October 18, 2017
October 18, 2017 | Volume 12 Issue 14
• LEAD ARTICLE: End of Support Announced on Popular POWER7 Machines
• FEATURED ARTICLE: Watson for i: Watson Cashes In on Financial Services
• FEATURED ARTICLE: 5 Building Blocks of a Successful Data Governance Program
• NEWS HIGHLIGHT: HelpSystems’ Fall Fundraiser Generates Record Employee Support for Charitable Causes
• WHITE PAPER: 3 Compelling Drivers for Implementing an HA Solution on an IBM i Cloud with MIMIX
• FEATURED VIDEO: Design an Invoice in 10 Minutes
• EVENT: TOMORROW: Create IBM i mobile apps with ILE RPG and SQL
• MC PRESS MAGAZINE: The Internet of Things: You’re Already a Part of It

End of Support Announced on Popular POWER7 Machines
Even though the Power 720 didn’t seem that old, it is.
Written by Steve Pitcher
On September 19, 2017, IBM announced that a number of machines will be going out of maintenance in the next two years. The POWER6 iron is to really be expected; however, the POWER7 iron kind of took me by surprise—specifically, the 8202-E4B and 8202-E4C.
Seiden Group Offers Free Application Profiling Tool for PHP on IBM i
IBM Q4 2020 Earnings Preview - Seeking Alpha

Watson for i: Watson Cashes In on Financial Services
IBM Watson now offers software and cloud services that help financial institutions and other businesses keep on top of a complex web of changing financial regulations.
Written by John Ghrist
Although banks and credit unions may seem to have the lion's share of laws and regulations they must meet in order to be allowed to handle other people's money, every organization has some level of fiduciary responsibilities. Depending on what kind of business in which an enterprise is engaged, the number of rules that have to be followed varies, but the real challenge is keeping up with the ever-changing nature of laws and regulations affecting business practices. IBM is taking a step forward in this area by using Watson to help concerned businesses keep track of these obligations—and other internal activities—to improve their financial operations.
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:
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- View online without delay
- Browser interface to make notes
- Custom retention capabilities
- Seamless product integration
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5 Building Blocks of a Successful Data Governance Program
Use these guidelines to develop sound data policies for your business
By Sunil Soares
This article is excerpted from The Chief Data Officer Handbook for Data Governance.
Data governance is the formulation of policy to optimize, secure, and leverage information as an enterprise asset by aligning the objectives of multiple functions. By its very nature, data governance requires cross-departmental cooperation to deliver timely, trustworthy data for better decisions.