Talsco Weekly: The New Frontier for the RPG Developer

Welcome to another edition of Talsco Weekly

IBM i Brief: ⚡ IBM Power Systems defy pre-release slump. 📄 IBM i Java 11 64-bit issues require immediate PTF action. 🔒 IBM Report:Data breach costs decline, finally. 📈 IBM’s AI strategy transforms Big Blue.
AI: 🔗Cursor: AI-Powered Code Editor.
Career: ⚙️A New Frontier: The Evolution of RPG Development Tools.
Development: 🔍 JavaScript runtimes multiply beyond browsers. 🛠️ SQL simplifies source member tracking. 📓 Planner revolutionizes work-life balance.
Vendor: 🔌 Profound Logic connects IBM i to AI revolution.

IBM i Brief

⚡ IBM Power Systems defy pre-release slump Despite the anticipated Power11 processor release, IBM’s Power Systems sales showed remarkable resilience in Q2 2025, dropping only 9.2% year-over-year to $450 million. This modest decline outperforms historical pre-release drops of 20-25%. While System z mainframe sales surged 70%, Power hardware held steady. With Power11 systems shipping July 25 and requiring IBM i 7.6, analysts predict flat to slightly positive revenue for 2025 as IBM balances clearing Power10 inventory with new Power11 adoption. 📄 IBM i Java 11 64-bit issues require immediate PTF action WebSphere vulnerabilities and Java 11 failures impact IBM i systems, with fixes available through PTFs SJ06457 (7.5) and SJ06452 (7.4). 🔒 IBM Report: Data breach costs decline, finally

Global data breach costs have dropped for the first time in five years, falling 9% to USD 4.44 million according to IBM’s 2025 Cost of a Data Breach Report. AI-powered defenses have accelerated breach containment to 241 days, the fastest in nine years.

However, rapid AI adoption is creating new security risks as implementation outpaces proper oversight.

This “security debt” threatens enterprises racing for competitive advantage, especially as cybercriminals weaponize the same AI technologies for their attacks.

📈 IBM’s AI strategy transforms Big Blue

IBM’s recent rally stems from successfully making AI practical for enterprises through its watsonx platform and agentic AI push. This approach has already generated $5 billion in AI business and was strengthened by the strategic $6.4 billion HashiCorp acquisition, providing critical tools for managing AI applications across hybrid cloud environments.

Q1 2025 earnings beat estimates, driving stock performance with a 69% yearly return and a 10-day winning streak that pushed IBM to all-time highs.

AI

🔗Cursor: AI-Powered Code Editor

Cursor is an AI-powered code editor that boosts developer productivity with predictive editing, codebase awareness, and natural language coding capabilities.

For IBM i and RPG developers, Cursor could help bridge the gap to modern languages by:

Providing contextual suggestions when learning new syntax
Enabling natural language queries about unfamiliar features
Accelerating development in new technologies while leveraging existing domain knowledge

Career

⚙️A New Frontier: The Evolution of RPG Development Tools

The world of RPG development spans decades of tools and approaches, creating both challenges and opportunities for developers at all experience levels. In our recruiting practice, we speak with a wide range of IBM i Developers - from industry veterans to newcomers, former web developers transitioning to the platform, second-career professionals, and countless others who’ve moved into IT roles.

Here is what some of the paths look like.

👨‍💻 For the New RPG Developer

If you’re learning RPG today, your toolkit likely includes:

🔧 Modern IDEs like VS Code with IBM i extensions
🤖 AI assistants (GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT) for code suggestions
🌐 Online forums and communities for troubleshooting
📊 Git for version control instead of traditional source management

But how do you approach that mountain of legacy code?

👥 Seek mentorship from experienced developers
🔍 Use AI tools to analyze and explain unfamiliar patterns
📚 Build a personal knowledge base as you learn

👴 For the Veteran RPG Developer

Your journey likely began with:

⌨️ SEU for code editing
📘 Physical reference manuals (not Google!)
📝 PDM for source management
📞 Direct IBM support for complex issues

The tools that served you well shouldn’t be discarded entirely, but enhancing your workflow with modern tools can reinvigorate your development experience.

💡 The Takeaway: Whether you’re a newcomer or a veteran, a balanced approach—understanding the foundations while embracing innovation—creates the most effective RPG developer.

Development

🔍 JavaScript runtimes multiply beyond browsers

This past decade has witnessed an explosion of JavaScript engines, enabling the language to run everywhere from cloud edge networks to microcontrollers.

Companies like Cloudflare, Deno, and ByteDance developed specialized runtimes optimized for specific tasks, while frameworks like React Native and NativeScript brought JavaScript to native mobile apps.

With diverse options spanning JavaScriptCore, V8, QuickJS, and Hermes, developers now choose engines tailored to their exact performance, size, and feature requirements.

🛠️ SQL simplifies source member tracking Utilizing the QSYS2.SYSMEMBERSTAT and QSYS2.SYSFILES views together allows developers to quickly locate duplicate source members across multiple files and identify the most recently modified versions. By combining these views in a SQL statement with appropriate filtering, users can create a custom view that returns detailed information about source members including creation date, last change date, and member text - all without complex programming. 📓 Planner revolutionizes work-life balance

The Panda Planner Pro offers IBM i professionals a structured framework for managing both professional and personal responsibilities.

Here is how intentional planning—from monthly goals to daily tasks—creates clarity amid competing priorities.

With color-coded systems and dedicated reflection time, this approach helps developers balance legacy system maintenance with family commitments.

The methodology particularly shines during high-pressure seasons like back-to-school, proving valuable for those juggling technical leadership with personal well-being.

Vendor

🔌 Profound Logic connects IBM i to AI revolution

Profound Logic has become the first IBM i vendor to implement Anthropic’s Model Context Protocol (MCP), simplifying AI integration with IBM i applications and data.

What is MCP?

Think of MCP like a USB-C port for AI—a standardized plug that lets any AI model “connect” to any business system or tool without needing a custom adapter for each one.

MCP, now widely adopted by major LLM providers, eliminates the need for custom connectors between data sources and AI models. With point-and-click simplicity, Profound AI users can now connect IBM i resources directly to various LLMs, enabling natural language interfaces for business intelligence queries and program automation.

IBM i Use Case:

Before MCP, connecting an AI model to IBM i data meant developers had to build custom APIs for every tool and table—lots of plumbing. Now, thanks to MCP support in tools like Profound AI, it’s as easy as pointing and clicking: “Use this DB2 table. Call this RPG program.” The AI handles the rest. No extra coding needed.

Thinking Ahead:

The true potential of AI for IBM i lies not in replacing legacy systems, but in seamlessly connecting them to other data sources, services, and systems.

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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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