve. According to Deloitte, “64% of CEOs say they’re facing significant pressure from investors, creditors, and lenders to speed the adoption of generative AI”. This sudden ramp up of genAI, coupled with macro trends such as hybrid work are drastically changing the model of work we all are accustomed to.

What does this mean for IBM i and for you? Join Jeroen van Dun, Senior Manager, Product Management for Rocket Software’s Modernisation Portfolio will discuss:

  • The roles of IBM i admin and IBM i developer and how they change over the next 5 years 
  • What opportunities this will present for you 
  • How you can set yourself up for success in 2030 and beyond 

Speaker:

Jeroen van Dun,
Senior Manager Product Management for Rocket Software’s Modernisation Portfolio

Jeroen van Dun is a Senior Manager, Product Management at Rocket Software. Jeroen has more than 20 years of experience in product management and software development. He has lead R&D teams developing SOA, APIs, and mobile, with a focus on IBM i. In his current role, Jeroen leads the team responsible for research of new technologies and product design and development for Rocket Software’s IBM i Solutions. Jeroen has a Computer Science degree from Avans Hogeschool Breda in The Netherlands.

Register For The Webinar Now


Archived Webinars:

Unleashing the power of data APIs to drive application modernization

Thursday 23 May – 14:00 CEST (13:00 BST)

Developing modern apps over IBM i and other traditional operating systems relies on exposing data APIs from backend systems. This, however, can be complex and time consuming, creating unnecessary barriers to modernization initiatives.

Join us to hear how Comtec, a provider of insurance software solutions developed over IBM i, is enhancing its solution with an agile modern data framework. By implementing GigaSpaces digital integration hub, Comtec aims to increase data agility and be able to better respond to customer demands for new feature updates and simplified application integration efforts.

This webinar offers a valuable opportunity to hear from your peers and learn about their hands-on experiences with digital integration hub architecture implemented over Power systems.

Speakers:

Nadav Milner,
CEO – Comtec

Nadav Milner is CEO of Comtec, a dominant player in the technology and functionally advanced Insurance software industry. Comtec offers a comprehensive line of products for the insurance and financial sector: Total Insurance System (TIS), an end-to-end modular enterprise-wide P&C insurance application; SpeedRater, a cutting edge RBMS rating system for insurance carriers; and InfoBay, a home-grown data-exchange platform using a variety of information security applications.

Meni Meller,
Director Pre-sales, GigaSpaces

Meni Meler leads pre-sale activity for GigaSpaces. He has more than 20 years’ experience in systems architecture, data engineering and application integration. Prior to his current role at GigaSpaces, Meni was a solution architect director at Oracle.

 


Implementing Defense In Depth for IBM i

Tuesday 16 April – 11:00 CEST (10:00 BST)

One of the foundational pillars of a cyber security practice is the concept of ‘Defense in Depth’. It’s a strategy that suggests the use of multiple different security measures to protect an organization’s assets. If one line of defense is compromised, additional layers exist to provide alternative means of protection. In this session we will highlight best practices and discuss how to make your IBM i environment align with this enterprise-wide initiative.

Per Bauer,
Director of Technical Solutions – Fortra

As Director of Technical Solutions, Per has the responsibility for the delivery of services to our Automation, Infrastructure Protection and Power solutions across EMEA. Per has the combination of deep practical experience with the understanding of the business drivers for automation and optimized security, contributing to his role as a thought-leader in the industry. Per also sits on various product management steering committees giving his insight of real-world needs and translating that into deliverable products for the market.


The Future of IBM i Strategy is AI

Thursday 14 December – 15:00 CET (14:00 GMT)

If you’ve spent any time online in the last year, you likely saw the buzz around ChatGPT, a chatbot developed by OpenAI that garnered a lot of attention at the end of 2022. Suddenly, the capabilities of artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) are democratized, their insights and guidance no longer exclusively available for data scientists. While the breadth and depth are unclear, it is certain they will have an impact for years to come.
The IBM i is no exception. AI/ML will play a pivotal role in providing IBM i leaders the information, insight, and recommendations as to how best to optimize and modernize their IBM i environments. 
Join Rocket Software’s Andy Finley, Principal Sales Engineer, for a future-facing discussion about AI, ML, and IBM i strategy. In this session, we will talk about the data you should collect today to provide the dataset for the next generation of AI/ML experience tomorrow. We’ll also do a deep dive into how AI will impact testing. In addition, we’ll discuss different touch points for consideration, including:
 Hybrid cloud 
 Enabling future technology & tool integration
 Application modernization
 Workflow automation
 Security

Andy Finley,
Principal Sales Engineer in EMEA – Rocket Software

Andrew Finley, has over 25 years IT experience, gained working within various areas of the IBMi, covering ALM & DevOps, Technical Support, Middleware, Operations and Deployment.
Having spent the last thirteen years as a Solutions Engineer for Rocket Software, Andrew will be able to share his many experiences from global customers across various industry sectors.


What Does It Mean To Be A Modern App?

Tuesday 14 November – 14:00 CET (13:00 GMT)

A modern application could be defined as such in several respects.
Technically many elements can qualify an App as modern but the real question is: what is modern today? Will it be modern tomorrow too?
From a business point of view, what are the aspects of the business to consider?

Pascal Polverini,
Digital Transformation Strategist / Solution Architect in Innovation

With thirty years of professional experience in North America, Europe and Australia Pascal Polverini has wide experience in digital transformation, strategy roadmap and planning, end-to-end software architectures, with expertise on DB, programming languages, communication protocols and UI.
Co-author of the IBM i Modernization Redbooks, he is an expert in cross technologies. An active member of the IBM i ISV Advisory Council since 2005, he has also been an individual associate of the OpenPOWER foundation since 2014, senior speaker on IT events (in English, French and Italian) and occasionally a writer for IBM Systems Magazine and others.
Pascal is deeply involved in solutions to merge or cross different technologies and innovations, involving AI technologies as well, focusing on project governance and quality results, with particular attention to the added value in a business approach to the client need and market extensions.


IBM i Marketplace Survey

Tuesday 10 October – 15:00 CEST (14:00 BST)

The annual IBM i marketplace survey for 2024 is now open and Common Europe would like to see more companies from Europe participate.
In this call with Tom Huntington, we will go through the findings from last year’s survey, with focus on the European answers and how they might or might not differ from the rest of the world.

Tom Huntington,
Executive VP, Technical Solutions – Fortra

Tom Huntington has been with the company for nearly 35 years. He helps manage the worldwide Fortra software engineer team that works to integrate and promote  automation and security solutions to partners and customers around the globe.

Tom often speaks on enterprise scheduling, security, automation topics, IBM i technology, and the Fortra products, and hosts technical presentations on a variety of automation topics. He is the author of the Fortra IBM i Marketplace Survey and has written articles on automated operations, security, cloud computing, and business intelligence for leading trade journals and newsletters. He was named an IBM Champion the past seven consecutive years for his more than three decades of advocation and thought leadership on the IBM i platform.


Zero Trust on IBM i: What It Is and Why It Matters

Thursday, 28 September – 11:00 CEST (10:00 BST)

Zero Trust is an approach to security that has risen to prominence in the past years. Zero Trust has provided organizations with a much-needed remedy to the increased exposure they face as a result of the rise of remote work and deepening digitization of supply chains.

By leveraging authentication beyond just the perimeter of your organization and by granting your employees only the access required for their work, you can not only reduce the likelihood of attacks but also limit any damage from those attacks that do get through.

Unfortunately, implementation of Zero Trust has been lagging in many IBM i shops. This is confirmed by Fortra’s annual IBM i State of Security Study, which time and time again reports violations of Zero Trust principles, such as over assignment of special authorities.

Join Kurt Thomas on September 28th for a live webinar on:

–        Why implementing Zero Trust on the IBM i is important

–        What Zero Trust on the IBM i looks like

–        How to implement it

We hope to see you there!

Kurt Thomas,
Senior System Engineer – Fortra

Kurt Thomas works with Fortra customers all over the world to help them get the most out of their IBM i systems and applications. He focuses on cybersecurity and data privacy and has a wide range of interests including operating systems to artificial intelligence. Kurt is the Technical Product Manager for the Powertech line of IBM i security solutions. He lives and works in Bonn, Germany. 


IBM i & GDPR: 10 Steps To Mitigate Technical & Legal Risks

Thursday, 4 May – 10:00 CEST (09:00 BST)

The GDPR is a European Law and because of that is often considered only a legal matter. In reality, by using IT platforms and Infrastructures, each IT Department is involved and responsible for the correct management of “Personal Data” (the GDPR’s subject) and to adhere correctly to its protection using appropriate security measures. The IBM/i platform is usually completely out of Compliance Processes despite being the core system in most companies that are using it. Let’s see what is needed for Compliance and why it is important to have it, on the business side.

About the Presenter:

Nicola Fusco,
COO & VP International Marketing & Sales – Arcasafe

Over the last 20 years, (of 38 years in the ICT sector), Nicola Fusco has been involved in providing consultancy on security measures for company’s systems and infrastructures and mainly focused on the IBM i platform, having gained experience in American and Israeli companies – producers of security software for IBM Systems. From then he started to invest in GDPR regulation from the beginning (April 2016) and is strongly involved with his own company, Arcasafe, in the Compliance Processes, managing directly two internal teams (Technical and Legal) in order to help customers (95% based on IBM i) to define processes and security measures for GDPR compliance.

He is a Certified Auditor ISO/IEC 17065:2012 (IT Services) and Arcasafe provides the terms of Compliance based on official regulation which is also going to be recognized in Europe for GDPR Certification.


Secure Your IBM i Workloads Through Penetration Testing

Recent years have seen an increase in cyber-crime, causing organisations to up their mitigation efforts. In response to an increasingly complex threat landscape, new cyber defense technologies and paradigms have evolved.

But mature platforms like IBM i have typically not been at the center of those efforts, leaving them more susceptible to cyberattacks. In this session we will discuss current trends and show you how you can improve your IBM i security posture through targeted penetration testing.

About the Presenter:

Per Bauer,
Director of Technical Solutions – Fortra

As Director of Technical Solutions, Per has the responsibility for the delivery of services to our Automation, Infrastructure Protection and Power solutions across EMEA. Per has the combination of deep practical experience with the understanding of the business drivers for automation and optimized security, contributing to his role as a thought-leader in the industry. Per also sits on various product management steering committees giving his insight of real-world needs and translating that into deliverable products for the market.


Viruses and Ransomware on Power Systems – not on my watch!

Tuesday, 24 January – 14:00 CET (13:00 GMT)

Over 35% of all new malware is targeted at Linux.  All platforms are susceptible to ransomware.  Learn about the threats that are very real, right now and the simple measures you can take to combat them on your IBMi, AIX and Linux systems running on IBM Power.

Learning objectives:

  • Understand the risk of ransomware on Power systems.
  • Know what the penalties can be.
  • Learn about current threats.
  • Learn the simple steps you can take to combat these problems.
  • Learn how native anti-virus software can help protect your environment.

About the Presenter:

Mike Davison,
Senior Technical Consultant – Fortra

Mike Davison has worked on IBM equipment in IT Operations since starting on the 4381 running VM/VSE as a trainee Operator in 1987.  He’s worked for blue-chip companies in global data centres and has a varied 30+ years’ experience of IBMi, AIX, VIOS, Linux, storage and disaster recovery. Currently a Senior Technical Consultant for Fortra, Mikes main role is to provide consultancy and support for customers seeking to secure, monitor and automate their Power system operations.


Combatting Ransomware on IBM i

Thursday, 15 September 2022 – 15:00 CEST (14:00 BST)

Ransomware attacks increased 62 percent in 2021. More and more IBM i organisations are counting themselves amongst the victims—which is probably why interest in ransomware protection is growing.

To keep your systems up and running, it’s critical to understand how these malicious programs can impact IBM i. Join this session to learn:

  • How ransomware can reach IBM i
  • The relationship between viruses, native objects, and the integrated file system (IFS)
  • The difference between PC-based malware protection and native IBM i scanning

There are many ways to minimise your exposure to ransomware and other types of malware. This session will outline the facts around today’s threats and you’ll learn how to create an effective strategy for ransomware prevention.

About the Presenters:

Kurt Thomas,
Senior System Engineer, Helpsystems

Kurt Thomas works with HelpSystems customers all over the world to help them get the most out of their IBM i systems and applications. He has a degree in business informatics, and his IT interests range from cybersecurity, data privacy, performance monitoring and operating systems to artificial intelligence. Kurt is the Technical Product Manager for the Powertech line of IBM i security solutions. He lives and works in Bonn, Germany.  

Carlos Nolting,
Solutions Engineer, Helpsystems

Carlos Nolting is a solutions engineer at HelpSystems. He started his career as an AS/400 RPG applications programmer for a multinational organization 30 years ago. A few months later, unhappy with the performance of his B50 system, he learned Machine Interface to develop a utility that dynamically changed jobs priority based on CPU usage and memory pool sizes based on page faults per minute. This utility was sold all over the world and is still used in some boxes.

30 years later, Carlos still loves IBM i systems. And, thanks to his technical knowledge about the platform, he can offer Helpsystems customers and prospects advice on software, services, and setups that will help them achieve a much more secure, automated, efficient, and reliable IT based on IBM i systems.


Creating Business Agility with IBM Power

Thursday, 14 July2022 – 17:00 CEST (16:00 BST)

In September IBM launched the IBM Power E1080, the highest performing, most scalable system in the industry. Next week IBM is announcing the expansion of the Power10 line with the hardware innovations already available in the high-end system.  If you want to learn how to create business agility with a flexible and secure hybrid cloud infrastructure stay tuned by July 12th and attend the July 14th Webcast.


The State of IBM i Security in 2022:
3 Key Takeaways

Monday, 16 May 2022 – 15:00 CEST (14:00 BST)

IT has undergone a dramatic shift in recent years. For some organizations, a distributed workforce is the new norm. For everyone, threats have ramped up and new compliance mandates are popping up across the globe. Cybersecurity is both more important and more complicated than ever before.

Join this live webinar to learn how your fellow IBM i pros are tackling these issues and get practical, action-oriented tips to help you make improvements on your systems.

IBM i security expert Robin Tatam will reveal intelligence gathered from hundreds of IBM i security audits conducted over the past year. You’ll see impartial data around:

• How many users can access sensitive data
• Problems with password security
• Antivirus protection
• Network access controls
• Strategies for system auditing

You’ll learn which security controls IBM i organisation are prioritizing, the areas IBM i security is falling short, and how to set yourself up for success in today’s threat landscape.

About the Presenter:

Robin Tatam,

Director of Security Technologies, HelpSystems 

Robin is a CISM with two decades of AS/400 and IBM i consulting experience. He has a strong midrange background that includes programming in RPG and advanced CL, web enablement using CGI and IBM refacing products, as well as systems administration. An IBM-certified technical consultant, Robin conducts technical presentations online and at user group meetings, including COMMON, where he is a subject matter expert. He has written numerous articles for leading trade journals and was the co-author of the IBM Redbook, “IBM System i Security: Protecting i5/OS Data with Encryption.” Robin has also been named an IBM Power Champion in recognition for his leadership on the platform.


Inside the Integrated File System (IFS)
An in-depth exploration of the integrated file system (IFS) on IBM i

Thursday, 24 February 2022 – 15:00 CET (14:00 GMT)

Before AS/400 fans ever even heard the term “iSeries”, IBM had already rolled out the integrated file system (IFS) to give IBM i users the ability to run applications that don’t follow the traditional library structure, which resulted in UNIX- and Windows-based support within the operating system.

Today, IBM i shops use the IFS regularly for storage, web servers, applications, and more. Even the Windows IT team needs to access the IFS on IBM i for file exchanges! But with great power comes great responsibility—and many don’t have the knowledge or tools necessary to manage this technology.

During this live webinar, you’ll learn basic tips, helpful tools, and integrated file system commands— including WRKLNK and SQL Services—for managing your IFS directories and Access Client Solutions (ACS). We’ll answer your most pressing IFS questions, including:

  • What is stored inside my IFS directories?
  • How do I monitor the IFS?
  • How do I replicate the IFS or back it up?
  • How do I secure the IFS?

Understanding what the integrated file system is and how to work with it must be a critical part of your systems management plans for IBM i. If you don’t have the time—or the desire—to do it manually, we’ll also show you how HelpSystems tools can make it easy for you.

About the Presenters:

Tom Huntington,
Executive VP, Technical Solutions, Helpsystems

Tom Huntington is Executive Vice President of Technical Solutions at HelpSystems, and has been with the company for nearly 30 years. He helps manage the worldwide HelpSystems software engineer team that works to integrate and promote our automation and security solutions to partners and customers around the globe.

Tom often speaks on enterprise scheduling, security, automation topics, IBM i technology, and the HelpSystems products, and hosts technical presentations on a variety of automation topics. He is the author of the HelpSystems IBM i Marketplace Survey and has written articles on automated operations, security, cloud computing, and business intelligence for leading trade journals and newsletters. He was named an IBM Champion in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021 for over three decades of advocation and thought leadership on the IBM i platform.

Carlos Nolting,
Solutions Engineer, Helpsystems

Carlos Nolting is a solutions engineer at HelpSystems. He started his career as an AS/400 RPG applications programmer for a multinational organization 30 years ago. A few months later, unhappy with the performance of his B50 system, he learned Machine Interface to develop a utility that dynamically changed jobs priority based on CPU usage and memory pool sizes based on page faults per minute. This utility was sold all over the world and is still used in some boxes.

30 years later, Carlos still loves IBM i systems. And, thanks to his technical knowledge about the platform, he can offer Helpsystems customers and prospects advice on software, services, and setups that will help them achieve a much more secure, automated, efficient, and reliable IT based on IBM i systems.

 


1) IBM i 24X365

2) ACS and IBM i Services: A Perfect Partnership

Thursday, 3 June 2021 – 15:00-17:00 CEST (13:00-15:00 GMT)

IBM i on IBM Power Systems, the best IT platform for business solutions, evolves at quantum speed. The latest announcements of IBM i 7.4 TR4 and IBM i 7.3 TR10 focused on hybrid cloud, security, high availability, disaster recovery, and enhancements for developers. 

In this second session of the series, on June 3, IBM i team from Rochester will focus on the exciting new features of IBM i 24 X 365 Availability and the Perfect Partnership of Access Client Solutions (ACS) and IBM i Services.

(In the first session on May 10, Steve Will, Dan Sundt, Scott Forstie and Dough Mack shared details about the latest innovations of IBM i and the new features of Db2 for i).

Topic 1 –

IBM i 24X365

15:10-16:00 CEST (13:10-14:00 GMT)

In this session, Product Manager, Steve Finnes, will do a short overview including the value proposition of the key IBM i HA/DR solutions (BRMS, PowerHA and Db2 Mirror). Steve will include the most recent enhancements to all 3 products.

About the Presenter:

Steven Finnes,
Worldwide Offering Manager for Power HA/DR

Steven Finnes is the world-wide product manager for IBM HA/DR solutions on Power Systems.  Steve has worked for IBM for 40 years in a variety of positions, moving from electron optics research as applied to metrology and lithography to development and delivery of RAID5, Opticonnect and then in 2007 he assumed responsibility for HACMP which was rebranded to IBM PowerHA SystemMirror. In 2016 he and his extended team introduced VM Recovery Manager (formerly called GDR) and Cloud Storage Solutions for i. Steve is also the product manager for Backup and Recovery Media Services (BRMS) PowerHA for I, IBM Db2 Mirror for I, the CBU on i and the CBU for Enterprise Systems

Topic 2 –

ACS and IBM i Services: a Perfect Partnership

16:10-17:00 CEST (14:10-15:00 GMT)

In this session Scott and Tim (another fine partnership) will delve into some best practices for ACS, demoing some amazing usage of IBM i Services.  As you undoubtedly know, IBM i services are for everyone to use. If you know nothing about SQL, that’s great!  If you are an SQL expert, that’s also great!  No matter your level of knowledge, this session is for you! SQL is the strategic direction for the future.  It needs to be the first thing that comes to you mind. This session will provide many great examples to help you get on the way.

About the Presenters:

Scott Forstie,
Db2 for i Business Architect IBM

Scott Forstie is a Senior Technical Staff Member within IBM i development and spends most of his time working as the Db2 for i Business Architect. He has worked on IBM operating system development since joining IBM in 1989.
Scott is a frequently published author, speaker at industry events around the globe and can be found @Forstie_IBMi and forstie@us.ibm.com.

Scott is an avid runner and enjoys cooking.

 

Tim Rowe,
Business Architect IBM

Tim Rowe is the Business Architect responsible for Application Development and Systems Management for the IBM i operating system. His responsibilities include helping to make sure that the IBM i has what is needed to be successful both today and into the future. He spends much of his time helping customers understand what is possible on our platform when it comes to modernization of both Application development practices as well as how to manage the system in new and better ways.


1) IBM i Anywhere, IBM i Everywhere; the latest innovations.

2) Enhancing the Db2 for i Experience.

Monday, 10 May 2021 – 15:00-17:00 CEST (13:00-15:00 GMT)

IBM i on IBM Power Systems, the best IT platform for business solutions, evolves at quantum speed. The latest announcements of IBM i 7.4 TR4 and IBM i 7.3 TR10 focused on hybrid cloud, security, high availability, disaster recovery, and enhancements for developers.

On May 10 and June 3, members of the IBM i team from Rochester will share the details of these exciting new features with the IBM i Community. Each webinar will focus on two topics. The first of the 2 sessions, on May 10, will cover all of the latest innovations of IBM i and the new features of Db2 for i. The second session, on June 3, will focus on IBM i 24 X 365 Availability and the Perfect Partnership of Access Client Solutions (ACS) and IBM i Services.

Topic 1 today –

IBM i Anywhere, IBM i Everywhere; The latest innovations

15:10-16:00 CEST (13:10-14:00 GMT)

IBM i is the integrated operating system which runs on IBM’s Power Systems platform. Its architecture has unique value, and it has evolved into the most powerful, securable, and easiest to use environment to run business solutions. In this presentation, Steve Will, the IBM i Chief Architect, and Dan Sundt, IBM i Product Manager, will discuss the current state of the IBM i operating system and they will highlight key enhancements which strengthen IBM i’s place in your IT plans. Steve and Dan will discuss the future roadmaps for the platform.

About the Presenter:

Steve Will,
Chief Architect, IBM i 

Steve has worked on the IBM i operating system and its predecessors since the initial development of the AS/400. Since 2007, he has been the IBM i Chief Architect, responsible for the strategy of the operating system and the plan for future releases.

 

Dan Sundt,
IBM i Product Manager

Dan is an experienced professional with a demonstrated history of working in the computer hardware industry. He is skilled in multiple server architectures, operating systems and storage systems, IBM Db2 database and analytic products, and Microsoft Office products.

Dan has a strong volunteer experience providing fire and EMS services to local communities.

Topic 2 today –

Enhancing the Db2 for i Experience

16:10-17:00 CEST (14:10-15:00 GMT)

In this session, Scott will highlight many of the Db2 for i enhancements for IBM i 7.3 and 7.4, that are becoming available on May 14th.

Doug will then take over and explain how Db2 Web Query 2.3.0 can be used to extend the access and value of the database enhancements. The session will include practical examples using Db2 Web Query to leverage IBM i Services.

Please attend this session to hear a double dose of database detail, from the leaders of Db2 for i and Db2 Web Query.

About the Presenters:

Scott Forstie,
Db2 for i Business Architect IBM

Scott Forstie is a Senior Technical Staff Member within IBM i development and spends most of his time working as the Db2 for i Business Architect. He has worked on IBM operating system development since joining IBM in 1989.
Scott is a frequently published author, speaker at industry events around the globe and can be found @Forstie_IBMi and forstie@us.ibm.com.

Scott is an avid runner and enjoys cooking.

Doug Mack,
Consultant LAB Services IBM

Doug Mack is a DB2 for i Analytics Consultant in IBM’s Power Systems Lab Services organization, employed by IBM in the United States. Doug currently leads the Analytics team for the DB2 for i Lab Services team delivering Query/400 modernization, DB2 Web Query, Data Warehouse design, skills transfer, and implementation guidance services worldwide.
Doug is a regular speaker at customer events including COMMON, IBM Technical Conferences and Executive Briefings, and has written many articles and white papers on the attributes of DB2 for i for analytics.

You can follow Doug on Twitter @mckdrmoly or via his blog at db2webqueryi.blogspot.com


Cloud – a Viable Option for IBM i Applications?

Thursday, 22 April 2021 at 11:00 CEST (10:00 BST)

The capability of running IBM i in the cloud has been around for a while, but is it limited to development, test and disaster recovery use cases, or do production and high availability workloads fit in as well? Moving applications to the cloud requires planning. If done right, it enables you to offer a better user experience, scale with flexibility, and manage costs. Making the move also provides you with the opportunity to innovate and modernize faster than before, and with the right cloud platform you won’t need to re-engineer the tried and tested underlying architecture that has contributed to the impressive availability often associated with IBM I running on Power Systems. Planning your cloud adoption isn’t something that should be undertaken lightly.

Join experienced cloud experts Ash Giddings and Donnie MacColl from HelpSystems, as they discuss and dissect cloud topics to help you answer questions like these:

  • Why would I move my IBM i to the cloud?
  • How do I identify workloads best suited for cloud?
  • How easy is it to migrate to the cloud?
  • Data security risks and how to avoid them
  • Licensing considerations

We look forward to having you join us on the 22 April!

About the Presenters:

Ash Giddings,
PreSales Engineer, HelpSystems

Ash Giddings has more than 30 years of experience in the IT industry. Coming from an operational background, Ash is a technically astute Presales Engineer. He has worked for some of the largest data centers in Europe and in the US, and has advised large companies on major projects to save costs and improve efficiencies. Ash also has multi-platform experience, and his technical background has enabled him to find solutions for challenging IT problems.

Ash is a regular speaker at international conferences and industry events and, as a member of the Common Europe Advisory Council (CEAC) since 2014, dialogues with IBM to help shape the strategic long-term vision of the IBM i platform. He was named an IBM Champion in 2021 for over three decades of advocation and thought leadership on the IBM i platform.

 

Donnie MacColl,
Director of EMEA Technical Services

Donnie MacColl  has worked for more than 25 years in the IT industry, initially specializing in the management of IBM systems in manufacturing and logistics companies, and later in his career developing expertise in network and enterprise management.

A regular speaker at international events, he has worked with many industry sectors to help improve cost efficiencies and has implemented solutions across some of the largest data centers in the United States, Asia Pacific, and Europe. He specializes in cyber security, IT governance & compliance and advanced automation across multi-platform environments.


 

How Development Teams Adjust and Provide Innovation in a Changing World due to Covid

Thursday, 8 April 2021 at 17:00 CEST (15:00 GMT; 10:00 Central)

In 2020 the world changed due to COVID:

  • How did development teams keep up with this change?
  • What impact did working from home have on them?
  • How do they respond to the faster changing requirements from the business ?
  • Will this crisis leave a permanent mark on development and innovation and how we deal with it?

We present an international panel of IBM i experts that will share their experiences in dealing with the crisis and how they see development and innovation.

About the Speakers:

Ian Jarman,
Business Unit Executive, IBM Systems Lab

Ian Jarman is the Chief Technology Officer for IBM Lab Services. In this role, Ian provides strategy and business development leadership for IBM Systems’ professional services organization. Ian previously led IBM’s Power Systems software product management team, responsible for AIX, IBM i, Linux, PowerVM and PowerHA.

 

Alison Butterill,
WW Offering Manager, IBM i

Alison Butterill is the offering manager for IBM i. She owns the responsibility for the IBM i business, including defining and guiding future directions and strategies. She works with the IBM i sales, marketing, and development teams as well as clients and partners to ensure that the IBM i operating system and associated products reflect their requirements. Alison has worked in the mid-range area for more than 30 years and has held a wide variety of positions at IBM, primarily with midrange servers and software. She speaks at a wide variety of events, including industry and technical conferences around the world.

Koen Decorte,
Owner, CD Invest

Koen Decorte is owner of CD Invest, an international IBM business partner with offices in Belgium and Spain. CD-Invest is specialized in innovating and modernizing IBM i applications. His focus is mainly on integrating and using open source applications on IBM i. Last year (2020) CD-Invest won the IT-consulting of the year award in Belgium.
Koen is an IBM Champion 2018, 2019 and 2020, CEAC (Common Europe Advisory Board) member and
also the Common Belgium Treasurer.

Niels Liisberg,
CTO, System & Method

 

The IBM power evangelist Niels Liisberg is developing middleware for IBM i, Linux and AIX used in numerous applications worldwide. He brings microservices to the IBM Power platform and is the architect of the IceBreak server for IBM i, NinjaDB, noxDB and ILEastic.He is a member of the Common Europe Advisory Council (CEAC) and hosts the Meetup group “IBM power CPH”. Over the years he has contributed to the IBM Power community with presentations, demos and loads of open source projects.

Brad Bentley,
Senior Managing Consultant, IBM Systems 

 

Brad Bentley is a Senior Managing Consultant with IBM Systems Lab Services in Rochester, Minnesota, USA.  He has held a wide variety of positions in IBM from development on Db2 for i, to platform testing, to assisting numerous customers of all sizes across many different fields.  With a deep skillset across multiple platforms and technology stacks, Brad is one of the lead experts on enabling legacy applications and data topologies for strategic long-term viability.  Coupling the power of IBM i as an enterprise appliance with the latest technologies (both on and off platform) is his focus.


Process improvement & optimisation of your IBM i using Robotic Process Automation

Thursday, 25 March 2021 at 11:00 CET

With more people working from home since the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, companies are increasing their investment in Robotic Process Automation (RPA) projects, to ensure the productivity of their employees working remotely. RPA takes repetitive processes and provides seamless automation into the IBM i applications, leaving bots to perform the repetitive tasks and frees up more time for the team to spend on valuable tasks.

Join this session to learn about the options for RPA on IBM i, looking at the pros and cons of doing it yourself or identifying solutions to help you within your RPA journey.

In this session we will look at :

  • What exactly is RPA and how it can help you
  • The RPA landscape: The market is a crowded place so choosing the right RPA product can be challenging.
  • RPA options available for your IBM i applications based on real examples within the retail, logistics and banking industries
  • RPA demo

About the Speaker:

Andrew Simpson,
Principal Sales Engineer

www.rocketsoftware.com 

 

Andrew has worked in the computer software industry for over 25 years starting off as a programmer to development manager moving to technical consulting and then to a pre-sales engineering role.  He is currently a Principal Sales Engineer at Rocket Software focussing on modernisation, optimisation and process improvement solutions for enterprises within the EMEA region. 

 


Ransomware Attack on IBM i

Thursday, 11 March 2021 at 15:00 CET

Ransomware is now the IT world’s most common and serious risk. This is true for all computers on corporate networks including IBM i systems, even if they are disconnected from the Internet.

When ransomware attacks, the whole organization can be shut down.

At Raz-Lee’s secure lab, we will show you the results of a ransomware attack on an IBM i computer.

We invite you to see how the attack was done and the damage it could cause to corporate network computers, including IBM i.

We will show you the attack again, this time with our protection software active. iSecurity/Anti-Ransomware detects and halts, the attack before it can cause serious damage to the IBM i.

About the Speaker:

Shmuel Zailer,
Co-Founder & CEO/CTO

www.razlee.com

 

 

Shmuel Zailer is a renowned expert in System i technology, and has been with Raz-Lee Security since 1987. Over the past 30 years, he has successfully developed, sold and marketed System i-related optimization and performance software products, including the iSecurity product line. Prior to this, Mr. Zailer managed the software departments of two large corporations.

In addition, he has in-depth knowledge in the field of computer performance, and served as a consultant to international companies in this area. Mr. Zailer is a veteran of the Israeli Defence Army’s elite computer unit, and holds a BA degree in Computer Science and Economics from Bar-Ilan University.


Boost your existing enterprise monitoring solution with hundreds of IBM i checks!

Thursday, 25 February 2021 at 15:00 CET

You are already using – or want to use – an enterprise monitoring solution?

Your existing IBM i controls (or the one you developed) do not completely satisfy you?

Why not take a look at the ‘Control for i’ plugin?

Control for i’ is a product developed by IBM i people for IBM i people but it also helps to reconcile with the team managing the company’s monitoring solution!

In this webinar you’ll see how it’s possible to easily BOOST your existing enterprise monitoring solution with ‘Control for i’.

You’ll discover:

  • how setting up the checks is particularly easy for IBM i people. No development required!!! (only IBM i commands with their parameters);
  • how simple it is to activate the Control for i plugin into your favourite monitoring tool (to simply copy the commands)
  • how to continue to organise the checks in the monitoring tool with the monitoring team.

With ‘Control for i’ you can:

  • implement 130+ probes/checks to control EVERYTHING running on IBM I;  
  • upload alerts in your existing monitoring tool;
  • automate reply to messages in MSGQ;
  • easily integrate self-developed controls or develop new probes.

Hundreds of partitions are monitored with the help of ‘Control for i’…. Existing customers appreciate:

  • accuracy and relevance of alert messages
  • low resource consumption on the IBM i
  • ease of installation and use
  • price!

And… they are happy that IBM i is better monitored than other OS!

About the Speaker:

Pascal Ruckebusch,
Founder & CTO, M81

www.m81.eu

 

 

Pascal Ruckebusch has 29 years of experience on IBM i and in the development of system products: 1000+ IBM i active partitions were equipped with products designed and/or maintained by Pascal before creating M81 ! There are now 350 more with M81 products …
M81 is an ISV (Independent Software Vendor) based in France with Resellers/integrators in 12 countries in EMEA and the Americas.


5 reasons why you should use MiWorkplace, the low cost alternative to RDi

Thursday, 11 February 2021 at 15:00 CET

In this session, you will learn about MiWorkplace, the graphical development environment for IBM i, and at least five reasons why you should not be coding in the green screen anymore.

  • How to connect to your IBM i
  • How to work with libraries and the IFS
  • How to  edit, save and compile sources
  • How to use code completion and code templates
  • How to manage jobs and spooled files

About the Speakers:

Wim Jongman,
Chief Technology Officer & Co-Managing Partner

www.remainsoftware.com

 

 

Wim Jongman is the chief technology officer and co-managing partner at Remain Software and has over 25 years’ of experience developing leading solutions for customers’ evolving needs in workflow and change management. He is passionate about the latest trends in the industry and is in charge of demonstrating Remain’s capabilities through customized demos and implementations for Remain’s worldwide customer base.

Hans Beverwijk,
Senior Consultant

www.remainsoftware.com

 

 

Hans Beverwijk is Senior Consultant at Remain Software. He’s responsible for the support of the Remain solutions to its worldwide customer base, as well as the demonstration of Remain’s capabilities through customized demos and implementations.


PARKit – quick deployment of IBM i and PowerVM simplification.

Thursday, 28 January 2021 at 15:00 CEST

Have you ever thought of building a new IBM i LPAR with complete operating system in a couple of minutes? Or maybe you were thinking how to perform Virtual I/O Server operations directly from the green screen? Or maybe you don’t feel comfortable in creating and managing LPARs through Virtual Partition Manager?

Join Cloud Walkers session and get familiar with LPARKit. The tool which simplifies IBM i LPAR creation on any type of infrastructure, supports IBM i cloning functionality which does not require an external storage.

The demo will show you how to:

  • create and clone IBM i OS on the configuration managed by Virtual Partition Manager;
  • create and clone IBM i OS on the configuration managed by the Hardware Management Console;
  • map/unmap virtual storage adapters and create mapping reports from IBM i command line.

About the Speaker:

Bartlomiej Grabowski,
Founder, Cloud Walkers

www.cwalkers.com

 

 

Bartlomiej Grabowski known as Bart. IBM Champion and Platinum Redbook author. With over 16 years of experience in various worldwide solutions Bart founded Cloud Walkers company which delivers tools for IBM i. He is a frequent speaker presenting at technical conferences and events. He runs also the technical blog www.theibmi.org


A Deep Dive into App Modernization on the IBM i.

Thursday, 14 January 2021 at 15:00 CEST

Modernization doesn’t have to mean risky overhauls, business process interruptions, long implementation
delays, or investing large sums of money on new hardware and software. Your modernization project should
be well planned with specific goals and objectives listed out.

Join LANSA’s Solution Engineer Eugene King on Thursday, 14 January 2021 at 15:00 CEST for A Deep Dive into App Modernization on the IBM i.

During Eugene’s live demo, he will create a composite back-office web application from scratch using Visual LANSA’s application framework (VLF-One), RAMP and aXes.

The demo will show how to:

  • Quickly web enable 5250 applications using aXes (modernization stage 1)
  • Prototype a web application using Visual LANSA’s application framework’s prototyping tool
    (modernization stage 2)
  • Evolve the prototype into a working application by merging and integrating the old and new using
    Visual LANSA, RAMP and aXes (modernization stage 3)

Visual LANSA developed applications can be deployed across any hybrid mix of IBM i, Windows and Cloud
(AWS/Azure) platforms. So, no lock-ins or silos.

About the Speaker:

Eugene King,
Solutions Engineer, LANSA

Eugene King is a LANSA Solutions Engineer and has over 20 years’ experience helping customers modernize their existing applications. He is responsible for demonstrating LANSA’s capabilities through custom demos, implementations of a proof concept and delivery of pilot programs. He also works on development projects and stays current on the latest trends and technologies in the industry.


How to Get Your IBM i Aplications to Web and Mobile Quickly

Thursday 3 December 2020, 15.00 CET

It’s no secret that applications that take advantage of web and mobile drive great business value. Nick Hampson and Greg Patterson have spent a better part of their careers helping IBM i clients achieve this by overcoming key challenges such as knowing what to modernize, where to start and how to integrate and future-proof your systems. The good news is that modernizing your IBM i green screens has never been easier. Technologies can automate a lot of the work, but the paradigm shift from green screen to GUI poses some great questions for IBM i users.

Join Nick and Greg for a deep dive on Thursday, December 3rd at 15:00 CET.

Topics they will cover:

● Understanding how your current applications work
● The paradigm shift of green screen to GUI development
● Practical examples of where to start your project
● How to integrate existing IBM i apps with other systems and net new
● Leveraging existing applications for extended functionality or new development
● Integrating modern technology i.e. open source, PHP, Node.js, Bootstrap, Java & more

About the Speakers:

Greg Patterson
IBM i Modernization Specialist

Greg Patterson has been in the IT field for 18 years, the last 11 with Fresche Solutions where he is currently a Modernization Specialist. In addition to business development activities, Greg also coordinates pre-sales technical demonstrations and discussions, performs business analysis and is sometimes involved at the coding level for specific projects.

 

Nick Hampson
Senior Product Manager

Nick has extensive experience in Design, UX, Product Management, Innovation and Pre-Sales. Focused on bringing the business value of design and UX to IBM i customers and the community at large, Nick is recognized as a UX expert on IBM i. He also describes himself as a geek and a bookworm with interests in design, psychology, neuroscience, physics, engineering and mathematics, and given a little free time, he is also a keen target Archer.


Rocket API: Create Secure, Non-Invasive Web Services without Changing Code

Tuesday, 03 November 2020, 14:00 CEST

Your stakeholders want modern functionality, but older, host-based applications weren’t built to meet today’s needs. These applications often have been in place for years or decades and may have underlying code that isn’t properly documented or well understood by current development staff. However, invasive changes can be risky.
 
Join Andrew Simpson, Rocket Software’s principal sales engineer and solution architect, for the COMMON Europe webinar, Rocket API: Create Secure, Non-Invasive Web Services without Changing Code on November 3, where you will: 
  • Learn how you can minimize the time, expense, and risk of API creation while achieving greater agility, security, and automation through APIs and robotic process automation (RPA) for IBM® i
  • Get a demo of Rocket API, a no-code modernization tool to integrate your IBM i with web-based interfaces
  • Explore a proven no-code/low-code approach, as well as customer use cases.
About the Speaker:

Andrew Simpson

Andrew has worked in the computer software industry for over 25 years starting off as a programmer to development manager moving to technical consulting and then to a pre-sales engineering role.  He is currently a Principal Sales Engineer at Rocket Software focusing on modernization, optimization and process improvement solutions for enterprises within the EMEA region.  

 

 


IBM i: Daily Save21 in 2 minutes. Instant-Copy to refresh Test environments. SnapShots to get Recovery copies

15 October 2020, 14:00 CEST

 2 minutes for a daily Save21?
 An Instant Copy to refresh Tests environments?
 SnapShots to get Recovery copies?
 Yes, all this is possible with IBM i !!!

M81 has developed a system product – ‘Flash for i’ – which manages from the IBM i the phenomenal external storage function: FlashCopy (= Instant Copy or SnapShot).
 
Triggered from the IBM i you can:
   clone your partition disks in less than 2 minutes,
   boot a new partition using these disks,
   use this partition for many things:
      [1] to do backup: with your programs, without / with BRMS, even a SAVE21!
      [2] to create environments for Tests, Validations, Pre-Prod, Anonymisation,
      [3] to execute SQL queries or extract data,
      [4] to keep N copies every day for Recovery, Rollback, CDP.
 
‘Flash for i’ automates, manages, monitors, reports and logs all operations.
 ‘Flash for i’ runs already on 200 IBM i partitions in 12 countries!         

About the Speaker:

Pascal Ruckebusch,
Founder and CTO of M81

29 years of experience on IBM i and in the development of system products:
~ 1000 IBM i active partitions are equipped with products designed and/or maintained by Pascal before creating M81 ! There are now 300 more with M81 …
M81 is an ISV (Independent Software Vendor) based in France with Resellers/integrators in 12 countries in EMEA 


What to Expect When Transforming Your IBM i RPG or CA 2E (Synon) Applications into Modern Languages with Fresche

24th September 2020, 14:00 CET (13:00 GMT)

Most organizations are seeking better, faster ways to deliver powerful new digital experiences for their customers and employees. When you rely on legacy IBM i applications, this often requires piecing together capabilities from a mix of traditional and modern application architectures and technologies. Transforming your RPG and CA 2E (Synon) applications to modern languages is one way to enhance these core applications while embracing open source, cloud, web and AI technologies. 

Join Fresche’s Nick Hampson and Chris Koppe for this webinar to learn how you can modernize applications at much lower cost and risk than rewriting or replacing while building on the investment in your customized systems. They will cover the various stages of a transformation project: 

  • Building Your Strategy: Sample roadmaps, defining what needs to be transformed, and choosing the best architecture and technology stack.
  • Transformation: Fresche’s automated process, flexible delivery models, integration and potential workflow improvements. 
  • Testing: Defining your strategy, types of testing required and automation capabilities. 
  • Implementation / Deployment: Aligning the strategy with the organization, ease of adoption and defining the best options for you.
  • Beyond: What happens next and how to enhance your applications going forward.

About the Speakers:

Chris Koppe
Senior VP, Transformation and Modernisation Services

Chris Koppe is widely recognized as a thought leader in IBM i modernisation and is a regular speaker at conferences, events, and in webinars. Since joining Fresche in 1988, he has helped hundreds of companies worldwide develop and execute successful application management and modernisation strategies, across a variety of platforms, languages, databases, and technologies.

 

Nick Hampson
 Senior Product Manager

Nick has extensive experience in Design, UX, Product Management, Innovation and Pre-Sales. Focused on bringing the business value of design and UX to IBM i customers and the community at large, Nick is recognized as a UX expert on IBM i. He also describes himself as a geek and a bookworm with interests in design, psychology, neuroscience, physics, engineering and mathematics, and given a little free time, he is also a keen target Archer.


IBM i in 2020:It’s Not Just AS/400

Thursday, 16 July 2020, 16:00 CEST

Steve Will doesn’t always talk about IBM i architecture, but when he does, people tell him that it’s “just the AS/400.” Since Steve knows that’s not true, he’s on a mission to set the record straight.

Back by popular demand, Steve joins IBM Power Champion Tom Huntington on Thursday, July 16, to pinpoint the architectural advancements that prove IBM i is, in fact, not just AS/400—it’s much more.

During this one-hour webinar, you’ll learn how this platform got its start and where it’s headed next, including:

  • IBM i development strategies in progress at IBM
  • Ways that IBM i fits into your cloud strategy
  • Key takeaways from the AS/400 days

The tech evolution continues. Don’t miss a moment as the saga unfolds!

About the Speaker:

Steve Will
Chief Architect for the IBM i operating system at IBM.

Steve is an award-winning speaker, author of a top IBM i blog, and one of the most sought-after voices at customer briefings and events. Steve has worked on IBM i and its predecessors since before the creation of the AS/400.

 


Improving Business in a Digital Era

Tuesday, 7 April 2020, 14:00 CET

Future-proofing IT is one of many challenges facing organizations who run IBM i systems. As an IT leader, you need to prioritize initiatives such as improving agility and taking advantage of modern digital technologies such as AI, mobile, cloud, big data and analytics, application modernisation and transformation. 
 
Please join Fresche’s Chris Koppe and Nick Hamson for this session where they will highlight how to align IT initiatives with key business objectives. They will also discuss how IT leadership can lead their organization into a digital era and why so many companies are focused on digital transformation. 
 
You will learn about: 

  1. Modernizing your systems
  2. HR initiatives for digital transformation
  3. Responding to challenges when disruption occurs
  4. The business case for modernizing vs. packaged replacement
  5. Strategies for rip-and-replace vs. protect-and-evolve 

They will also discuss the different products and solutions available for organizations to build out their digital strategy and start innovating for the future, as well as the outcomes you can expect based on the approach that you take. 

About the Speakers:

Chris Koppe
Senior VP, Transformation and Modernisation Services

Chris Koppe is widely recognized as a thought leader in IBM i modernisation and is a regular speaker at conferences, events, and in webinars. Since joining Fresche in 1988, he has helped hundreds of companies worldwide develop and execute successful application management and modernisation strategies, across a variety of platforms, languages, databases, and technologies.

 

Nick Hampson
 Senior Product Manager

Nick has extensive experience in Design, UX, Product Management, Innovation and Pre-Sales. Focused on bringing the business value of design and UX to IBM i customers and the community at large, Nick is recognized as a UX expert on IBM i. He also describes himself as a geek and a bookworm with interests in design, psychology, neuroscience, physics, engineering and mathematics, and given a little free time, he is also a keen target Archer.


How to Convert from AJS or WRKJOBSCDE to Robot Schedule with Ease

17th March 2020 15:00 CET (14:00 GMT)

Common Europe is offering another exciting webinar for FREE as one of the benefits of
your Common Europe membership.
IBM i processing at your business doesn’t look the same today as it did when you started
20,10, or even 5 years ago. IBM i workload has grown and new technologies make
processing more complex.
The free WRKJOBSCDE (Work Job Schedule Entry) command on IBM i allows you to
build batch jobs, but it can’t handle dependencies. IBM’s Advanced Job Scheduler (AJS)
has more features, but it can’t communicate across other platforms and lacks the
reporting you need for today’s regulations and dependencies. It’s time for a change.
Today’s IT teams need automation tools that can help them plan for tomorrow instead of
playing catch-up. During this webinar, IBM i experts Tom Huntington and Ash Giddings
introduce you to the final phase of your automation evolution: Robot Schedule. With
Robot Schedule, you can easily:
 Import IBM i schedules into Robot Schedule rules
 Manage schedules from a GUI or web interface
 Integrate troubleshooting into a single user interface
 Monitor files and directories on IBM i, Windows, Linux, and UNIX
 Report on forecasting and flowcharting for management
It’s time to move away from older IBM tools toward a modern, integrated solution.
Robot Schedule is ready to go! Are you? 

About the Speakers:

Tom Huntington
Executive Vice President of Technical Solutions
HelpSystems

Tom Huntington has been with HelpSystems for nearly 30 years. He works with business
alliances, acquisitions and large customer relationships and ensures that the
HelpSystems software works with other major software and hardware vendors worldwide.
Tom often speaks on enterprise scheduling, security, automation topics, IBM i
technology, and the HelpSystems products, and hosts technical presentations on a
variety of automation topics. He is the author of the HelpSystems IBM i Marketplace
Survey and has written articles on automated operations, security, cloud computing, and
business intelligence for leading trade journals and newsletters. He was named an IBM
Champion in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 for over three decades of advocation
and thought leadership on the IBM i platform.

Ash Giddings
Pre-sales Specialist
HelpSystems

With more than 25 years of experience in the IT industry and coming from an operational
background, Ash Giddings has worked for some of the largest data centers in Europe
and has advised large companies in the U.S. on major projects to save costs and
improve efficiencies. He began his career on IBM Mainframe before moving onto
midrange systems such as IBM i and AIX and then Windows and Linux. His technical
background has enabled him to find solutions for challenging IT problems. Ash is a
regular speaker at international conferences and industry events.


Improve IBM i Developer Productivity by 50%

Original Broadcast, Tuesday, 2 July 2019

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Do you ever find yourself thinking, “There has to be a better way to do this?”

With automated analysis and modernization tools, you can reduce the time spent managing IBM i applications and onboarding new developers, move projects forward faster, and reduce the risks involved in making changes to your code.

In this webinar, Fresche’s Stephen Flaherty demonstrates the business value derived from application documentation, analysis and better understanding of your IBM i applications.

You’ll see:

  • Automated graphical documentation that makes it easy for IT to visualize and understand application design and flow
  • Powerful impact analysis that tracks “where used” information so you can make code changes with confidence
  • How IBM i organizations have used X-Analysis to save significant developer time and better understand their applications

About the presenter:

Stephen Flaherty
Fresche Solutions

Following 25 plus years of work in the IBM arena, starting with the System 38, with exposure to AS/400, iSeries and now the IBMi, Stephen Flaherty has added numerous projects to his portfolio, all specializing in RPG coding. The opportunity he has had to be a part of multiple ERP packages such as JD Edwards, Mapics, PRISM, HFA, and MacPac, in addition to several EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) packages such as Trusted Link, Inovis, and GXS, make him a great asset to the pre-sales team at Fresche for the American market. His current role as a Technical Engineer enables him to ensure the best communication between sales and new and existing customers on a variety of products, helping clients transform or update their systems through individual strategies.


Eliminate Blind Spots in Your ServiceNow Discovery Environment

Original broadcast -Tuesday, 4 June 2019

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ServiceNow Discovery locates applications and devices on your network, and then updates the Configuration Management Database (CMDB) with the information it finds. However, it does not address the traditional IBM mainframe or IBM i systems, leaving your organization with a critical blind spot.

Join us on Tuesday 4th of June at 13.00 to learn how Syncsort’s Ironstream for ServiceNow extends the ServiceNow discovery process to include mainframe and IBM i data, helping companies to have a complete view of their environment enabling them to deliver consistent, reliable, and efficient service to their users.

We’ll also be explaining how to::

  • Drive smarter IT decisions by establishing a single view of your IT infrastructure
  • Improve service management quality for change, incident management and compliance – including traditional IBM environments – through effective service modelling
  • Leverage your investment into ServiceNow to automate tasks and expand your capabilities, unlocking insights previously not possible

About the presenter:

Trent Gregor

Trent has over 25 years in the software industry with a key focus on the IT Operations Management (ITOM) marketplace and today’s leading modern enterprise platforms. Now part of the Syncsort team, Mr. Gregory was formerly President and Chief Corporate Evangelist at EView Technology and has held various key roles in both private and global public organizations including: IBM, the PGATour, NetTech, and Nortel Networks.


6 RDi Tutorials in 60 Minutes

Original broadcast -Tuesday, 30 April 2019

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See how the experts use Rational Developer for i for modern RPG development

In order to modernize your RPG code and bring IBM i applications development into the 21st century, you also need to modernize your application development environment and move away from PDM/SEU.
Rational Developer for i (RDi) is the only editor from IBM that fully supports all that today’s RPG can do. But that’s not the only reason to move from the green screen PDM/SEU editor to RDi.

Don’t miss this live webinar where RDi evangelists and educators Susan Gantner and Charlie Guarino provide a quick, hands-on tutorial for six of their favourite features in RDi, including:

  • RDi overview
  • Basic LPEX
  • Advanced Editor tools
  • Code navigation
  • Compiling
  • Debugging

HelpSystems will also share a sneak preview of the roadmap for upcoming RDi features.

The future is integrated development environment (IDE) tools like RDi. It’s time to move away from green screen tools and deliver truly modern applications faster than ever.

We look forward to having you join us on 30th April!

About the presenters:

Charlie Guarino
President, Central Park Data Systems

Charles Guarino believes in the power of IBM Power Systems. His career reflects his interest in bringing the platform and its solutions to others. Charles started his professional journey as a department of one. Today, he is serving individuals on a worldwide basis though his consulting work and award-winning speaking engagements. Charles is a true people person and can often be found at conferences sharing his expertise in RDi and other IBM i topics.

Susan Gantner
Partner, Partner400

Susan Gantner is an IBM i evangelist, developer, educator, and author. She specializes in modern development techniques and tools, primarily with RPG and Rational Developer for i (RDi).

As part of Partner400, she delivers customized education offerings for IBM i shops and local user groups. She is also part of System i Developer, co-hosting the semi-annual RPG & DB2 Summit events.

Susan co-authored of two IBM redbooks on modern RPG coding and you can find online a wide variety of her articles and blog posts about RPG, RDi, and Db2 for i written for IBM Systems Magazine, IT Jungle, and others. She has been honored as an IBM Champion for Power Systems for many years.


Webinar: IBM i Security Best Practices

Original broadcast -Tuesday, 2 April 2019

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Security best practice and regulatory compliance are a constantly moving target. In this webinar, Jeff Uehling, Syncsort’s Product Management Director for security solutions and former architect for the security functions in the IBM i OS, shares what he has learned in his over 30 years of experience about best practices necessary to secure your IBM i server.
You’ll learn:

  • Why you need to run at security level 50 – and the exposures of running at lower levels
  • How to detect and prevent programs that could compromise system security
  • Necessary system value settings
  • How to apply cryptography to protect your data
  • Network security requirements
  • Security considerations for mobile deployments
  • How Syncsort’s security solutions help you achieve best practice

Whether you are a systems security officer or an IBM i system administrator, you don’t want to miss this webinar.

About the presenters

Jeff Uehling
Product Management Director, Syncsort Security

Jeff Uehling is Syncsort’s Product Management Director working directly with the Syncsort security product suite. He has more than 30 years of experience working in security technology for the IBM i, and predecessor systems. Jeff previously worked in the IBM i OS development group, specifically as lead architect of the security development team in Rochester, Minnesota. His previous responsibilities at IBM included architecture, design and development of IBM i security. He has also served as a council member of the IBM security technical community. Jeff’s primary interests lie in the area of system integrity and now, given the current business environment, cryptography and compliance.


Webinar: Securely Deploying IBM’s Access Client Solutions (ACS)

Original broadcast – Thursday, 31 January 2019

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As the deadline looms for Client Access to go out of service (April 2019) and organizations move to using Access Client Solutions (ACS), many IT professionals are asking questions about ACS deployment.

Can features be limited? Can we customize the deployment so that administrators receive all features and everyone else receives limited features? How can ACS be deployed so users can’t change the configuration?

IBM i pro Steve Sisk joins Carol Woodbury to demonstrate the ACS deployment process and answer these and other questions about securely deploying ACS.

About the presenters:

Carol Woodbury
Vice President of Global Security Services at HelpSystems

Carol is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC), and has her PCIP certification. She is also a member of the ISACA organization and has been named IBM Champion for her thought leadership on the IBM i platform.

With over 25 years of experience in IT security, Carol is known worldwide as an expert in the area of computer security. During her career, Carol has architected security solutions for Fortune 100 companies as well as small- and medium-sized organizations. Carol is passionate about making sure the solutions implemented meet the customers’ needs—a passion that first started with her business, SkyView Partners, and is now part of her position as VP of Global Security Services at HelpSystems.

Carol is an architect, designer, implementer, educator, and an award-winning speaker and author with specialties in IBM i, i5/OS, OS/400, AS/400, iSeries, AIX, and Linux security and compliance. She is known worldwide as an author and speaker on security technology, specializing in IBM i security issues.

Steve Sisk
Senior Security Strategy Consultant at HelpSystems

Prior to joining HelpSystems in 2016, Steve has held a variety of positions including lead architect for an IBM Global Services Strategy team, solution architect and lead engineer designing and implementing solutions for compliance requirements of general controls, PCI DSS and HIPAA in large IBM i installations of numerous organizations. Steve’s experience spans supply chain, finance, health care, insurance, ecommerce, retail, utilities and manufacturing. Steve holds the PCI Professional certification.


Webinar: 10 Hidden Gems of BRMS for IBM i

Original broadcast – Wednesday, 7 November 2018

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Get insider tech tips on the most helpful features of Backup, Recovery and Media Services for i (BRMS)! What if your IBM i came equipped with a tool that could help you automate and manage backup/recovery across your enterprise IBM i environment? What’s that, you say? It’s called BRMS for i? That’s right!

BRMS is already available as a licensed program product (LPP), yet many IBM i shops are not taking full advantage of its best features, which can speed their backups and recoveries and ease day-to-day backup management.

Register to attend this webinar where Debbie Saugen, former IBMer and leading BRMS technology expert, highlights its most helpful features, such as:

  • BRMS and FlashCopy for 24/7 operations
  • Virtual tape libraries (VTLs) and BRMS parallel saves
  • Managing enterprise IBM i backup and recovery

About the presenters:

Debbie Saugen
Director of Business Continuity Services

Debbie Saugen is Director of Business Continuity Services at HelpSystems. Debbie is recognized worldwide as an expert on IBM i backup and recovery, disaster recovery, and high availability.
A COMMON Gold Medal Speaker, she enjoys sharing her knowledge speaking at conferences and user groups, along with publishing articles. Debbie is passionate about solving business continuity issues and providing the best solution for customers. Today, Debbie Saugen leads the business continutiy services team at HelpSystems. Whether you’re just getting started with business continuity for IBM i or you already have software solutions in place, Debbie and the rest of our team can provide the attention and expertise your system needs so you don’t have to.

Donnie MacColl
Director of EMEA Technical Services

Donnie MacColl is Director of EMEA Technical Services at HelpSystems. He has worked for more than 25 years in the IT industry, initially specializing in the management of IBM systems in manufacturing and logistics companies, and later in his career developing expertise in network and enterprise management.