Talsco Weekly: AI Meets IBM i with watsonx

Welcome to another edition of Talsco Weekly

IBM i Brief: 🔄 IBM announces key system withdrawals and subscription updates. 🏢 IBM opens new AI lab in Manhattan. 🌐 COMMON Europe is all about the modern IBM i. 🏦 99% of Banking Transactions go through the IBM i, AIX, or the Mainframe.
AI: 🛡️ AI usage poses enterprise data leak risks.
Career: 📚 Embrace Discomfort: The Path to RPG Developer Growth. 🎓 Don’t Miss Out on IBM i Training Opportunities at MiTEC 2025.
Development: 💻 IBM’s Watsonx Code Assistant nears public preview. 👨‍💻 Simple IFS file existence check using SQL and RPG.
Hiring: 🔍 Find Your Next IBM i Superstar with Talsco.
Learning: 🔷 The Power Socket.
Open Source: 🎂 PHP’s 30th anniversary.
Vendor: 💾 RDX storage discontinuation impacts IBM i shops.

IBM i Brief

🔄 IBM announces key system withdrawals and subscription updates Several IBM i platform changes were announced on May 27, including the discontinuation of RDX disk backup units and cartridges. IBM expanded IBM i subscription pricing to the Power S922 entry server, adding to their growing list of Power9 and Power10 servers with subscription options. Additionally, IBM withdrew several software features, including IBM i Value Pack and Operations Value Pack, while older versions of Red Hat Enterprise Linux for Power were also retired. 🏢 IBM opens new AI lab in Manhattan

IBM unveiled watsonx AI Labs, a collaborative hub in NYC focused on developing enterprise AI solutions. Through acquiring Seek AI, a data analytics startup, IBM aims to enhance its agentic AI capabilities.

The facility, located at One Madison, will bring together startups, researchers, and IBM engineers to co-create AI tools, focusing on areas like customer service and cybersecurity.

Takeaway: IBM’s AI initiatives are firing on all cylinders. It will benefits all of IBMs product offerings including the IBM i and Power Systems.

🌐 COMMON Europe is all about the modern IBM i While it might be a little late to make your way to Sweden, COMMOM Europe took place this week. 🏦 99% of Banking Transactions go through the IBM i, AIX, or the Mainframe

What would you do if you were teaching the next generation of IBM i talent?

If I were teaching CompSci 101, I’d start with the backbone: Build a DB on IBM i, write a simple RPG, COBOL, or CL program, then hook it to a mobile app with an API.

🎥 Here is a must-watch video.

AI

🛡️ AI usage poses enterprise data leak risks

Here is a discussion with Harmonic Security CEO Alastair Paterson highlights how enterprises often lack visibility into employee AI tool usage.

Questions we should be asking?

Do you know how your company is using GenAI?
Do you want your IP being leaked?
Where is your enterprise data being uploaded to?

While this company is outside the IBM i, it plays a role in the enterprise. The company offers solutions to prevent sensitive data leaks to AI providers by monitoring uploads, detecting anomalous behavior, and implementing controls for ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini usage. Their approach includes custom language models to identify sensitive information while enabling productive AI use cases.

The discussion provides a valuable framework for organizations to establish AI governance:

Develop clear policies around which AI tools are approved for use
Implement monitoring systems to track what data is being shared with external AI services
Create training programs to educate employees on safe AI usage practices
Establish approval processes for using AI with sensitive business information

This is a must listen for IBM i Management let alone all IBM i professionals.

Career

📚 Embrace Discomfort: The Path to RPG Developer Growth

The most successful developers share one crucial trait: they’re willing to step outside their comfort zone.

By embracing unfamiliar technologies and concepts, even when they seem daunting at first, you open doors to new opportunities and enhance your professional growth.

Remember, every expert was once a beginner who chose to take that first intimidating step.

Here are a number of IBM i-focused training opportunities to consider.

🎓 Don’t Miss Out on IBM i Training Opportunities at MiTEC 2025

MiTEC 2025 offers a comprehensive day of IBM i technical education on June 9 in Livonia, MI, featuring expert Jim Buck’s sessions on VS Code and integrated web services.

Additional comprehensive sessions on system architecture, application development, RPG, Python, AI, disaster recovery, performance monitoring, modern languages, and IBM i modernization.

Development

💻 IBM’s Watsonx Code Assistant nears public preview

IBM is preparing to launch the public preview of watsonx Code Assistant for i (WCA for i) next month, focusing initially on RPG code understanding capabilities.

This is all new for IBM i:

We have never built anything like this before. And we knew we needed to learn how to train a model to do these things. - Steve Will, IBM i Chief Architect for IBM i

While code generation features may face delays, IBM has already processed over 10 million lines of RPG code into their Granite models.

Granite LLM

The company seeks additional legacy RPG code samples to improve the system’s comprehension of older formats.

Key Goals for WCA for i:

Code Explanation (July 2025): IBM’s first goal for WCA for i is to perfect code explanation capabilities, which includes four key components: detailed programmer explanations, business-level summaries, usage explanations, and source code documentation.
Test case generation
RPG code generation (Target end of 2025)

For a better picture of what this all looks like, check out the graphic from POWERUp2025 where Steve Will lays out the plan for WCA for i.

👨‍💻 Simple IFS file existence check using SQL and RPG A streamlined approach to verify file existence in the IFS using SQL and RPG, demonstrating how to create a reusable procedure for file validation checks.

Hiring

🔍 Find Your Next IBM i Superstar with Talsco Looking for top IBM i talent? Talsco specializes in connecting innovative companies with skilled IBM i professionals. Our deep understanding of the IBM i ecosystem and extensive network ensures you find the perfect match for your team. Contact us to access our pool of vetted RPG developers, system administrators, and technical leaders.

Learning

🔷 The Power Socket Here is another new resource for Power Systems. Topics included will be focused on: IBM, IBM Power, IBM i, IBM AIX, IBM VIOS, Linux on Power, DevOps, Security and System Administration.

Open Source

🎂 PHP’s 30th anniversary

Like RPG, PHP has been a cornerstone of enterprise development for decades. As PHP celebrates its 30th anniversary, it’s worth noting how both languages continue to evolve and remain relevant in modern development.

The anniversary celebration features industry experts discussing PHP’s role in modern development, including its integration with AI and future roadmap.

If you are an IBM i-er and new to PHP or considering it as a solution to help your organization modernize, the Seiden Group has a number of handy resources for you to get started on your PHP journey.

Vendor

💾 RDX storage discontinuation impacts IBM i shops IBM has withdrawn RDX disk drive cartridges and docking stations following Tandberg Data’s bankruptcy. The discontinuation affects smaller IBM i shops who relied on RDX for backups. IBM suggests alternatives including LTO tape drives (TS2280/TS2290) or cloud-based solutions through PowerVS, Cobolt Iron, or Falconstor for backup and archiving needs.

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