Talsco Weekly: Is IBM ahead of it's time, again?

Welcome to another edition of Talsco Weekly

IBM i Brief: 💼 IBM triples entry-level hiring amid tech layoffs.
AI: 🔺 AI concerns surge among IBM i shops.
Career: 🎯 Your IBM i expertise isn't shrinking — it's compounding.
Development: 💻 Nick Litten introduces TOBI for IBM i development.
Database: 🔍 IBM fills the Db2 Web Query void with Expert Query.
Hiring: 🔑 Your next IBM i hire is already behind schedule.
Learning: 🔀 RPG developers can transition to Model Context Protocol. **🔐 IBM i supports Kerberos for network authentication**.
Modernization: ⚡ IBM slashes project timelines from months to weeks.
Open Source: 🏆 IBM i earns quiet praise in a world chasing complexity.
Trends: 🎓 Computer science enrollments are plummeting at U.S. colleges.

IBM i Brief

💼 IBM triples entry-level hiring amid tech layoffs

While most tech companies cut jobs, IBM is expanding its U.S. entry-level workforce threefold this year.

The company has redesigned junior roles to focus on complex, high-value work as AI handles routine tasks. "Entry-level jobs that you had two to three years ago, AI can do most of them," said IBM's Chief HR Officer Nickle LaMoreaux.

The move offers a rare opportunity for Gen Z workers in a shrinking job market.

What does this mean for IBM i?

One of our longtime readers spotted something Wall Street might be missing. When he sent this article, he wrote: "This is exactly what Tom Watson did during the Great Depression. Should we be ready for what's on the other side?"

It's a brilliant observation—and it should make every IBM i shop pay attention.

IBM Just Played the Tom Watson Card—What Do They Know That You Don't?

In 1932, while America hemorrhaged jobs, Tom Watson tripled IBM's workforce, built new research labs, and stockpiled machines nobody wanted. Wall Street thought he'd lost his mind. Then came Social Security in 1935, and IBM was the only company ready. That bet created 45 years of market dominance.

Today, IBM just tripled entry-level hiring while the rest of tech is laying off. They're redesigning jobs around AI and betting big on the future. Again.

The IBM i Takeaway:

Watson won because he prepared during the downturn for what he knew was coming.

For IBM i organizations, the parallel is clear: modernize now while others hesitate, or scramble to catch up when the wave hits.

History doesn't repeat, but it sure rhymes.

👏 A big thanks to our reader for spotting this connection—the kind of insight that only comes from seeing what others miss. If you notice patterns like this, we'd love to hear from you.

AI

🔺 AI concerns surge among IBM i shops

The Fortra IBM i Marketplace Survey shows AI jumped to 42% of top concerns in 2026, up from just 12% in 2020, with usage rising to 55% of shops — led by code development.

But the IBM i community's instinct for skepticism is healthy here:

"Code assistants are proving value, but broader ROI is unproven — pilot carefully and measure rigorously."

IBM's Power10/Power11 matrix math and Spyre AI cards signal a platform-integrated future, yet

"IBM's integrated AI bet is intriguing, but will it keep pace with hyperscalers — and will it ever be truly cost-competitive?"

Most sobering:

"The skills crisis may solve itself — or shift into something nobody has fully planned for.”

Career

🎯 Your IBM i expertise isn't shrinking — it's compounding

AI doesn't replace professionals who stay curious, keep learning, and embrace new tools — it amplifies them. The IBM i professionals winning right now are the ones leaning in, not waiting. Seek out training, stay hungry, and remember: your platform knowledge is the foundation AI builds on.

👉 Start here: RPG Developers – Learn This Next!

Development

💻 Nick Litten introduces TOBI for IBM i development

TOBI is a new AI-powered tool designed to assist IBM i developers in building and managing objects more efficiently.

The tool streamlines traditional development workflows by automating routine tasks and providing intelligent suggestions.

Early adopters report significant time savings and improved code quality. TOBI represents a practical application of AI in the IBM i ecosystem, offering developers a modern assistant for legacy system work.

Database

🔍 IBM fills the Db2 Web Query void with Expert Query

IBM Technology Expert Labs is launching IBM Database Expert Query for i, a browser-based reporting tool running natively on IBM i — no AIX, Linux, or cloud required.

Aimed at small and mid-sized shops, it features two components: Architect for building reports and Explorer for running them. Charts, dashboards, and pricing are still pending, though existing Db2 Web Query customers will receive a discount.

Want to learn more? Visit IBM's Expert Query documentation for detailed technical specs, architecture guides, and implementation resources.

Hiring

🔑 Your next IBM i hire is already behind schedule

The professionals who bridge deep platform knowledge with modern thinking — AI, open source, DevOps — are in demand and moving fast. Succession planning isn't a future conversation anymore. Every quarter you wait narrows your options. Hire forward-thinking IBM i talent before your competition does.

👉 Book a call — let's get ahead of it.

Learning

🔀 RPG developers can transition to Model Context Protocol

Here is a bold prediction (which I believe will happen) that ~~some~~ (forward-thinking) RPG programmers will make an exciting architectural-level shift to Model Context Protocol (MCP) this year.

Neal Whittle, has released the first of three guides covering developer tools, business leverage, and why MCP outperforms APIs.

The guide demonstrates MCP as a modernization game-changer offering an alternative to rewriting legacy systems—potentially saving costs, time, and reducing risk while enabling AI readiness.

Takeaway: As we covered before, MCP levels the playing field, or even give the IBM i platform an edge on the road to modernization. RPG Developers this is your Golden Ticket.

**🔐 IBM i supports Kerberos for network authentication**

What is Kerberos? Kerberos is a secure authentication protocol that enables single sign-on across networked systems using encrypted tickets instead of passwords.

IBM i implements Kerberos v5 for authenticating users to network services, supporting both client and server roles. The protocol uses a Key Distribution Center (KDC) to manage authentication tickets, allowing users to access multiple services without repeatedly entering credentials.

For IBM i environments integrated with Windows Active Directory or other Kerberos realms, this provides seamless, secure access control across heterogeneous systems.

Modernization

⚡ IBM slashes project timelines from months to weeks

At AWS re:Invent, IBM's Javier Olaizola Casin revealed how the IBM Advantage agentic framework compresses delivery cycles from 10 months to 8 weeks.

The platform tackles technical debt, modernizes applications, and scales AI across hybrid cloud environments.

Key focus areas include backend systems for multi-agent workflows, data governance, and organizational redesign for agentic enterprises.

IBM and AWS are enabling step-change business impact beyond incremental efficiency gains.

Open Source

🏆 IBM i earns quiet praise in a world chasing complexity

In a thoughtful essay on Debian, Rust, and the Unix philosophy, developer Tara Stella finds unexpected reassurance in IBM i — calling it "remarkably stable and internally coherent."

Her point: In a world drowning in abstraction, IBM i's clarity is a feature, not a limitation.

Trends

🎓 Computer science enrollments are plummeting at U.S. colleges

UC campuses saw CS enrollment drop 6% last fall, with the exception of UC San Diego, which added a dedicated AI major. Students aren't abandoning tech—they're migrating to AI-focused programs instead.

Chinese universities have already embraced this shift, making AI literacy mandatory.

Meanwhile, U.S. schools are scrambling to launch AI degrees as traditional CS programs shrink.

The University of Wisconsin - Whitewater has recently launched an AI Degree program—there will be many like it to follow. Read more here.

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