For organisations relying on the IBM i platform to run business-critical applications, however, the question has always been different: how can AI be adopted without compromising the stability, security and reliability that IBM i is justifiably known for?

At the recent i-UG i-Power Conference, that question was answered with absolute confidence. 

AI has not only arrived on IBM i, but it has matured into a practical tool that can help solve real business challenges.

With solutions such as IBM Bob, a specialist implementation of IBM watsonx Orchestrate, organisations can bring the benefits of generative AI directly into existing green-screen applications, database structures and business processes. 

Rather than replacing established systems, AI is enhancing them.

Tackling the IBM i skills gap through AI modernisation

One of the biggest challenges facing IBM i users is not the platform itself. 

IBM i continues to be recognised for its reliability, resilience and long-term value. 

The real challenge is maintaining decades of bespoke applications as experienced IBM i developers retire, move company, or are redeployed onto other projects, and valuable knowledge leaves with them.

Many businesses depend on complex RPG, COBOL and CL applications that have evolved over many years, and in some cases, decades. 

These systems are often poorly documented, making it difficult for new developers to understand how they work or where to begin when making changes.

This is where IBM i AI modernisation can deliver immediate value.

Rather than embarking on expensive and high-risk IBM i migration or replatforming projects, businesses can use AI as an assistant that helps interpret existing applications and preserve valuable knowledge.

And assistant is the operative word there. It is not a complete replacement for IBM i expertise. 

During hands-on demonstrations at i-Power, attendees saw IBM Bob analyse legacy code in real time. 

Using a simple natural language interface, developers could ask questions such as:

• “Summarise what this SAMCO programme does.”
• “What is the purpose of this application?”
• “Explain how this section of code works.”

Within seconds, the AI analysed the source code and returned a clear, easy-to-understand explanation.

By dramatically reducing the time required to understand legacy applications, AI helps shorten the learning curve for new IBM i developers while making experienced teams significantly more productive.

Moving IBM i AI modernisation beyond development

The benefits of IBM watsonx Orchestrate extend well beyond software development.

System administrators can use AI to explore database schemas, identify system anomalies, locate relevant documentation and support modernisation projects with greater confidence. 

AI becomes an additional member of the team, helping experienced IBM i developers complete routine tasks more efficiently while reducing the risks associated with changes to critical systems.

This demonstrates an important point about IBM i AI modernisation: modernising your IBM i environment does not mean replacing it. 

It means giving your existing teams better tools to work more effectively and efficiently.

Building a smarter future for your IBM i

We can’t stress enough the importance of having reliable IBM i developer resources on hand to determine whether the actions an AI model is taking are actually correct. 

Whether your objective is to accelerate development, document decades of legacy code or improve operational support, combining AI with experienced IBM i expertise offers a practical and sustainable path forward.

At Proximity, we help organisations modernise their IBM i applications through development, ongoing support, maintenance and strategic modernisation services. 

If you’re ready to begin your IBM i AI modernisation journey and future-proof your IBM i applications, get in touch with our expert team to discuss your requirements and arrange a comprehensive systems assessment.

In partnership with Fresche Solutions, we are also offering a free, no obligation IBM i Modernisation Proof of Concept (POC). The POC provides an opportunity for IBM i shops to validate the return on investment for transforming RPG code to Java.

As well as taking advantage of Proximity’s team of IBM i specialists, the POC also uses X-Modernize AI from Fresche Solutions.

The post IBM i AI Modernisation: How watsonx Orchestrate is Bridging the Skills Gap appeared first on Proximity.

Recently, some of our IBM i development team attended the iPower conference, hosted by i-UG, where they had the opportunity to experience IBM Bob, an AI-powered software development assistant tailored specifically for the IBM i ecosystem.

Following the workshops, our developers, Darren and Dylan, took IBM Bob out for a spin in a real-world trial environment. 

We sat down to discuss our findings, what we learned, and how IBM i users can responsibly start experimenting with AI.

Read on below for our hands-on review of IBM Bob.

Where IBM Bob shines: System context and modernisation

Generic AI coding assistants like ChatGPT are great for general-purpose code, but they fall short when it comes to the highly specialised nuances of the IBM i language base. 

That is where IBM Bob brings a significant shift to the IBM i community.

As Bob has been developed by IBM, and specifically for the IBM i, it is deeply integrated into the IBM i file system (IFS), so it not only knows where to look, but it also knows what to look for. 

It understands system dependencies, library structures, and the context of your specific environment. 

During our trial, we discovered three key areas where Bob could add immense value to an IBM i development team:

1. Code conversion and modernisation: One of the first tasks we threw at it was converting legacy RPG III code into modern RPG ILE. Bob handled this with, quite frankly, impressive accuracy, making it a potentially powerful tool for IBM i modernisation projects.
2. Legacy documentation: If you have business-critical programs that haven’t been touched in 15 years, Bob is incredibly useful for parsing the logic. It can review a legacy program, identify the other programs it calls, list the physical or logical files it interacts with, and generate comprehensive documentation to help developers understand what the system is doing. 
3. SQL optimisation: When asked to look at our database interactions, Bob accurately suggested improvements to optimise our SQL statements. It predicted a 50% to 60% performance improvement, and when we ran the update, the benchmark numbers proved it right!

It is worth noting that Bob could, for instance, be used in conjunction with Fresche’s X-Analysis suite for application documentation. 

Alternatively, Fresche has added AI capability natively into X-Analysis, which is a new development to the already impressive X-Analysis tool. 

The challenges: Pushing the boundaries of generative code

It wasn’t all seamless, however. 

When we pushed Bob past analysis and optimisation into completely writing or modifying complex chunks of execution code, we did manage to break it.

Using these AI capabilities requires “Bob Coins” (the platform’s token system). 

When Bob got things wrong, we had to prompt it to fix its own errors, which quickly burned through our token allocation. 

We even jokingly asked it for our Bob Coins back, but unfortunately, the AI couldn’t help us there!

For this reason, we don’t see it completely writing new code from scratch just yet, though we are highly anticipating the new Premium version to see how these capabilities mature.

A roadmap for IBM i teams: How to get started

If your organisation is looking to trial IBM Bob or similar generative AI tools on the IBM i, we highly recommend a cautious, phased approach:

• Start with read-only permissions: Do not give an AI tool write access to your code repositories or production environments right from the start. Start by configuring its permissions to ‘read-only’.
• Focus on analysis first: Use the tool to analyse your codebase, map out workflows, and document business logic. Let it show you how it understands your files and system structure before you let it modify them.
• Build team experience: Allow your developers to build familiarity with the IDE extension (it runs comfortably inside VS Code for i) in a safe sandbox environment before integrating it into active development workflows.

Accelerate your IBM i modernisation with Proximity

AI tools like IBM Bob are shifting the landscape of what’s possible, but maximising their value still requires seasoned IBM i expertise. 

We’ve been using various AI tools within our IBM i support and development team for the past year-or-so. 

The challenges we identified with Bob are not unique and should be a cautionary tale for any IBM i shop considering using AI within their toolset.

AI shouldn’t be used as the only or main tool for IBM i projects. 

It should be seen as a tool to speed up the process. You simply can’t escape the fact that without a skilled IBM i development resource.

Tools such as IBM Bob, no matter how good they are, could get you into a lot of trouble, and fast.

Whether you are looking to modernise legacy RPG code, document decades of technical debt, or simply need expert support to keep your core systems running at peak performance, Proximity is here to help.

Ready to transform your green screens or optimise your IBM i applications?

To learn how our development and support services can future-proof your business, contact Proximity today

The post AI for IBM i Development: Our Hands-On Review of IBM Bob appeared first on Proximity.

After three years in Northampton, the Leonardo Hotel in Milton Keynes will host this year’s event.

• Dates: Tuesday 2nd June and Wednesday 3rd June 2026
• Location: The Leonardo Hotel Milton Keynes, 300 Midsummer Boulevard, MK9 2HP, Milton Keynes, UK

Andy Nicholson sat down with fellow IBM Champion, Steve Cast last week to discuss the conference.

Steve is Senior Vice President, EMEA & APAC at Freshe Solutions, and holds the positions of Treasurer of Common Europe and Marketing Director of i-UG.

Catch the full interview in the video below:

In recent years, the i-Power conference has focused on AI and open source capabilities within the IBM i platform as well as interfacing data on POWER for AI purposes.

The theme for 2026? 

AI on IBM i has come of age. 

Day 1 (Tuesday): Workshop Day

• Features a mix of full-day and half-day workshops.
• Gala Dinner takes place in the evening.

Day 2 (Wednesday): Conference Day

• Features keynote presentations to the whole conference, individual conference sessions, networking, and refreshments.

Who should attend i-Power?

IBM i developers, System Administrators, IT leaders, or a mix of topics for all? 

Steve explains:

“We try and stream or section off different parts of the event for different audience members. Very much the first day, so that’s the Tuesday this year, is very much orientation around technical education. So by virtue of it being education and workshops, almost certainly that’s attracting a technical audience. The second day, with the IBM keynote, so what’s IBM roadmap look like? What are the AI solutions that IBM are working on? Everybody’s talking about Bob, so IBM Bob and how that’s going to revolutionise the way we develop software. All of those kind of topics draw in the decision makers, not just the technical teams”.

Those sessions at i-Power confirm what, to many IBM i shops, is the primary concern to the IBM i platform.

The growing skills gap. 

As we’ve explored in previous editions of the IBM i Update, our IT leaders and System Administrators in the IBM i community face a critical resource shortage. 

They’re often managing teams where developers are nearing retirement age.

This is the reality highlighted in the latest Fortra IBM i marketplace survey which highlights that as the number one concern for IBM i based businesses. 

This shortage of experienced RPG developers means business critical IBM i applications are at risk, leaving businesses in urgent need of reliable application support and continuity.

IBM’s Bob has been positioned as a developer assistant designed to help close this gap by enabling newer developers to gain understanding of so-called legacy code.

However, there is a potentially dangerous misunderstanding among some in the IBM i community.

Bob is an assistant for coding, it is NOT a modernisation solution for your entire IBM i application estate.

Steve points out in the interview that is not the tool to convert applications from RPG to another language or to eliminate years of legacy technical debt.

For that, you need skilled, experienced IBM i developer specialists.

“I don’t think there’s much of a shortage of kind of Java developers or open source knowledge,” comments Steve. 

He adds: “They’re all coming out of university, people with those kind of skills. The legacy RPG understanding is a little harder to teach. So maybe with something like Bob that helps us to understand the code. But a really critical point, if I may, is that Bob is very much a developer assistant, so a coding assistant. I think there’s a little misconception that Bob is somehow going to modernise your entire application or understand that entire application”

That’s not what IBM are trying to do with Bob. Bob is there to aid us as a developer.

It’s not there to kind of transform the entire application from one form of RPG to another, or RPG to Java, or whatever route you want to go. Bob’s not really the tool for that.”

For those of you who are interested in learning more about IBM Bob, i-Power has two full day workshops on Day 1 which delve into the possibilities further.

IBM AI: Bob & watsonx Orchestrate is split into a morning (Bob) and afternoon (watsonx) session. The morning includes hands-on demonstrations of some of the capabilities of Bob’s AI-powered Software Development assistant.

The afternoon focuses on IBM Agentic AI through watsonx.

In the other Bob-focused workshop, Carol Woodbury and Scott Forstie look at cyber security around the use of Bob with a demonstration of “the power of using IBM Bob for IBM i security tasks.

In addition, they’ll discuss the security safeguards and proper configurations you’ll want to consider when implementing AI.”

Register for i-Power 2026

You can register and see a complete schedule of events over the two-days through the i-UG website. With the packed itinerary, there’s bound to be something of interest for everyone.

The post What to expect at i-UG’s i-Power Conference 2026 appeared first on Proximity.

You can register for i-Power here. If you need insight into the workshops and sessions available, here is a summary of the agenda.

Open Source Development: Python and IBM i Made for Each Other

Presenter: Andy Youens, Owner, FormaServe

Andy Youens is a regular presenter at i-UG events as well as i-Power itself on the subject of open source and Python on IBM i.

Aimed at IBM i developers and IT professionals, this workshop looks at seamless integration of Python with IBM i. 

You’ll learn how Python combined with IBM i can enhance your applications and streamline workflows.

As well as exploring how Python and IBM i complement each other, you’ll also gain hands-on experience with accessing IBM i’s Db2 database and calling IBM i programs using Python.

• Introduction to Python and IBM i
• Setting Up the Environment
• Accessing Db2 for i with Python
• Calling and Using IBM i Programs
• Real-world Applications and Use Cases

Db2 and SQL Services for Everybody

Presenter: Birgitta Hauser, Database and Software Architect, IBM Champion since 2020

With the latest releases and technology refreshes IBM has provided a host of new IBM i and Db2 services bringing the total to around 300.

The majority of these services provide functionality that isn’t directly available in RPG or can only be implemented in RPG by calling complex System APIs and/or by using pointer handling for accessing the data.

However, IBM provides new SQL Services for all kinds of work management on IBM i. Started with PTF Information, replacements or enhancements for CL commands, object and access authorities, reading from and writing into the IFS, managing Spoolfiles, analyzing ILE Objects, generating spreadsheets, sending and retrieving data from data queues, and much more.

This workshop will show a sub-set of SQL and IBM Services which can easily be embedded in any programming language that supports SQL and, in this way, can make life much easier.

I will share the slides and also the SQL Scripts I will use in the sessions. But time will be too short so everybody can try the statements himself during the workshop.

At the end the attendees should know what services are available, how they can be found and how to use them.

So a lot of tasks or problems can be solved much easier and faster

Diving Deep into IBM i Security (Morning) and IBM i Security and SQL Mashup (Afternoon)

Presenter (morning): Carol Woodbury, IBM i Security SME and Senior Advisor, Kisco Systems

Presenter (afternoon): Scott Forstie, STSM, Db2 for i Architect, IBM

Morning Session – Diving Deep into IBM i Security (Carol Woodbury)

Renowned IBM i security expert, Carol Woodbury will be showing attendees how ‘Function Usage’ can add another layer of security to your IBM i.

Formerly ‘Application Administration’, Function Usage can be used to control Navigator for i, ACS and many operating tasks with its uses being expanded further in IBM i 7.5 and 7.6.

Carol will explain the history of Function Usage and explore ways to report on the settings, recent new functions and more.

Based on her extensive knowledge from her time as IBM i Security team leader, Carol will “provide an explanation of some security internals including how security affects performance, interesting tidbits about adopted authority, the history and why you should use the QUSEADPAUT system value, an explanation of validation lists and more”.

Afternoon Session – IBM i Security and SQL Mashup (Carol is joined by IBM’s Scott Forstie)

Joining Carol for the afternoon session will be IBM’s Scott Forstie. The focus in this session will be on new security-related SQL features.

Scott and Carol will “discuss ways to move from traditional (old) interfaces to new and improved security-related SQL views and services to more effectively manage your IBM i Security”.

There will be many examples of recent changes that show IBM’s commitment to being ‘secure by design’. They will also provide steps you can take with your own systems and applications.

Say Hello to Linux running under IBM i 

Presenter: Stefan Dufaye, Technical Consultant, Rowton IT

Rowton IT’s Stefan focuses on Linux on IBM i in this workshop. He will include a live demonstration of how to install Linux hosted by IBM i on Power Server. 

Attendees will get an opportunity to build their own Linux LPAR on the i-UG lab systems.

Stefan will also cover:

• Concepts of hosting with IBM i
• Considerations when selecting a Linux distro for use on the IBM i
• Configuring a Linux LPAR using IBM i as a host
• Installing and setup
• Use cases of your new LPAR.

What today’s RPG prototypes can do for you

Presenter: Susan Gantner, Partner, Partner400

In this session, Susan will delve into how much prototypes could be doing for you beyond simply replacing your old parm lists for program calls.

Following a brief overview of the basics, Susan will look at often-overlooked prototype features and some of the recent enhancements.

• Protect against parameter mis-matches
• Provide automatic conversion of parameter types and sizes
• Enable passing literals, built-in functions or function calls as parameters
• Allow you to specify optional parameters
• Enable you to call C functions and system APIs that return values.

If you’ve not used *Convert, *Exact and %Passed, Susan will show attendees examples of how much they can simplify their code.

Using Navigator for i and the SQL Services behind it

Presenter: Rudi van Helvoirt, Technical Director, van Helvoirt Beheer

Rudi will use this workshop to show attendees how to use Navigator for i as well as show how system administrators can use SQL functionality that’s “under the bonnet of Navigator for i”.

Processing & Creating JSON with RPG

Presenter: Jon Paris, Partner, Partner400

Jon has split his workshop into two parts.

Part 1 looks at the fundamentals of consuming and creating JSON in your RPG programs. He’ll explain what the “best” way for an RPG programmer to process JSON using the two main options:

• RPG’s native DATA-INTO and DATA-GEN combination

• and SQL’s JSON capabilities.

Part 2 goes beyond the basics to examine more ‘advanced’ features such as:

• Handling JSON names that don’t directly map to RPG names.

• Handling large JSON documents in pieces.

• Dealing with optional elements.

VS Code + IBM i: Tips, Tricks and Real Talk

Presenter: Richard Moulton, IBM i Developer, RM Software Services

If you’re using VS Code for IBM i development or thinking about it, then this session for you.

Richard will share real-world examples, tips, tricks, and the reasons why VS Code is becoming the go-to editor for modern IBM i development.

Day 2 of i-Power starts with a conference debate, hosted by Steve Cast (Practice Director, Common Europe Treasurer, IBM Champion, Fresche Solutions) on a very topical subject at the moment: Just When is AI Appropriate?

Attendees will then have a choice of various short sessions including Jon Paris who shares the very latest developments in RPG code. He’ll be covering:

• The new BIFs such as %CONCAT, %CONCATARR, %LEFT, %RIGHT, %HIVAL, and %LOVAL.
• New “enumeration” definition type.
•  Parameter testing via the new BIFs %PASSED and %OMITTED
• Enhancements to the %SPLIT BIF so you can now really handle CSVs.
• New variant of SELECT statement combined with WHEN-IS and WHEN-IN opcodes
• Automatic string conversion option tor parameters

Scott Forstie will then share the latest updates in Db2 for i including enhancements to SQL on i, SQL Query Engine, IBM i Services and more delivered in IBM i 7.6 and IBM i 7.5 Technology Refreshes.

Steve Cast then returns with Debbie Stiles, Systems Development Manager, Draper Tools to deliver an IBM i Modernisation Case Study. Debbie will explain how Draper Tools are “combining traditional and modern coding practices, alongside the agile approach we’re using to deliver change”. 

Susan Gartner will examine the various options available for coding RPG outside the traditional Green Screen, including RDi, VS Code for i and other modern modern IDEs.

Once again, Steve Cast will take to the podium to deliver a session on how to connect IBM Watson Assistant to IBM i / Db2 for i to link AI technology with your backend systems, securely and in real time. 

It is also worth mentioning that Proximity and Fresche are co-hosting a booth at the conference as well. By visiting the booth you’ll have an opportunity to meet Steve and Andy Nicholson, host of the IBM i Update, to discuss how both organisations can help you get the most from your IBM i applications.

There’s more about i-Power 2025 in Andy’s May 2025 edition of the IBM i Update, which includes an interview with Steve Cast.

The post i-UG i-Power Conference 2025 Agenda Highlights appeared first on Proximity.

For years, IT teams have struggled with complex IBM i code, limited visibility, and slow development and modernisation projects.

Traditional IBM i development tools weren’t built to keep pace with today’s evolving demands on the IBM i enterprise with manual analysis no longer enough. 

The good news? 

With the integration of AI into X-Analysis, Fresche Solutions is eliminating bottlenecks and bringing intelligence-driven insights to the IBM i developer community. 

Application documentation with X-Analysis

Andy Nicholson takes a deep dive into X-Analysis in this video – and there’s also a demonstration of the new AI feature in the video below:

X-Analysis itself has been supporting the IBM i community in application discovery and documentation for many years now.

It does this by building a repository of data on your IBM i landscape. 

X-Analysis could be considered as akin to an MRI scanner for your IBM i estate. It forensically analyses your RPG and COBOL application and provides insightful analysis documentation and graphical representations of your IBM i applications.

This not only helps you know what is where, but also supports the UNDERSTANDING of your IBM i enterprise.

While X-Analysis is unrivalled in its ability to extract and document your IBM i applications, this information was largely limited to experienced users. 

Now, powered by natural language processing and AI, the new X-Analysis lets you ask questions on your code – questions in plain English. 

‘What programs use this file?’ and get understandable answers, in a natural, conversational manner.

This opens up your IT resource. Not just for developers, but for Project Managers, Business Analysts — even C-levels. 

They can all get actionable insights from the same tool, without getting lost in the code.

Whether you’re tackling database redesigns, looking at an UI overhaul, or untangling a monolithic application, the AI-enabled X-Analysis will provide you with a clear, visual roadmap.

Look at it like getting a blueprint for your modernisation journey.

It’ll be like talking to a knowledgeable colleague. It’ll be comprehensive, understandable and quick. 

In fact, moving to their platform, in some cases, Fresche have recorded more than a 10x in response speeds against the legacy system.

Andy Nicholson, Proximity’s Sales Director, caught up with Steve Cast, Fresche’s newly appointed Practice Director, to discuss the new AI-powered X-Analysis product.

>> Watch the interview here

Steve explained that the new release of X-Analysis “will allow you to understand your RPG code and your DB2 for i database as you currently do within X-Analysis in a kind of graphical format but being able to ask intelligent questions of the AI agent that has been built into X-Analysis.”

One of the key benefits of the AI-enabled interface is making accessing information much faster and easier. 

“Rather than you having to know the right question to ask, and that’s what has always been the problem with X-Analysis, in that all the information is there in the repository but sometimes being able to find it, you’ve got to almost point and click and hope for the best” explained Steve. 

“The new AI enabled X-Analysis provides a much simpler interface. So, the same great repository information that X-Analysis has always built for us, but being able to interpret the information in a way that is more interactive and more intuitive for us to use.”

Steve also confirmed that the new release won’t be the only Fresche product that will be treated to a new UI and be AI-enabled:

“This is the direction of travel for Fresche Solutions. We’re making sure we AI-enable the tooling that we have. So I think you can probably guess that X-Analysis is not the only tool that’s going to be AI enabled – there’s more to come on that.  I’ve seen sneak previews of our AI enablement of some of those other tools. 

“Testing would be an obvious one to be looking at. Watch this space!”

Fresche’s AI-enhanced X-Analysis stands as a significant advancement in IBM i application discovery and understanding. 

It offers IBM i shops a smarter, faster, and more accessible path to support and modernise their legacy systems.

Contact us to learn more about the new AI-enabled X-Analysis

Interested in reading more about X-Analysis?

These articles will be of interest for learning more about X-Analysis’ IBM i application documentation and code analysis capabilities.

The post New UI added to an AI-enabled X-Analysis appeared first on Proximity.

This year’s survey is the 11th that Fortra has released. Each one offers a comprehensive and valuable insight into the state of the IBM i ecosystem year-by-year.

Andy Nicholson has covered previous releases in his IBM i Update (which you can subscribe to on LinkedIn). 

He gave an indepth summary of this year’s results in the January IBM i Update.

Andy caught up with Mike Davison to discuss the survey results. 

Mike is one of Fortra’s Product Managers and is the EMEA Power Systems Support Team Lead. 

He’s also a current IBM Champion.

If you’d like to watch the full interview, you can access it on YouTube here or simply press play:

Read the transcript below

Andy Nicholson: Let’s jump straight into it. What do you see as the most significant takeaway from this year’s IBM i marketplace survey?

Michael Davison: Astoundingly there is a record high of 96% satisfaction in the platform. So, that message is getting across that the IBM i is reliable, scalable and is the platform that gives a great ROI for customers. 

Also cyber security and the IBM i skills issues have been consistently at the top for the last five years and I think they’re the main concerns for customers.

Andy Nicholson: Quite right. But were there any surprises?

Michael Davison: Not really any surprise of sort but in line with the findings of the report in that there is a 96% satisfaction with the platform and the percentage of those planning to increase their IBM i footprint has jumped from 12 to 20%, an 8% increase from the previous year.

Andy Nicholson: Yet there are still misconceptions about its relevance. Do you think perceptions of the IBMI are changing? And if so, how?

Michael Davison: I’ve been hearing for decades that people were going to move off this platform because it’s old and it’s outdated. And I consistently hear that message today that it’s an old platform especially from CIOs who are wanting to move off it because they don’t understand it. 

I do believe that message is starting to get through that the IBM i remains relevant.  It’s reliable, scalable, modern and consistently gets better with each iteration from 8 to 9 to 10 to next… We’re seeing it outperforming Windows and Linux on x86based processors. So, I do believe I’m seeing a change in that the message is getting through.

Andy Nicholson: I agree, It’s a modern platform. These misconceptions need to change…

Michael Davison: Yes people see the old green on black and say, “well, that’s old.” But no, let’s have a look at some of the modern GUIs and web pages that are running on IBM i.

Andy Nicholson: Absolutely. And you can marry the two together, have the best of both. Wonderful, beautiful GUIs with that wonderful transactional, safe platform in the background.

Michael Davison: Absolutely. Modernisation, that’s the key.

Andy Nicholson: Security, it’s always been consistently a top concern for IBM i users.  Have you noticed any shifts in how companies are addressing security challenges compared to previous years?

Michael Davison: Malware and ransomware have consistently been a huge concern, especially in the last five years. 

I’ve noticed most companies as a matter of compliance are inevitably deploying software to protect things like exit points on the IBM i and antivirus to prevent the inevitable ransomware attacks because it’s not a case of ‘if’ it’s always a case of ‘when’.  

When working with my customers I’m seeing much better security practices than I did last year and the year before. Things like 2FA and MFA being used.

Removing the use of the QSECOFR account. Deploying authority broker type software so people work with their minimum privileges and then, for additional security, accounts should be selectively elevated to do those system administration tasks.

So, I’m seeing a better security posture all round and that’s really good news.

Andy Nicholson: With compliance requirements like DORA emerging, how well prepared do you think IBM i shops are for evolving regulatory demands?

Michael Davison: A lot of IBM i customers are financial houses and banks. Why? Because it’s a stable, reliable platform.  

Of course, these are heavily regulated industries. So, for things like DORA need to be addressed. 

This is why we see security being the top concern (at 77%) for customers. Now, they’ll say, “Yeah, they’re a pain.” And “We’ve got to do this.”, but it’s a cost of doing business these days. 

Thankfully, nothing IBM i specific but something that IBM i is good at.

In general, customers have a hand on it and they’re employing people specifically to look at these regulations. I’m seeing more and more people in my line of work referring back to their security and compliance teams all the time.

Andy Nicholson: Something you alluded to a little earlier. Ransomware and cyber threats are evolving rapidly. Have you seen an increase in IBM i specific attacks and what proactive steps should organisations take to strengthen their defences? 

Michael Davison: IBM i is not secure but it’s securable. 

It’s down to the customer to ensure that security is there.  

Thankfully, people don’t write viruses for IBM i and it would be exceedingly difficult to do so we’ve seen nothing along those lines at all. 

However, we have seen an increase in ransomware attacks on the IFS through net server shares and that’s pretty much the main way that affects the IBM i, including systems being completely bricked because there was a rewrite share to the root file system and the ransomware attack wiped out QSIS.LIB and there’s no coming back from that except by a tape or offline backup. 

So, you can take simple steps. If you can, get rid of those net server read/write shares. 

If you can’t, make them read only. 

Thankfully, there is software available to help you block those ransomware attacks. Fortra makes some, and there are other companies that make it as well. 

I highly recommend a business to invest in these areas.

And then there are things like monitoring your exit points. Again, use some software to stop entry into the system. Don’t use the QSECOFR account.

All these sort of standard security things we can take to strengthen our defences.

Andy Nicholson: Good advice. The survey shows that modernisation remains a priority for many IBM i users. What are your thoughts on what the biggest roadblocks companies face when modernising their systems? 

Michael Davison: It’s the attitude of the people holding the purse strings which is the biggest roadblock in my opinion. 

Us techies and middle managers need to become eloquent enough to argue the case of why the IBM i on power is a modern platform and advocate for modernisation of the applications rather than replacing it with Linux on x86. 

If customers have already invested in the Power platform which gives a great ROI, why swap out and go through that whole process when you can simply modernise?

We need to become better at advocating for the platform and ensuring that message gets through to those people who are saying this is quite expensive and it looks really old. 

So, let’s get rid of it and say no, it’s actually a really, really modern platform – we just need to modernise our applications.

Andy Nicholson: Another big trend is cloud adoption and it’s been steadily increasing. Do you see a shift towards hybrid cloud strategies or are companies still hesitant about moving workloads off premises?

Michael Davison: According to the survey, the trend of moving to cloud has slowed and I think this is due to customers wanting to retain control of their own systems. 

I suspect the issues of moving to the cloud all look good in principle. We don’t have to worry about the kit or the hardware. Our MSP is going to look after and upgrade all of that.  But when you get there, you’re tied into that service provider for however long your contract is. 

And, if that service ends up not being as good as you like, what do you do? 

You either have to buy out or you have to wait to the end, and then you’ve got to lift and shift to somewhere else to another cloud provider and that brings a whole lot of hassle.

Also the servers, we all know the cloud is just someone else’s machine in another location. and it could be in a completely different geographic location. 

If you’ve got network issues across the internet, then it’s out of your hands to get fixed. And if you’re losing access to your application because you’re in the cloud then that’s a major problem for people.  And I think people are hesitant about what’s been going on to be honest.

Andy Nicholson: I can see that myself. And another thing that I can see is an aging workforce and, as a result, a growing skills gap. These have been longstanding issues in the IBM i community. Do you think companies are making progress in attracting and training the next generation of IBM i professionals?

Michael Davison: IBM i skills are in high demand and no I do not think we are doing enough. 

We need to get the message across that IBM i is a great platform to work on and a good career can be made on the IBM i.  

I’ve been telling youngsters that if you work on IBM i, you should never be out of work. 

You look at Windows and Linux, which are dead easy to learn. People have Windows machines at home, you can download Windows Server, you can download Linux, you can learn all of that at home and teach yourself. So there’s a vast quantity of people who have those skills.

Are they any good? Hey, I always used to joke that Windows engineers are 10 a penny. But IBM i skills are scarce because it’s not so well known and again it’s about that message. If you have those IBM i skills, you’ll never be out of work because people are in high demand. 

It’s nice to see youngsters come through, and I’ve seen their excitement for the platform when speaking to them at the Common Europe Congress for the last five years and that’s absolutely fabulous.

Andy Nicholson: Emerging technologies are evolving quickly, how do you see IBM i fitting into their broader IT landscape over the next decade.

Michael Davison: It’ll continue to be a reliable and stable platform. In my opinion, it’s what we call a, ‘steady eddy’ and that’s what the customers need.  

Banks, manufacturing, supply chain, they need technology that is reliable and stable and that’s what IBM i on Power gives – consistency, reliability, good return on investment and technology advances which IBM continue to deliver.  

So it’s going to fit into the IT landscape over the next decade for sure.

Andy Nicholson: And finally, based on this year’s survey results, what advice would you give to IBM i users looking to future proof their system and stay competitive for the next 5 to 10 years?

Michael Davison: That’s a really easy question and the answer is to stay current. 

Technology changes all the time. So, I’ve been in this industry for over 35 years and we all know the technology develops continually and upgrading is a cost of doing business. 

So, you have to accept that and have that rolling program to ensure you patch your system regularly to prevent vulnerabilities and get upgrades to the latest OS. 

We know that IBM i Next is just around the corner.

So, upgrade your operating system. Get the new hardware when the ROI on your existing hardware starts to diminish. And, in the long term, it’s cheaper to maintain and upgrade than to face a massive OS jump that might take two or three jumps.

Andy Nicholson: Terrific advice.

Michael Davison: Stay current is the message.

About Fortra

Fortra is a specialist provider of cyber security software products and managed security services to enterprises across the globe.

Their product portfolio includes a range of applications for businesses running IBM i systems.

Be sure to follow Fortra on LinkedIn.

Want to read more about the IBM i Marketplace Results…

The post A review of the Fortra IBM i Marketplace Survey appeared first on Proximity.

The agenda will be mirrored at the South conference, which takes place on 13th March at IBM’s office on York Road, London.

i-UG is the official representative of COMMON Europe. It is the largest independent IBM i user group in the UK.

Find more information on the agenda and register for the North and South events through the i-UG website. 

Attendees at both events will be able to enjoy refreshments as they register from 9:15am until 10am.

At that point, Mike Ryan, Steve Bradshaw, Colin Spofford and Steve Cast will provide an update and ‘state of the nation’ keynote.

David Spurway, IBM’s Global Principal for IBM Power, will present a 40-minute session on Hybrid AI for IBM i. He will be joined by Jay Diamond. He is the IBM Power Technical Sales Manager for EMEA. Doug Wilson will also join him. Doug is the Technical Sales Manager at IBM.

From 12:05pm, Mike Ryan, the Chairman of i-UG, will present a session about AI. The session is called: “Keep your Secrets… (AI running natively on YOUR Power server)” which may, or may not, include reference to Linux.

According to the event agenda, this session is summarised as follows:

“As much of the world is now recognising, the risk of giving away your companies Unique Selling Points – Your Intellectual Property – to a cloud based AI can send shivers up any CEO’s spine.

So, how can you get the benefits of incredibly powerful and focussed AI without going outside your network with your incredibly precious data?  

Simple, just run it on your existing Power server!

We will cover the strategic position on operating this way and, at a high level –  walk through the process of setting up the environment, creating your models and even running image recognition and analysis across the model… all on Power.”

The first session after lunch is called “i-Chi: Thinking differently about IBM i SysAdmin.” It is presented by the entertaining and knowledgeable Steve Bradshaw, who is the Technical Director of i-UG.

This session is summarised as follows:

“It is about thinking differently about IBM i System Management, embracing new ideas, automating processes and monitoring, using IBM i functions in ACS, Nav4i, ARE, IBM i Services, Integrating IBM i SysAdmin with other platforms and reducing your reliance on the 5250 command line.

In this session Steve provides practical examples of how to do this that you can start to use today on your systems using tools that are free to use, already installed on your systems and all without the use of the 5250 green screen.”

After a short afternoon break, the last session of the conference will be presented by Andy Youens. He is the Managing Director of FormaServe. The session is called “Simplify your IBM i: Three Must Have Open Source Utilities and How to Use Them.”

In this season, Andy will help you improve your IBM i. He will show you three easy-to-use, affordable, open-source tools. 

Andy has been in our IBM i Updates before. He discussed modern IBM i development languages and using Python on IBM i.

AI and its use on IBM i is certainly a topical subject at the moment. We included how ChatGPT can be used for creating RPG free and fixed code in a previous IBM i Update.

If you’re attending either event, be sure to seek out Andy Nicholson, the host of the IBM i Update. He can be contacted at andy.nicholdon[@]proximity.co.uk.

The post AI & Open Source on IBM i dominates i-UG Conference Agenda appeared first on Proximity.

In my case (and that of the IBM i community as a whole), I’m very much looking forward to 2025.

I’ll be doing more reports on popular subjects within the community [ask for their input] and featuring all the main events across the IBM i world. I will also be interviewing a number of industry leaders as special guests.

If you’ve got any specific subjects you’d like me to feature in 2025, or you’d like to be interviewed as a special guest, please don’t hesitate to drop me an email to andy.nicholson[@]proximity.co.uk.

I’m also very interested in your general feedback on the updates and how I can improve them for you, the reader (or watcher… or both).

Finally, you can subscribe to the IBM i Updates via LinkedIn where you could join the 495 people currently subscribing. 

Will you be the 500th? Or 1000th?

Looking specifically at the IBM i Updates last year, November and December’s edition was the eighteenth in total spanning all the way back to the first which was published in February 2023.

I’ve summarised all eighteen of them further down in this article so you can quickly see what each one is about and can navigate to any you might be interested in.

In terms of 2024, the three most ‘popular’ updates (based on impressions) were:

1. May 2024: which included an interview with COMMON Vice Chairman, Torbjörn Appehl
2. June 2024: which featured a report on COMMON’s event in Milan and another look at AI within the IBM i ecosystem
3. August 2024: which focused a little on IBM i security and could Cloudstrike happen on our beloved platform as well as a little defence of IBM i as an outsourcing business questioned if it was still worth investing in IBM i.

All your IBM i Updates so far

November and December 2024 IBM i Update

The final update of 2024, I take a trip to i-UG’s final event of the year with a look at IBM i Code Assistant with Douglas Gibbs, plus comments on the rumours circling about POWER 11 and a celebration of 65 years of COBOL. 

October 2024 IBM i Update

October’s IBM i Update is a PHP on IBM i special with interviews with Alan Seiden and Pete Samways sparked by an article published on IT Jungle entitled ‘What’s New on PHP’.

September 2024 IBM i Update

This month, Andy scores with an #IBMi Ready badge, provides his predictions for the 2025 Fortra IBM i Marketplace Survey and speaks with the guys over at Silent Signal on their recent IBM i ethical hacking presentation.

August 2024 IBM i Update

This month, Outsourcing company DDC asked the question, ‘is it worth continuing to invest in IBM i’, could Cloudstrike happen on IBM i? And, the latest PTF guide.

July 2024 IBM i Update

Andy reports on the iUG i-Power conference in Northampton and interviews Andy Youens to discuss the use of Python on IBM i (and a bit of PHP and Node.js too).

June 2024 IBM i Update

I tell you about your last chance to be part of the ALL400s community IBM i survey, a report from COMMON Milan and we discover the wonders of AI with Charlie Guarino and friends.

May 2024 IBM i Update

I share the announcement of a native IBM i coding assistant by Steve Will, a preview of COMMON Europe with COMMON Vice Chairman, Torbjörn Appehl plus… a dalliance with AS/400 by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.

March/April 2024 IBM i Update

This month, I’m at the i-UG event in London and investigate modern development languages with IBM i Champion, Andy Youens. We take a walk with Spot the robot dog and learn why keeping everything on i makes sense for your data.

February 2024 IBM i Update

I review the Fortra 2024 IBM i Marketplace Survey and (in under six minutes) compare the results to the previous year.

January 2024 IBM i Update

I discuss articles focusing on the top priorities for IBM i shops in the coming year, plus some predictions from industry leaders too including Ash Giddings, Donnie Maccol, Steve Will and Brian May [not that one].

December 2023 IBM i Update

This month I discuss the announcement of Alison Butterill’s retirement. I have an article on the ageing ‘COBOL cowboys’ and how to support their legacy of code. And finally, as it’s Christmas, I give festive wishes too (plus a glimpse of the Proximity Christmas doo!]

November 2023 IBM i Update

And I’m at the i-UG conference in Wolverhampton.  Here, I look at the highlights from the event including their education initiative and the keynote speech on AI for business.

October 2023 IBM i Update

This month, I explore ‘culture before code’, The opening of the IBM i Marketplace Survey, Announcements of IBM i 7.5 TR3 & 7.4 TR9 and discuss the rise of the subscription model and if it’s right for your IBM i shop.

June 2023 IBM i Update

This month, as a change of pace, I provide a review and ‘quick’ insight into what it’s like to attend both the i-UG Power event in the UK plus COMMON Europe, this year hosted in Prague… oh, and there’s also the small matter of a 35th birthday too.

May 2023 IBM i Update

This month, I discuss the latest technology refresh, performance gains in Power 10, some (more) facts on modernisation and IBM replacing roles with robots!

April 2023 IBM i Update

This month, I review the most popular Generative AI program, chatGPT and discussed what it can do, its coding capabilities, how we can harness this and how it can change what we do.

March 2023 IBM i Update

This month was all about the value derived from IBM i and its superior cost of ownership – to the extent that it could possibly be CHEAPER to purchase a new Power 10 than renewing support on your incumbent machine (if you’re on a Power 8 or lower)

February 2023 IBM i Update

I review and summarise the highlights from this year’s Fortra IBM i Market Place survey, and it’s once again all about security and modernisation…

The post Another year of IBM i Updates appeared first on Proximity.

• System administration
• Responding to user and management requirements
• Maintaining, supporting and developing the applications that run (and drive) their business.

But, there’s one thing that we find is not looked at regularly enough is the protocols and procedures they’ve set up have been in place for years – and despite a moving cyber security landscape – have not been touched since.

And that is a huge concern.

Indeed, this is backed by the latest IBM i Market Survey as compiled by FORTRA.

For the seventh year running cyber security continues to be THE top concern within the IBM i enterprise.

But why?

The IBM i is a safe platform, right?

And, despite the viruses and other malware threats, the IBM i is impervious?

Well, while the architecture of the IBM i makes it less likely that a virus could be written for it than more mainstream platforms, unfortunately, there are always security fault lines in every business and flaws that can be exploited in every architecture.

There are many risks to address but to start, the following top five issues and concerns will give you a good start in addressing your IBM i security requirements.

Access Privileges 

Too many IBM i enterprises offer too many users too much authority. This means that there could be employees in your organisation that have access to all your database files and objects – they can access, share and even wipe pretty much everything on your server.

Now is the time to review and evaluate your users profiles and privileges. Standardise role based authorities and keep track of who has access to what and adjust these privileges based upon necessity.

Unsupported OS

Time is always ticking on supported versions of operating systems and while IBM does a better job than most for extending support for older versions of OS, it is inevitable that it will become unsupported.

Having an outdated version of the OS allows for system vulnerability as upgrades and security patches are no longer released. Indeed, if you do run into trouble, help and support for older operating systems may no longer be available. It is therefore imperative that you stay on a supported OS and apply patches as they become available.

Multi-Factor Authentication

As remote working becomes more prevalent and with the vulnerabilities high-privileged administration access can bring, it is more important than ever to introduce Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to the enterprise.

This extra layer of security ensures that only the people who have access to the system, have access to the system – even should their credentials be leaked or compromised.

IBM i security is a ‘Broad Church’

The cyber security landscape continues to change and threats are multifaceted.

While traditional protections provide a protective blanket, more is needed to make your IBM i truly secure. In addition to Firewalls and anti-virus protections, the modern IBM i enterprise should also look at exit point management, profile management, multi-factor authentication and, as an added contingency, high availability and attack recovery procedures.

Thankfully, when it comes to IBM i security, there are lots of options.

However, when looking for solutions in this area, do make sure they’re IBM i specific and the provider has the relevant IBM i expertise to advise and implement the best security solution for your business.

The Key Is: Be Prepared

Should the worst happen, you need to have a response plan in place.

This differs from your disaster recovery plan in that there’s a need to understand the threat you’re facing, how to stop it and implement the best strategy to restore the compromised elements in a timely and safe manner.

For example, cyber theft of personal data would have a different response and levels of communication to that of a denial-of-service attack.

Plan a process for each scenario including levels of communication and requirements/actions for each stakeholder.

The post IBM i Security – The Top Issues and Concerns in 2023 appeared first on Proximity.

With Cyber Security being the top concern for IBM i professionals for the sixth year running, Andy Nicholson talks through some foundations you can build for better Cyber Security on your IBM i (AS40/ iSeries) systems. And below the video, you’ll be able to book yourself a FREE security assesment of your IBM i to make sure your system is well protected against cyber threats.

Watch our video below to:

Understand the foundations for building a more secure IBM i and learn how to better protect yourself against: Malware, Phishing, Ransomware and Inside Threats/Credential Abuse.

The post Cyber Security & Foundations for a More Secure IBM i appeared first on Proximity.