Talsco Weekly - News, Security, Remote Work and Innovation for the i

Welcome to another edition of Talsco Weekly

News: 2021: An IBM i Year in Review, Part One and Part Two
Security: Critical Log4j Vulnerability Hits Everything, Including the IBM i Server. Log4j software bug could cause 'incalculable' damage: What you need to know.
Remote Work: 16 Ways To Lead A Virtual Team In Remote And Hybrid Work Environments.
Leadership: Blending IT and business professionals in agile teams is the key for digital success.
Innovation: The Future of Information.

News

2021: An IBM i Year in Review, Part One and Part Two

If you think you have been out of touch with what has been going on in the IBM i world for 2021, here is a good place to catch up. It's been a big year.

As you read through these two issues, think about what's the most important overall theme of the IBM i ecosystem.

Here are some of the things that stick out to me:

"Recessions do not cause technology transitions, but rather accelerate them."
We have seen a push for API Development. Why? "Because in an API world, nobody knows you are an IBM i." Bingo. Most of the openings that we have worked on this year require API development experience.
"Legacy modernization and digital transformation initiatives have moved up the priority scale during the pandemic. But whenever you open up core IT systems, there are risks." This could not be further from the truth, the risk part that is. The story of the UK retailer is one we hear often. The bottom line is, "moving away from legacy technology is really, really hard."

Security

Critical Log4j Vulnerability Hits Everything, Including the IBM i Server

"IBM i shops are encouraged to take this flaw very seriously, as the vulnerability already is being actively exploited in the wild. However, finding where Log4j exists in your stack is not always simple, which makes this particular flaw particularly nasty." Log4j is serious, so much so that "Scott Forstie, the IBM i business architect for the Db2 database" got involved on this one to come up with a quick way to discover where it might be found in your IBM i software.

Log4j software bug could cause 'incalculable' damage: What you need to know

"The discovery of a major security flaw in widely used logging software sent much of the tech industry scrambling over the weekend to put in place patches before the vulnerability could be exploited by cybercriminals.

"If left unpatched, the bug in the Java-logging library Apache Log4j could be used by cyberattackers to take over computer servers, potentially putting everything from consumer electronics to government and corporate systems at risk of a cyberattack."

Remote Work

16 Ways To Lead A Virtual Team In Remote And Hybrid Work Environments

Leading remote teams is not easy. In fact, most managers that I have spoken with say it's a lot more work. They realize the benefit but have had to shift the way they lead. Here are 16 things you might want to try to get the most out of your virtual team.

Leadership

Blending IT and business professionals in agile teams is the key for digital success.

Over the past 2 years the work has become more digital. "Tech and business strategies needed to merge." It's no longer possible for IT to build something without really understanding the business need, and the only way this can happen is if you have IT embedded in the business. And the business embedded in IT.

Innovation

The Future of Information

Have you ever been curious to see how emerging technologies could give your legacy organization an edge? Here's a 100 year old company who's aware that the "Future of Information" will be realized with a mix of technologies such as, AI, Robotics, Blockchain, AR & VR, and Internet of Things. They see that the convergence of all these technologies are "bringing a lot of the future to the foreground, helping to understanding what's ahead in the next 10, 20 and 30 years, and the evolution is ongoing."

Is your company having discussions about this? If not, they should be. All too often the focus revolves around the present. This line of thinking is what gets companies stuck and limits growth, innovation and opportunity.

The future is in the information.

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