July 25, 2018
July 25, 2018 | Volume 12 Issue 23
- LEAD ARTICLE: Why ERP Migrations Fail
- FEATURED ARTICLE: Going off the Rails
- FEATURED ARTICLE: Data Security: 8 Privacy Principles Every IT Pro Should Know
- NEWS HIGHLIGHT: IBM Reports 2018 Second Quarter Results
- WHITE PAPER: DR Strategy Guide from Maxava: Brand New Edition - now fully updated to include Cloud!
- FEATURED VIDEO: Design an Invoice in 10 Minutes
- EVENT: Security Alert! Prevent FTP and ODBC Data Breaches on IBM i

Why ERP Migrations Fail
Sorry, but there is no modernization silver bullet. Migrating does not equal modernization.
By Steve Pitcher
Not all ERP migrations fail. But many do. I’d even say the majority do...and that’s what Gartner says too. In their estimation, 75 percent of all ERP projects fail. In a bold prediction a couple years ago, they estimated that 90 percent of all ERP cloud projects, what they call “postmodern application integration strategies,” would fail between 2016 and 2018. More specifically, “Gartner predicts that through 2018, 90 percent of organizations will lack a postmodern application integration strategy and execution ability, resulting in integration disorder, greater complexity, and cost.”
Remain Software Milestone 2021
bp joins the IBM Quantum Network to advance use of quantum computing in energy

Going off the Rails
Should you be actually building all your IBM i apps directly on IBM i? Maybe not.
By Jeff Olen
Not so long ago, I was an RPG developer working on IBM i. I’d been doing it for about 15 years when I came across an article about compiling your own PHP to run in the Portable Application Solutions Environment (PASE). Wow, I thought to myself, imagine being able to easily create web applications on an IBM i. It was revolutionary. Sure, there were ways to serve web pages from the IBM i before then (starting back around 2003) but none that were so easy. I decided this must be the future of the IBM i developer. I knew I had to learn how to write PHP code and run it on the i. So I did; in fact, I Iearned it really well. A few years later, after Zend Core was released, my friend Kevin Schroeder and I wrote a book on the subject.
What to Do When Your AS/400 Talent Retires
IT managers hoping to find new IBM i talent are discovering that the pool of experienced RPG programmers and operators or administrators with intimate knowledge of the operating system and the applications that run on it is small.
This begs the question: How will you manage the platform that supports such a big part of your business?
This guide offers strategies and software suggestions to help you plan IT staffing and resources and smooth the transition after your AS/400 talent retires. Read on to learn:
- Why IBM i skills depletion is a top concern
- How leading organizations are coping
- Where automation will make the biggest impact
Enjoy!
Download your copy today!
2019 State of IBM i Modernization
The annual Profound Logic ‘State of IBM i Modernization Survey” takes a look at the trends and attitudes that shape the IBM i modernization market. We reached out to the IBM i community, and the response was outstanding: close to 800 people, nearly 300 more than last year, took the survey. This enthusiasm resulted in very interesting findings for how businesses plan to use and modernize the platform in the coming year.
As you read through each section of the survey, you will see our summary of the results and suggestions for the future. We hope the survey will help your business better understand what is possible for your IBM i platform in the coming year.
Node Webinar Series Pt. 1: The World of Node.js on IBM i
Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application.
Part 1 will teach you what Node.js is, why it's a great option for IBM i shops, and how to take advantage of the ecosystem surrounding Node.
In addition to background information, our Director of Product Development Scott Klement will demonstrate applications that take advantage of the Node Package Manager (npm).
watch now!
What Most IBM i Shops Get Wrong About the IFS
Can you trust all of your users all of the time?
A typical end user receives 16 malicious emails each month, but only 17 percent of these phishing campaigns are reported to IT. Once an attack is underway, most organizations won’t discover the breach until six month later.
A staggering amount of damage can occur in that time. Despite these risks, 93 percent of organizations are leaving their IBM i systems vulnerable to cybercrime. In this on-demand webinar, IBM i security experts Robin Tatam and Sandi Moore will reveal:
- How phishing attacks are becoming more sophisticated
- Three little-known ways malicious programs can reach your IFS
- Why the IFS is IBM i’s “Typhoid Mary”
You’ll also learn why some of the most common malware solutions still leave IBM i systems vulnerable—and what you can do to protect your organization.
Easiest Way to Save Money? Stop Printing IBM i Reports
The thought of printing, distributing, and storing iSeries reports manually may reduce you to tears. Paper and labor costs associated with report generation can spiral out of control. Mountains of paper threaten to swamp your files. Robot automates report bursting, distribution, bundling, and archiving, and offers secure, selective online report viewing.
Manage your reports with the Robot Report Management Solution. Key features include:
- Automated report distribution
- View online without delay
- Browser interface to make notes
- Custom retention capabilities
- Seamless product integration
Rerun another report? Never again. Try the Robot Report Management Solution FREE for 30 days.
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Data Security: 8 Privacy Principles Every IT Pro Should Know
Securing your data involves understanding data privacy regulations and the principles behind those rules
by Graham Williamson
Editor’s note: This chapter is excerpted from chapter 11 of Identity Management: A Business Perspective (MC Press, 2017).
Identity management has a direct impact on the security of identity data and regulatory controls over the collection, storage, and usage of identity information.