In The Spotlight
Incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into your enterprise's business processes isn't like installing a new accounting program. It requires strong leadership, vision, and a willingness to consider questions some in the organization may think are already settled issues.
By John Ghrist
Odds are, if you're interested in AI, one of the reasons is that you see it as something your organization could use to boost its bottom line. You'd be right about that, but getting there is anything but a typical IT project. To be maximally effective, AI adoption calls for contemplating a transformational strategy that goes beyond mere technology to include a business's strategic goals, its ways of doing business, its people, and even its corporate culture. The benefits can be huge, but the process of getting there will likely require a re-evaluation of some fundamental aspects of your organization and its business.
Top reasons to look at performance before you leap to the cloud
By HelpSystems
Editor's note: This article introduces the May 2020 Webinar: IBM i Cloud Migration Considerations, which is On-Demand and available to download and view from the MC Webcast Center.
Imagine your boss says it’s time to migrate to the cloud. He’s excited about being the first on the block, plus it would look good to eliminate the capital expenditure (capex) of your on-prem data center. So, what’s it going to take?
Maybe these companies were able to pivot easily because IBM i doesn’t require the daily hand-holding required to keep other platforms working.
By Steve Pitcher
It’s easy to look at the year 2020 with contempt.
I’ve done it. Most all of us probably have. There’s no reason to do a recap of 2020. It started with a near-miss war with Iran, and it hasn’t let up since. I was joking the other week that the only thing we’re missing in 2020 is the equivalent of the Ten Plagues of Egypt. And we still have a couple of months for that to unfold.
Learn why recreating your SQL routines can improve performance.
By Kent Milligan
As a developer, it’s easy to operate by the motto “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” That practice is understandable, given there’s usually not enough hours in the workday to get everything done. If you have SQL procedures, functions, or triggers that are frequently used, then you may be able to improve performance by making an exception to this practice.
In this second and final part of this short series about mobile app dev, let’s talk about grids and glyphicons.
By Jan Jorgensen
In a previous article, I covered how the grid system in Bootstrap works, so in order not to bore you I will try not to repeat myself.
The grid system in version 4 is still based on a maximum of 12 columns! But even though the grid system seems the same from version 3 to 4, something has changed under the hood. In Bootstrap 3, the grid system was based on floats, but that changed in Bootstrap 4; it is now based on flexbox.
Carol provides her suggestions for doing things differently in 2021.
By Carol Woodbury
With the new year upon us, resolutions are being made. I’m not really a resolution person, but every year I do try to look forward and see if there’s something that I could to do differently. You know that old adage: to do something the same way over and over and expect different results is the definition of insanity. I think we’ve had enough insanity for one year, so let’s take a look at five actions I’d like to see IBM i administrators adopt this year and why.
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Ghosts and witches—they’re kid stuff. But there really are other things to be afraid of.
By Victoria Mack
This being October, Steve Pitcher has a bit of a Halloween scare for you. But this goblin isn’t a fantasy. It’s real. IBM has announced end of support for the exceptionally popular POWER7 machines. Will IBM offer extended hardware maintenance? Who knows? It hasn’t happened yet. Read Steve’s article to see his perceptions of what some may consider a truly horrifying announcement.
The younger generations are coming into our world, enriching it with new ideas and perspectives.
By Steve Pitcher
It’s kind of a funny story. I was in one of my first onsite meetings at iTech Solutions back in the spring of 2017. We had the whole team in the boardroom going over strategies and discussing how we were going to achieve them. Back then, I was 38 years old. I remember coming up with an idea and the room fell silent. The next words from someone were “Wow! From the mouths of babes!”
Back then, I was the youngest person in the company. We’ve added quite a few younger people since. But I found it really interesting that someone like me, with close to 20 years’ worth of IBM i experience and definite strands of gray hair at the time (and many more now), could be a target candidate for that statement.
These days, consumers expect retailers to provide information tailored personally just for them.
In the industry’s current disruptive environment, retail and consumer product companies are competing with new business models and being forced to refresh their consumer experiences and brand engagements to be more relevant.
A new IBM study finds retailers' current strategies to deliver engaging brand experiences are not keeping pace with what customers’ expect and want out of their brick and click shopping experiences.
Do you realize how many of your personal or business devices are connected to the Internet? Let's talk about that.
By Jan Jorgensen
The Internet of Things (IoT): You've heard somebody talk about it; or you've read about it in a newspaper, in a tech magazine, or on a website; or you've attended a seminar or conference where somebody told you about the next big thing.
There’s value in recognizing what customers have: a modern infrastructure to build upon.
By Steve Pitcher
It’s official. The date has passed. IBM i and IBM Power Systems have now been brands in business longer than the AS/400 was.
IBM Notes Domino gets a new future with HCL Technologies.
By Steve Pitcher
On October 25, 2017, IBM announced (well, they blogged it) that they were entering into a strategic partnership with HCL Technologies to give the following products a new lease on development life: