IBM i updates and partnerships, AI‑powered assistants and their impact on business automation, the Cobol cowboy talent shortage, tech talent gaps in the SAP ecosystem with related training opportunities, and leadership insights for managing IBM i development teams.
Welcome to another edition of Talsco Weekly
- IBM i Brief: IBM i blog reflects on the past year. Precisely partners with AWS to extend data replication. IBM i code editor. IBM's Bowers tackles open source skepticism on the IBM i. 🎙️
- AI: AI-powered assistants revolutionize business automation. Will AI help solve the Cobol Cowboy Crisis?
- Career: Tech talent gap in SAP ecosystem. Free training opportunity in the IBM i community.
- Leadership: Leadership matters in the IBM i community.
IBM i Brief
IBM i blog reflects on the past year As we enter 2024, it's worth looking back at the highlights of 2023 in the IBM i world. RPGPGM.com lists its top ten most popular posts from last year and invites readers to share their favorites. As for 2024, it is not likely there will be any new releases but there will be two TRs, one in the spring and the other in the fall. Precisely partners with AWS to extend data replication Precisely has collaborated with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to offer real-time data replication for IBM i-Series data to AWS. This partnership aims to help organizations retrieve valuable data from IBM i systems for agile decision-making. As nearly 50% of IBM i users consider migration or modernization, this collaboration enables powerful analytics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence on AWS, supporting modernization initiatives. IBM i code editor In a Twitter thread, Jesse Gorzinski asks in an unofficial end of 2023 poll which IBM i code editor is used most for app development.
- SEU
- RDI
- VSCode
- Other
The result. IBM's Bowers tackles open source skepticism on the IBM i 🎙️ In a podcast interview with Tech Channel and Charlie Guarino, Wayne Bowers from IBM offers insights on how IBM i shops can overcome their reluctance towards open source and start on their modernization journey. Bowers discusses the steps and provides guidance for those looking to embark on a modernization journey. Listen to the podcast or read the transcript here.
AI
AI-powered assistants revolutionize business automation Generative AI-powered assistants are transforming businesses through intelligent conversational interfaces. Capable of understanding and generating human-like responses and content, these assistants are revolutionizing the way humans and machines collaborate. On a side note, the other day I was using a gift card that I was given for Christmas and I was having trouble using the automated chat system so I called instead. It was refreshing to have a conversation with a human customer service representative. We are witnessing a new phase of evolution as AI assistants go beyond conversations and learn how to harness tools through agents that could invoke Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) to achieve specific business goals. Tasks that used to take hours can now be completed in minutes by orchestrating a large catalog of reusable agents. Moreover, these agents can be composed together to automate complex workflows. Will AI help solve the Cobol Cowboy Crisis? This could just as easily be an article about RPG.
COBOL’s longevity presents a vexing challenge today. There are an estimated 220 billion lines of COBOL code still in use around the world. This code runs vital systems that process trillions of dollars in daily transactions, including ATM withdrawals, credit card payments, loan processing, healthcare claims, government benefits, and more.
While articles like these may raise fears of AI replacing developers, I believe there will always be a place for developers. While the role of the developer will change due to AI the uniqueness of human creativity and adaptability ensures a continued need for skilled programmers.
Career
Tech talent gap in SAP ecosystem Forbes reports that the SAP ecosystem has a significant tech talent gap, making it difficult for companies to find skilled professionals. Sounds familiar. The article goes on to report,
The shortage poses a problem for businesses relying on SAP technology and highlights the need for innovative solutions to address the growing demand for SAP expertise.
Key takeaway: If you are considering moving away from the IBM i platform due to a lack of talent, remember that the grass is not always greener on the other side. Free training opportunity in the IBM i community Join the Texas IBM i User Group for a discussion on OpenAI's application in the IBM i environment. Mike Pavlak will cover the basics of operating OpenAI and ChatGPT, plugging into Copilot, and leveraging AI tools in development scenarios. The meeting will take place on Wednesday, January 10, at 6:30 PM (CT). Click the link for more information.
Leadership
Leadership matters in the IBM i community While this article is not written with the IBM i community in mind, a strong leader is crucial to the success of any IBM i shop. Leading and managing a team of IBM i developers with different personalities and skills who are at different stages of their careers is not an easy task. These 13 insights of how to lead and engage your team might be just what you are looking for. For a deep dive, here is the full presentation.
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