March 13, 2020
March 13, 2020 | Volume 14 Issue 45
- LEAD ARTICLE: Why Encryption?
- FEATURED ARTICLE: SQL 101: Using ILE RPG Programs and Procedures as SQL Stored Procedures, Part 2
- FEATURED ARTICLE: Developer Kit: Making a Business Case for Modernization and Beyond
- NEWS HIGHLIGHT: IBM Advances Watson's Ability to Understand the Language of Business
- WHITE PAPER: 2020 IBM i Marketplace Survey Results
- MC VIDEO SHOWCASE: Design an Invoice in 10 Minutes
- EVENT: Think Digital Event Experience, The best of IBM, wherever you are May 5–7, 2020

Why Encryption?
Why should organizations—including IBM i shops—consider using encryption to protect their data? Carol describes the areas where encryption can be used and why she’s a strong believer in implementing it.
By Carol Woodbury
Large financial institutions used to be the only organizations that implemented encryption. Now it’s becoming more commonplace. Why? One reason is because it’s become easier to implement; you no longer need hardware encryption cards, for example. But another reason is because more organizations realize that encryption is a vital layer of defense for protecting their data—often the last layer to prevent compromise. And I fully agree with that reason. As you know, I’m a huge fan of multiple layers of defense, and encryption is one of those important layers. Let’s take a look at the various ways encryption can be implemented on IBM i.
Free Registration Announced for RPG & DB2 Summit Lunch & Learn Series
IBM Reports 2020 Fourth-Quarter and Full-Year Results
Seiden Group Offers Free Application Profiling Tool for PHP on IBM i

SQL 101: Using ILE RPG Programs and Procedures as SQL Stored Procedures, Part 2
Now that you can tell SPs from UDFs, let’s find out how to create RPG-infused stored procedures, step by step.
By Rafael Victória-Pereira
In the previous TechTip, I (very briefly) introduced Persistent Storage Modules and explained the differences between stored procedures (SPs), user-defined functions (UDFs), and triggers. Now let’s go deeper into the creation process of SPs. How do you build them? The answer is kind of funny—you already have! Almost any existing program or procedure can be made available as an SP, you just need to register it in SQL as such. This includes, naturally, yourRPG programs and procedures.
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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Developer Kit: Making a Business Case for Modernization and Beyond
Editor's note: This article introduces the white paper Developer Kit: Making a Business Case for Modernization and Beyond, which is free to download from the MC White Paper Center.