Talsco Weekly: IBM i in 2025, A Year in Review

Welcome to another edition of Talsco Weekly: 2025 in review

IBM i Brief: 🔥 Power11 & IBM i Hardware Direction. 📣 IBM Project Bob: AI Development Tool Enters Preview. 📌 IBM i Technology Refreshes (TRs) & OS 7.6.
AI: 👷 Meet Bob: Your AI Coding Partner.
Career: 📖 Navigating the AI Revolution: An IBM i Developer’s Guide.
Development: 💡 Teachable Moments for RPG Developers.
Database: 🗄️ Db2 for i expands SQL-first approach.
ERP: 💼 The Hidden Costs of ERP Migration: What They Won’t Tell You.
Hiring: ⚖️ Balancing flexibility attracts IBM i talent.
Leadership: 👔 IBM i Leadership: Stewards of Platform Growth.
Learning: 📚 Ansible for the IBM i - Tutorials.
Modernization: 👨‍💻 The IBM i inflection point: modernize or fall behind.
Open Source: 🦋 RPG language undergoes remarkable evolution.
Security: ➡️ IBM i 7.6 Security Enhancements — MFA & Hardening.
Trends: 📡 The Signal Through The Noise.

IBM i Brief

🔥 Power11 & IBM i Hardware Direction

IBM launched Power11 processor-based servers with autonomous IT infrastructure built for AI, featuring zero planned downtime and enhanced cyber resiliency.

IBM i is now available on Power11 systems including Power E1180, S1124, and S1122, plus cloud deployment via Power Virtual Server.

IBM introduced two strategic subscription bundles: P20 Standard Edition with automation and HA/DR capabilities, and P30 Enterprise Edition offering comprehensive enterprise tools including Db2 Mirror and Rational Development Studio.

📣 IBM Project Bob: AI Development Tool Enters Preview

The AI development partner offers agentic workflows, built-in security scanning, and flexible deployment options for enterprises. Over 6,000 IBM developers are already using Bob, reporting 45% productivity gains across modernization and new-app development projects.

Bob adapts to developer workflows from design to deployment, understanding codebases, intent, and enterprise standards including FedRAMP, HIPAA, and PCI compliance requirements.

📌 IBM i Technology Refreshes (TRs) & OS 7.6

In Fall 2025 IBM revealed the latest technology refreshes — IBM i 7.6 TR1 and IBM i 7.5 TR7.

These are incremental updates that extend the OS with new features, performance improvements, modern tooling support, and enhanced integration.

They shipped around Nov 21, 2025, and include more robust SQL enhancements, Navigator enhancements, improved system admin tools, and DB2 improvements that help modern workloads.

AI

👷 Meet Bob: Your AI Coding Partner

Project Bob, unveiled at TechXchange 2025, is an AI coding assistant designed to work alongside developers in their IDEs. Bob can comprehend entire codebases, modernize legacy applications, conduct security reviews, and generate or refactor code on demand.

What Bob can do: Literate coding, automated security analysis, code reviews, intelligent refactoring, and Java modernization (from Java 17 to Java 21).

Takeaway:

As we move into 2026, it will be no surprise that the news around Bob will continue to dominate the headlines.

Project Bob is deeper than a simple coding copilot and will push developers toward broader modernization activities.

It is proving to be a game-changer for the IBM i community. The more you can learn about “Bob” the better positioned you will be for the future.

Career

📖 Navigating the AI Revolution: An IBM i Developer’s Guide

AI is transforming technology and careers. For IBM i developers, success comes from willingness to learn and thoughtful application of AI—not just technical background.

Key insights: AI agents are revolutionizing development, while ethics and governance grow crucial. RPG skills remain valuable when combined with emerging technologies.

Framework for Learning AI as a Developer

Start with basics: Learn AI fundamentals. Here is an Intro to Machine Learning
Leverage existing skills: Apply RPG expertise to AI projects
Explore emerging trends: Study AI agents, security, and governance
Combine traditional and emerging tech: Drive innovation with a hybrid approach
Continuous learning: Stay curious and embrace new challenges

A Seasoned Developer’s Edge

Experienced IBM i developers have a unique advantage: deep business problem-solving skills and enterprise system knowledge. This wisdom—knowing how, when, and where to apply AI effectively—is irreplaceable and positions them to lead AI initiatives.

Development

💡 Teachable Moments for RPG Developers

Every experienced RPG developer has had an “aha!” moment—when a concept finally clicks and changes how they approach their work. These moments often occur when motivation is low and a technical challenge feels uncomfortable.

A simple framework helps explain why change is hard:

Motivation = (Value × Probability × Return on Effort) ÷ Distance

For RPG developers, this explains why some embrace new tools or methodologies while others resist them. Motivation increases when:

The value is clear and relevant
Success feels likely and low-risk
The payoff justifies the effort
The benefit feels close, not theoretical

Many RPG developers joining new organizations encounter resistance when introducing change. This is rarely about skill—it’s usually a motivation gap. The value isn’t obvious, the risk feels high, or the reward feels too far away.

Teachable moments happen when one of these factors shifts—when a real problem is solved faster, effort pays off, or confidence replaces fear.

Could this framework help RPG teams turn resistance into momentum?

Database

🗄️ Db2 for i expands SQL-first approach

In 2025, IBM continued evolving Db2 for i, reinforcing SQL as the primary database interface across IBM i 7.6 and multiple Technology Refreshes.

New SQL features and expanded QSYS2 and SYSTOOLS services enable performance management, auditing, security, and diagnostics directly through SQL instead of legacy commands.

This positions Db2 for i as the central control plane for modern IBM i operations, supporting automation, analytics, and modern tooling while helping organizations future-proof applications.

ERP

💼 The Hidden Costs of ERP Migration: What They Won’t Tell You

Organizations migrating from IBM i systems often find the transition more challenging than expected. These systems, refined over decades, carry substantial operational inertia.

A recent consultant discussion revealed significant unintended consequences and downstream risks that ERP migrations create, reflecting broader market concerns.

📖”One particularly concerning risk is the potential loss of key personnel during these transitions. After enduring year-long stretches of 70-hour work weeks, valuable team members often choose to leave—taking their irreplaceable institutional knowledge with them.

Consulting firms rarely address these risks upfront, creating unrealistic expectations and potential project failures. Organizations should conduct thorough risk assessments accounting for human and knowledge-retention factors.”

Does this sound familiar to you?

Hiring

⚖️ Balancing flexibility attracts IBM i talent

Finding the right IBM i professionals requires balancing technical skills with workplace factors and market availability.

Critical Factors

Location flexibility: Remote/hybrid options significantly expand candidate pools
Leadership & culture: Empowering management and collaborative teams attract top talent
Technology & modernization: Modern tools and future-focused plans appeal to younger developers
Growth opportunities: Training, project work, and advancement paths are essential

Bottom line: Rigid requirements limit options. Flexibility and modernization opportunities are key to attracting and retaining IBM i talent.

Need help with succession planning and modernization?

Schedule an introductory call.

Leadership

👔 IBM i Leadership: Stewards of Platform Growth

This article, makes some interesting points that I have to agree with.

There is a sentiment that some IBM i shops are stuck in the past with some leaders blaming teams for resisting modernization.

When IBM i applications or systems fall behind, many leaders default to blaming their teams for being “stuck in the past.” While the stereotype of the resistant tech veteran exists, the reality is different. Many IBM i teams are severely understaffed, managing workloads previously handled by 3-4 people. They’re not resistant – they’re overwhelmed, needing both time and resources to modernize effectively.

There certainly is some truth to this.

A Better Way Forward.

Over the course of 25 years in helping the IBM i community push forward, I have come across amazing leadership.

How do they do it? They go to battle with their team, walk in their shoes and listen.

So, if you are in an IBM i Leadership role here are some things to consider:

Training Investment: Get staff to training sessions, with leaders participating to better champion technology investments to upper management
Leadership Support: The most successful leaders that I have seen offer dedicated work hours for developers to experiment with and train on newer methods, technologies, and tools. For example, RPG developers get to pick 4 hours (a half day a week) to learn something new.

If you are in the IBM i technical ranks and training is not what it should be, you will need to take initiative.

Developer Initiative: Despite busy schedules, developers should invest in self-study to explore new methods and technologies. If you are at an organization that does not foster a healthy learning environment, you will need to put the extra time in off hours, or you will be left behind.

In Summary: Effective stewardship of the IBM i platform requires a strong partnership between leadership and technical teams. When leadership provides support and teams embrace learning, the IBM i platform flourishes.

Learning

📚 Ansible for the IBM i - Tutorials

Here is a course on Ansible for IBM i, by Zouhair Oulli, where he demonstrate the fundamentals, how it works, the prerequisites, and how to configure it from scratch.

It is very impressive.👏

What is Ansible?

Ansible is an open-source IT automation tool developed by Red Hat that’s used to automate tasks like software provisioning, configuration management, application deployment, and orchestration across servers or systems.

The course covers the setup of both control and managed nodes.

It showcases a variety of use cases and playbooks, along with helpful resources for learning Ansible.

While you at it, check out Zouhair’s website, it is definitely one that you will want to bookmark because it touches on a number of hot IBM i topics.

Modernization

👨‍💻 The IBM i inflection point: modernize or fall behind

RPG developers face a clear choice: embrace modernization or fall behind.

The IBM i ecosystem is rapidly evolving with AI integration, open-source tools like Node-RED and Mapepire, and enhanced connectivity.

Successful developers bridge traditional RPG expertise with modern capabilities in API development, cloud architecture, and AI implementation.

This isn’t about abandoning RPG knowledge—it’s about leveraging it alongside contemporary technologies.

The tools to evolve are readily available. Seize this opportunity to transform your skills and secure your place in IBM i’s future.

Open Source

🦋 RPG language undergoes remarkable evolution

Here Neal Whittle, puts RPG evolution in context.

Once a rigid, column-based code from the 1960s, modern RPG now features free-form syntax that’s intuitive for developers familiar with Java, Python or C#.

It seamlessly integrates with IBM i systems while supporting APIs, modular programming, and contemporary testing frameworks.

RPG is no longer just a “report generator”. Businesses with decades of investment in RPG can continue to run mission-critical applications while still evolving with web services, REST APIs and integration into cloud-native architectures.

This transformation allows businesses to maintain mission-critical applications while evolving with web services and cloud integration, proving RPG isn’t just surviving—it’s thriving worldwide.

Join the conversation.

Security

➡️ IBM i 7.6 Security Enhancements — MFA & Hardening When IBM i 7.6 launched on April 8, 2025, security was a major emphasis — including built-in multi-factor authentication (MFA) using time-based one-time passcodes (TOTP) directly within the OS. This is widely described as a “massive security improvement,” with expanded verification mechanisms and tighter access controls than prior releases.

Trends

📡 The Signal Through The Noise

I spoke with an incredibly talented IBM i Developer recently (this happens often😊). He recognized a pattern others missed in the IBM i market.

While everyone looked one way, he looked the other, noticing a trend and need that others overlooked—one he’d missed earlier in his career.

What was the signal he overlooked? As an RPG Developer, he missed the opportunity to learn the IBM i Administrator role as well.

By catching emerging signals early, he positioned himself ahead of the market.

Reflecting:

Throughout our careers, we’re given opportunities or signals that shape our professional trajectory if we’re paying attention. These might be market shifts, emerging technologies, or changing business needs hinting at future demand.

It’s important to understand what is in your control, and to stop listening to the noise.

Join

Contact us

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

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