In The Spotlight
AI apps must be trained to evaluate data. However, some data uses are restricted by law or the logistics of gathering it. These difficulties created a need for synthetic data, and the market is providing it.
By John Ghrist
To most people, “synthetic data” sounds like a paradox, or at least a contradiction in terms. Synthetic is something made up, and data is presumed to be a collection of facts. In the realm of AI, though, synthetic data is not only real, it has become a critical tool. In fact, it is becoming so important that it may actually surpass the use of real data for training AI apps by the end of this decade, according to at least one prediction. Any enterprise that plans to use AI at some point will have to embrace this concept with the confusing name, if not become an outright consumer of synthetic data.
Moving to the cloud is supposed to save money. That strategy is often successful, but sometimes related expenses can start climbing. Some areas to keep a weather eye on can help mitigate losses.
By John Ghrist
Many enterprises continue to move to the cloud as a way of managing their computing expenses. Added security, reduction in IT-related expenses of managing systems in-house, and user convenience often top the list of corporate motivations. Unfortunately, a shifting of C-suite focus to other areas of business after migration can result in a slow escalation of costs associated with cloud, a trend that can eventually make that migration look like a not-so-great strategy. In fact, a 2020 Gartner report estimated that as much as 70 percent of public cloud expenditures are wasted money, largely because of inefficient cloud-management practices. With most cloud users employing either public or hybrid cloud arrangements, suboptimal public cloud use is a problem that must be taken seriously. Savings don’t automatically follow like pennies falling from heaven; they have to be cultivated.
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.
Now that you’ve learned (or simply refreshed your memory about) joining tables, let’s go over some handy column functions. I believe these will save you a lot of work, so keep reading!
By Rafael Victória-Pereira
SQL’s many functions are incredibly useful and can save you a lot of time. However, they can also be the cause of major headaches, so you need to understand and use them correctly. I’ll go over a few of these functions now and explore a few more later. Let’s start with everybody’s favorite: the COUNT function.
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 reflects on the things she’s learned in the past year.
By Carol Woodbury
When it comes to the end of a year, I like to look back and see how things have changed and what I’ve learned. This article describes the things I’ve learned about IBM i security this year—some from our clients and some from practical experience working on the system. My hope is that you’ll learn right along with me, making 2023 brighter and more IBM i systems secure.
Current Events All Events
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.
Not all projects are created equal. There are large projects and small projects, complex projects and simple projects, short-term projects and long-term projects, top secret projects and open source projects
By Colleen Garton and Erika McCulloch
Editor's Note: This article is excerpted from chapter 3 of Fundamentals of Technology Project Management, by Colleen Garton and Erika McCulloch.
The list could go on and on. There are many different perspectives on which projects belong in which categories. If a company usually works on projects with a duration of three to six months, it would consider a year-long project to be long-term. An organization such as NASA would likely consider a year-long project short-term. A long-term project for them might be twenty or thirty years! Complexity is also subjective. What one company would consider complex another may consider simple. For these reasons, I am not going to try to specify what these terms mean. Each company will have its own definition for these terms and their meaning within the organization. If you are starting a new job as a project manager, you will need to ask for clarification on the terminology used within the organization. That way you can be sure that you are using the correct terminology and categorization for projects.
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.
SURVEY HIGHLIGHTS
By HelpSystems
Editor's note: This article introduces the February 2022 Report: 2022 IBM i Marketplace Survey Results, which is available to download from the MC White Paper Center.
Cybersecurity continues to top the charts as the main concern when planning an IT environment.
Perhaps the most consistent data point in the IBM i Marketplace Survey Results is the ongoing cybersecurity threat. Over the past six years, cybersecurity has been the main concern for people planning their IT environment, and this year was no exception. Although it has decreased since last year’s results, 62% of respondents still said this was their number one concern. And although organizations prioritizing security seem to be implementing multiple solutions, it is still alarming that, on average, almost 30% of respondents do not plan to implement each of the surveyed cybersecurity solutions. If your organization has concerns over IBM i cybersecurity skills, managed security services could be a way of filling in any holes.
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: