Welcome to another edition of Talsco Weekly

News: What have we learned from Tech Company Acquisitions? What is Libra? IBM is trading down.
AI: IBM powers the Mayflower with AI.
Development: Enhancements for RPG. Getting started with Git and GitHub.
ERP: No wonder why ERP vendors are partying. Is a new ERP really the right answer?
Modernization: Legacy AS/400 process discovery. Lessons learned from Modernization.
Open Source: Getting started with Python and IBM Q. A new version of Node is released.
Trends: Look to the past for the future.

News

The Big Five: Largest Acquisitions by Tech Company

[Infographic] Take notice that the big five tech companies sometimes acquire organizations that don’t seem to be related to their core business.

For example, back in 2014 many might have been confused as to why Google would acquire Nest. It caught legacy companies like Honeywell, Lennox, and others by surprise.

Google became a competitor they did not expect. Google’s direct access to the consumer (data) allowed for Nest to make disrupt the HVAC market and ultimately spark more innovation in the industry.

Facebook’s Libra Association crumbling as Visa

Facebook’s blockchain-powered digital currency Libra had a setback this past week. A number of major payment processors backed out. Would we have imagined 10 years ago we would be talking about a social media company developing its own currency?

AI

New Mayflower Ship Powered by IBM AI

To mark the 400th Anniversary of the Mayflower making its voyage from Plymouth, England to Plymouth to Cape Cod, a new version of the Mayflower will make an autonomous journey in 2020.

The autonomous Mayflower will be decked out with solar panels, as well as diesel and wind turbines to provide it with its propulsion power, as it attempts the 3,220-mile journey from Plymouth in England, to Plymouth in Massachusetts in the U.S

We have to wonder about the possibilities here.

Stepping back. Its experiments like these that lead to innovation that can be brought back to the industry and more practical uses.

In fact, as IBM points out, that up to 90% of IT projects in 2019 will be rooted in experimentation.

Development

Fall 2019 enhancements for RPG

The ILE RPG compiler has several enhancements for 7.3 and 7.4.

On a side note. If you frequent the IBM Developer Works Connection platform it will cease to exist on January 1st, 2020. This is due to an effort by IBM to consolidate its digital publications, eliminate duplicate content and improve user experience.

Getting started with Git and GitHub is easier than ever with GitHub Desktop 2.2

How to get started with Git and GitHub with GitHub Desktop 2.0.

The reason some developers (anyone for that matter) hesitate with learning something new is that they are intimidated by learning something new. GitHub requires a new way of thinking about development. To make it easy, GitHub Desktop 2.0 has an interactive feature that will help you get started.

ERP

Why ERP Vendors are Partying Like it’s 1999

This might shake things up a bit. But, it is hard to argue with the logic here. There is a huge push by:

The big ERP vendors and their systems integrators seem to be having a field day lately. Forced upgrades, shifting customers from one-time payments to recurring revenue models going into perpetuity, and a larger share of IT spend are just a few of the things lining the vendors’ pockets.

I can’t tell you how many times I have spoken to clients who have tried to go down the ERP transformation path and have either failed, and reverted back to modernizing their legacy systems, or spent an obscene amount of money to implement a new system to get a solution that is not at all what the expected.

Is it time to rethink ERP projects?

Modernization

Legacy AS-400 RPG Process Discovery

One of the challenges of modernization is learning how to identify RPG programs that are indispensable. Here is a short video that helps you discover business processes that will help you evaluate how valuable they are to the business.

Modernization. Lessons Learned

The hardest part about AS/400 Modernization is knowing where to start. Perhaps the best way to start is by learning from others and then of course diving in.

Here is the 3rd Lesson of Lessons Learned In Modernization, by Neil Woodhams, which covers how to get RPG applications to the Web.

Open Source

IBM i Clients can get Started With IBM Q

Are you looking to get into Python on the IBM i?

Here is how IBM i clients can get started with IBM Q. The “Q” refers to Quantum Computing.

IBM Q is state-of-the-art for the transmon-based “quantum Turing machine” model, theorized to execute any quantum algorithm.

This is how you get started with Quantum Information Science Kit (Qiskit)

Node v12.12.0 is released

I realize that there is a small part of our community that is using Node.js but I thought it would be worthwhile to note some of the recent changes with the new version.

Trends

Take a look at the past to spot future trends

If you are a history and computer buff you will enjoy this site about Computer History. It covers everything from how Silicon Valley gets its name, to Internet History (1962 to 1992), to the Complete Timeline of Computing History (1940 to 2015).

There happen to be 294 entries for IBM.

It’s fascinating to see how far we have come. One can only imagine where we will go.

Jobs

If you are looking for opportunities. We have multiple IBM i (AS/400) openings across the United States. They range from IBM i Manager, RPG Developers to IBM i Modernization Architects. All openings offer relocation assistance. Schedule a call to learn more.

Contact us

If you are an RPG programmer looking to explore opportunities or a client who is looking for talented IBM i professionals, please contact us. We look forward to assisting you.

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