Welcome To Another Edition of Talsco Weekly

News: Microsoft is going to run IBM Power on Azure Cloud. AI is coming to a McDonalds Drive-Through near you.
Career: What is the best language to learn for the RPG Developer?
Database: NoSQL and NewSQL. Docker and DB2.
Development: Praise for developers who delete code. SEU lovers, it’s time to learn something new.
DevOps: Avoid the cost of CI. Change Management vs. DevOps. The need for Continuous Testing.
Leadership: Solutions for the Skills Gap.
Modernization: Another case for Modernization. Eliminate Technical Debt. What is IAM?

News

Microsoft Brings IBM Power Iron to Azure Cloud

The major public cloud builders would prefer to use their own hardware in their datacenters. But it does not always make sense because of the amount of engineering work that would need to be done. Its easier to bring in OEM equipment. This is the case with Microsoft and the Power9 systems that it soon will be made available on the Azure public cloud.

A lucrative market. The deal between Skytap and Microsoft reveals Microsoft’s intent. The “desire to bring customers with AIX and IBM i workloads into the Azure fold and then wrap Azure services all around them.”

Microsoft knows that enterprises run many systems that were not meant for the cloud. Most of them are mission-critical (legacy systems) that can not be re-written in a short period of time.

What I did not realize is that one of Skytap’s original investors was Jeff Bezos. I find this interesting because he has been able to see the future long before others do.

It points to the fact that legacy systems are not going anywhere soon.

McDonald’s Acquired Apprente to move into AI

This week, “the Golden Arches announced the acquisition of Apprente, a voice AI system focused on fast-food ordering.” “Apprente’s speech-based artificial intelligence deals within the relatively narrow confines of quick-service restaurants.”

What does this mean: AI is getting to a point when given a set of rules, like when ordering from a menu, it does the job more efficiently than a human.

On one level it could give us a better understanding of how AI can be useful in the enterprise.

What it will not do, is take away the need for human interaction.

In fact, it will make “customer experience” that much more important.

While some organizations will embrace AI to improve first touch customer experience.

Others will turn back to embrace real human interaction to build customer loyalty.

Career

What is Best Language to Learn for the IBM i

RPG developers often ask me, what is the best language to learn in addition to RPG? My first question is, do you program in RPG free-form and use RDi?

Need an IBM i Full Stack Web Developer?

We have a number of incredible IBM i Consultants who can help extend your RPG applications to the web. Call us to learn more.

Schedule a call

Database

NoSQL vs. NewSQL: Comparing Database Technologies

“NoSQL vs. NewSQL: What’s the difference?” If you are dealing with data from different sources it is a good idea to keep up to speed on the various database technologies that are out there.

Docker Containers and IBM DB2 Warehouse — An Introduction

If you have not heard “the containerization of applications, namely through Docker, it is maybe the technology with the fastest adoption rate ever.”

Development

In praise of developers who deletes code

In addition to eliminating technical debt through the writing of good code, the developers who delete code deserve a lot of credit. ?

It’s an interesting perspective from the open-source community because those who are tasked with modernizing AS400 applications likely find themselves deleting code as well because the business needs or rules have changed.

The topic of technical debt should be top of mind for every RPG and IBM i developer as they go through their daily work.

Leaving SEU behind

Not ready to make the move to RDi. Then consider ILEditor as a viable option.

DevOps

Avoiding The Hidden Costs of Continuous Integration

This article points out that “the overlooked reality is that implementing and managing a CI/CD platform for any reasonably sized organization can tally up to huge expenses in terms of the training, operations, and rollout. “

Is this the right path for a small organization?

Software Change Management Has To Change With The DevOps Times

Change is hard for people:

It is easier to change a system or a software development stack than it is to change the habits and preferences of people. People are the biggest friction in adopting new technologies.

We are human. And Humans are resistant to change.

As Philippe Magne, CEO of ARCAD Software writes in this article, once they understand how to use the software and know how it can help them, the change becomes easy.

He admits there is a shift moving from tradition change management software to DevOps, but with an understanding of what DevOps is and how it will help.

Then the shift is not so difficult.

Agile and DevOps Success Needs Continuous Testing

One Developer, One Laptop, One Test:

The case for the Central Build. For those of you working in larger IBM i environments that who are part of a modernization project, it is important to understand the need for continuous testing.

Here is an example of how it can work.

Leadership

IBM Study: The Skills Gap is Not a Myth, But Can Be Addressed with Real Solutions

120M workers may need to be reskilled or retrained in the next three years; half of the businesses have no skills development strategy in place.”

We see this all of the time. It’s time for corporations to take ownership over developing talent.

One of the number one complaints an employee has, and why they start looking, is the lack of training opportunities.

Here is one way to fix the RPG skills gap.

I find it interesting when IT managers say we can’t find RPG Developers. If you move to a different platform you will still have a hard time finding developers. They are in high demand everywhere.

Modernization

Interview: Mario Cavestany, IBM and the multicloud era

Another case for Modernization.

“The world is global and exponential; things are changing not over years but month to month. As technology and society intersect, consumers and enterprises are advancing, adapting and propelling dramatic market changes in every aspect of people’s professional and personal lives.”

Mario Cavestany states, “We believe that an ‘outside-in’ digital transformation, driven by forces external to the organization, is moving to an ‘inside-out’ model from navigating changing customer expectations and omnichannel access.”

It’s hard to argue the difference in technology today from twenty years ago. Cloud technology is one of those differences. Understanding how it can benefit the enterprise comes with challenges.

How technical debt can damage business agility and competitiveness

Technical debt comes in many forms. There is deliverable debt, inadvertent debt, and aggregate debt. All technical debt is not avoidable. In fact, when we think of technical debt we often think only about legacy systems. But, technical debt is emerging in newer technologies such as AI and ML as well. The lesson is to understand how it can hurt you.

How to Avoid Technical Debt in Open Source Projects

“If enterprises continue to adopt open source as a business model” “they need to focus on strategies to alleviate the “technical debt” involved.

In other words, how can they lessen or avoid the additional rework associated with an open-source business model?

3 Barriers to Identity and Access Management (IAM) Modernization

Modernization is not just for Applications.

Identity and Access Management or IAM Modernization is a real thing.

There are three challenges:

Gaps in strategy
Poor Alignment with the business
Lack of Skills and Resources.

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