Does IBM i Have A Future? You Bet! – Part 3

Influx Of Younger Programmers And Application Modernization.

Many in the IBM i community are concerned for the future of IBM i.

While we read headlines about users leaving the platform, we may not be aware that the Windows platform is also in decline compared to the rapid growth of Linux.

So what?

With technology there is ALWAYS change.

But, Bob, you may say, isn’t that too simplistic?

You are right. It is too simplistic.

So let’s dig deeper - and focus on IBM i.

We Cannot Direct The Wind, But We Can Adjust The Sail

Fundamentally, IT solutions must fit and support the business. AND, businesses need to change and adapt to their unique and dynamic market.

All this means that IBM i users need to adapt their systems to fit the changing business needs.

Fresh Faces Join IBM i Community To Help Their Businesses Adapt

I have been reading several blogs written by IBM i thought leaders about how to keep IBM i relevant to the needs of business.

Steve Wills wrote in “Promoting IBM i - Fresh Faces” about the “youth movement” – younger people coming to the platform. He highlights 4 individuals - Stephanie Rabbani, Kody Robinson, Lynell Constantine and Liam Allan. These 4 are newly acquainted to IBM i and learned RPG on their own.

Each utilizes IBM i and shares how they contribute to helping their companies solve issues.

http://ibmsystemsmag.com/blogs/you-and-i/july-2017/promoting-ibm-i-%E2%80%93-fresh-faces!/

Dan Burger On Education And Enterprise Computing

Dan Burger is an IBM i independent consultant and trainer.

Dan makes several important observations about the disconnect between what colleges turnout for programmers and what businesses really need.

What caught my eye is, “Companies need people who understand business. It’s easier to teach an accountant programming than it is to teach a programmer accounting.”

For me, Dan stresses the significances that IT folks need to understand business, not just technology. The technology is to support THE BUSINESS..

Also, one CAN learn RPG. So people who understand the business can learn RPG.

And, if they already know how to program, they can also LEARN RPG. (This is also consistent with what Steve Wills points out in Fresh Faces above.)

The key ingredient?

Understand business first.

Then programming.

https://www.itjungle.com/2017/07/24/education-enterprise-computing-not-passing-test/

Eamon Musallam: Insights on i

Eamon Musallam works for Fresche Solutions. He is an IBM i application modernization expert.

He makes several profound observations:

1) It is way less expensive to modernize IBM i applications than to replace them.
2) Redesigning the database can simplify Oracle or Microsoft integration with DB2 for i database.
3) How long can it take to leave the IBM i platform? 10-15 years – realistically. [My opinion: applications modernization can ease the passage. In fact, with proper modernization, as a company adapts their applications to their needs, they may be able to stay on IBM i and save money by NOT leaving.]

https://www.itjungle.com/2017/07/19/eamon-musallam-insights/

Summary
I believe IBM i will continue and evolve as it has since 1988.

The platform is advanced, reliable and productive (needs fewer people to manage than other platforms and much easier to generate business reports).

AND, all businesses are faced with challenges for adapting to market demands, competition and technology.

Let us be clear that we need to:

1. Attract new talent,
2. Look for talent that understands business,
3. Invest in training to facilitate the technological changes needed for the business, and
4. Have realistic time frames to deal with the needed changes (years instead of weeks or months, with the notion that you can “rip and replace” to fix a problem that may be more complex).

Source: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/does-ibm-i-have-future-you-bet-part-3-bob-losey
Website: www.informdecisions.com

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What are Document Management Systems (DMS)?

A brief overview of DMS.

DMS is simply defined as the use of a computer system and software to store, manage and track electronic documents and electronic images of paper based information captured through the use of a scanner. Its integral devices can be listed as:

•       The input point.

•       The repository.

•       The retrieval point.

The input point: The application your documents come through to get inside a document management system.  DMS stores electronic versions of data so your documents must be converted into search-able forms such as PDF or be scanned. If these entering documents are already in electronic forms, then usually, DMS inserts them into monitored single or multiple folders.

Then, according to your specific needs, these documents then can be separated, put in groups, identified, catalogued and labeled. A scanning solution such as inFORM Decisions’ iCapture will facilitate this task:

-   Checking and controlling the folders of the documents (if contained)

-   Allowing PDF transferring process

-   Importing data from OCR, ICR, or OMR

-   Creating metadata

-   Moving your data into next stage of DMS

The repository, as you may guess, plays a roll as storing the data. Different types of data may require different types of storing sources. Normally, different document types are stored in separate folders for  security.  A backup plan for your data by creating an off-line storage is essential.

How can you retrieve your data? Proprietary systems? Open source solutions? These are both included along with your repository. Depending from your demand, you can choose from options ranging from  Microsoft  365,  SharePoint, or the very secure IBM i using iView from  inFORM Decisions.

For further information, please visit http://www.informdecisions.com and send us your questions.

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Modernize your IBM i Spool Files using iPDF

Quickly take your plain text spool files and transform them into modern, colored, graphic custom branded documents in user-friendly formats like PDF, or export valuable data to excel spreadsheets, automatically distributing them via email, and make them accessible to users anytime via a secure web-based portal.

There are still many organizations throughout the world where vast amounts of reports are produced, printed and manually distributed to the intended recipient. With IFD’s iPDF solution you can automatically generate reports to PDF files and distribute them electronically or publish them in the cloud.  The PDF format is far richer than the generic usage reflects, and you can do far more with a PDF than archiving it electronically or sending it in an email.

Much more than just spool file conversion. iPDF provides easy to use flexible functionality to enhance the converted output. In addition to producing forms and reports, it also enables the originator to password protect and encrypt the outputted PDF files, as well as adding restrictions to the PDF and including digital signatures to authenticate the report and show it has not been tampered with.  In addition to creating a secure and targeted PDF file from the iSeries data, iPDF allows you to make your PDF report interactive, with fully searchable pages. This ensures that the report is even more user/reader friendly and allows the recipient to quickly locate and retrieve the information which is most important to them.

inFORM Decisions  has been serving the IBM i family of computers since 1994. iPDF and our products can provide you with the versatility that never existed with computer generated paper forms. Our products provide the perfect solution to accomplish your paperless office imitative. 

Contact inFORM Decisions at (949) 709-5838 or (800) 858-5544 for a demonstration or trial software and experience the difference.

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