System iNetwork

IT Management/Careers

February 8, 2010

Northeast User Groups Conference Celebrates Its 20th

If you live in the lovely northeastern U.S., home to one of my favorite authors and favorite, sustainable ice cream makers, you're in for a treat (not ice cream, unfortunately). The Northeast User Groups Conference (NEUGC), the largest IBM i (Power Systems, iSeries, AS/400) conference in the Northeast, is celebrating its 20th anniversary conference April 12-14 at the Sheraton Hotel in Framingham, Mass. NEUGC is a consortium of eight IBM i-centric user groups in the Northeast from Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

The Northeast User Groups Conference provides IBM i education and training for a basic $500 conference fee, which includes two days of 80 breakout sessions and hands-on lab experience. There also will be a vendor exposition, and meals are included in the conference fee. The breakout sessions will cover the latest IBM i announcements, RPG, programming tools, database (including SQL and DB2 Web Query), systems management, security, upgrades, tuning, backup and recovery, web development (web services, PHP and Java) and a management and professional development track. Speakers include IBM's George Farr, Dawn May, Tracy Smith, and Dave Taylor, as well as John Earl, Jon Paris, Susan Gantner, Skip Marchesani, Scott Klement, Pete Massiello, Dennis McCarth, and John Valance from the i community. For an additional charge the conference also offers in-depth workshop labs on the first day. You can register online at the NEUGC website: neugc.org.

--Rita-Lyn Sanders, Senior Industry Editor

Posted by rsanders on February 8, 2010 at 7:50 AM | Comments (0)

January 6, 2010

RPG & DB2 Summit Offers Chance for One-on-Ones With Instructors

A new aspect of the upcoming RPG & DB2 Summit got me thinking about one of the highlights of my journalism career. During a journalism conference sponsored by The Seattle Times, I had the chance to meet with a Times reporter who gave me feedback on the articles I had entered in a writing competition. I hung on her every word and it was exhilarating for a cub reporter like me.

So I was pretty excited when I heard that the RPG & DB2 Summit is offering attendees one-on-one consultations with speakers during the event's conference hours March 23-25 at the Sheraton Fort Worth Hotel and Spa in Texas. Since the Summit caters to IBM i development professionals who want to upgrade their skills related to RPG IV, embedded SQL, SQL tuning, DB2, ILE, PHP, and Web technologies, meeting an instructor could be pretty inspiring.

I'll never forget the encouragement the Seattle Times reporter gave me--a rookie--nor the praise she had for my writing. I was motivated, to say the least.

Sure, times aren't the same as they were 15 years ago, but the encouragement, training, and even constructive criticism a peer can deliver goes a long way in motivating you to new heights. It might be a suggestion to try a tool you never thought about checking out or to look into a PHP help website you really know you should investigate. Or perhaps a recommendation for a book to read or class to take. Whatever comes out of the chat, though, will likely invigorate rather than dampen your mental spirit.

And with mentors like Susan Gantner, Jon Paris, Paul Tuohy, Skip Marchesani, Scott Klement, Mike Cain, Kent Milligan, Barbara Morris, and Aaron Bartell delivering presentations, you'll likely leave the conference with a renewed enthusiasm for everything IBM i related. These folks wax lyrical on career development.

The one-on-one consultations are free to attendees. They can be ad-hoc discussions directly after a session, between sessions, or during breaks or meals, or they can be scheduled directly with any of the speakers for a specific time of mutual convenience during conference hours. Attendees simply approach the speaker(s) of their choice with their questions or their request for a meeting time. They don't have to sign up anywhere in advance.

The event is organized by System i Developer, a consortium of four educators, and it's sponsored by my publication, SystemiNetwork.com, as well as IBM Systems Magazine and MC Press Online. Registration costs $995 ($895 for Summit Alumni) until February 12, and then goes up to $1,295 from February 13-March 5.

You can get more information about the RPG & DB2 Summit at systemideveloper.com, email registration@systemideveloper.com or call 802-496-3397.

--Rita-Lyn Sanders, Senior Industry editor

Posted by rsanders on January 6, 2010 at 7:46 AM | Comments (0)

November 17, 2009

IT Recruiters and Managers on Hiring and Interview Best Practices

While there's a wealth of information available on general hiring tips (e.g., résumé building, how to interview, etc.), there seems to be a real shortage of relevant hiring information specific to IT. With this in mind, I set out to build a somewhat definitive collection of information for IT pros either out of work or new to the field. I've conducted interviews with a half-dozen specialists in the field, including recruiters, hiring managers, and even one IT guy currently looking for work. (Plus I've received messages through email and Twitter from a handful of people with tips and best practices.)

Below are links to the four-part series I wrote on this topic.

Notes from the Hiring Table, Part 1 - In this first article, I share thoughts from one consulting firm on some of the common practices they use in interviews, such as tricks and traps they set for candidates.

Notes from the Hiring Table, Part 2: The Recruiter Perspective - This article drills deep into the thought process of one of the top recruiters at an IT staffing firm. Learn exactly how recruiters view candidates, plus how you can move from the "no" pile to the "yes" pile.

Notes from the Hiring Table, Part 3: Crafting the Ultimate Résumé Weapon - Articles about résumé building might be overdone and fraught with the same old same old, but I assure you that this piece takes a fresh perspective. In this article I look at the four steps/individuals you need to pass through to get a job—the computer/keyword screening, the recruiter, the HR rep, and the hiring manager—and tell you how to build a resume that can pass all these tests.

Notes from the Hiring Table, Part 4: Become the Ultimate Employee - This article comprises analysis on my part and answers the question: "What 5 skills do you need to have to succeed?"

I hope you enjoy this series—feel free to send me an email if you have any questions or concerns.

Brian Reinholz, training & certification editor

Posted by lharty on November 17, 2009 at 1:10 PM | Comments (0)

October 22, 2009

COMMON Lures Early Registrants with Conference Discount

COMMON is proving it's never too early to think spring with a $200 early-bird registration discount for its 2010 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Orlando. The COMMON flagship conference will be held May 3-6 at the Hilton Orlando and marks the organization's 50th anniversary.

COMMON is offering the $200 early-bird discount through December 31. You can get the discount by using the DECO discount code during online registration at common.org/annualmeeting.

The Annual Meeting spans four days with more than 300 in-depth IBM i and AIX educational sessions, including pre-conference workshops, seminars, labs, and a variety of classes. The Expo features more than 80 exhibitors, including IBM.

--Rita-Lyn Sanders, Senior Industry Editor

Posted by rsanders on October 22, 2009 at 5:19 PM | Comments (0)

October 16, 2009

IBM Finds Smart Business Offerings in the Cloud

IBM has been on a cloud roll of sorts, introducing service after service in a cloud computing frenzy. And with IBM itself admitting that it's shifting to become a high-margin services company, I doubt the cloud computing era is going to end (until, of course, the next "it" phrase comes along).

Even Joe Developer has given IBM the thumbs up signal in the cloud computing space. A survey conducted by Evans Data Corp on developers' perceptions of the major players in the cloud computing space revealed that IBM is the company that developers think of as having the best ability to execute in the private cloud setting, while Google is strongest for the public cloud.

The September survey measured 400 developers' perceptions of the leading vendors, including Amazon, Microsoft, AT&T, Rackspace, VMware, Sun, and HP, among others. The developers answered questions about adoption, adoption intentions, completeness of offering, and ability to execute along with capabilities such as security, scalability, low latency, reliability, no vendor lock-in, and cost-to-value ratio. Developers also positioned the vendors as better suited to either public or private cloud offerings.

IBM's Smart Business Cloud
To briefly summarize, here are a few of the cloud technologies IBM has announced are available:

• Perhaps the most interesting to me, because I used to cover Lotus technologies, is IBM's hosted email solution, LotusLive iNotes. The new email service delivers cloud computing technology with a focus on reliability, privacy, and security with a price tag starting at $3 per user, per month. The solution works with Lotus Notes and Microsoft Exchange or can operate as a standalone program.
• IBM announced in August the Smart Business Desktop Cloud subscription service, which enables end users with network-attached PCs and certain other devices the ability to access applications and data through a centrally managed computing environment. The solution provides virtual desktop computing resources and a logical, rather than a physical, method of access to data, computing power, storage capacity, and other resources. This service requires no upfront capital or onetime expense and is designed to provide enhanced levels of security, resiliency, reliability, and quality for virtual desktops.
• Back in June IBM announced the Smart Business cloud portfolio, which automates technology and provides self-service to specific digital tasks like software development and testing, desktop and device management, and collaboration.
• Just last week IBM announced its intention to enter the cloud storage space with the Smart Business Storage Cloud, a private cloud offering that uses low-cost components in a true, scale-out clustered model not offered by its competition. Hallmarks of the solution include support for multiple petabytes of capacity, billions of files, and scale-out performance previously limited to the largest "high performance computing" systems, IBM says.

Who Benefits?
I mentioned the cloud computing hubbub to Chris Maxcer, and he suggested it's like leasing an automobile: Companies like IBM are looking for ways to continuously get money out of their customers. In the cloud computing method, a customer pays for continuous service or resources (such as data storage) that it doesn't outright own, and therefore must keep paying if it wants to continue to use those services. Sure, the company owns the data, but it doesn't own the infrastructure (which is in the cloud) and manpower that is supporting that data. And then there's always the question of security (which I've mentioned before).

Perhaps cloud computing is bad for the potential employee who doesn't have a job because his or her work has been "outsourced" to the cloud, but then, someone has to be working at the company providing the cloud services.

And for some companies, perhaps they don't have the resources to support a back-end infrastructure on their own. I have a friend in the Pacific Northwest (a single mom, no less) who just started her own vineyard and is crushing her first harvest as I write this. She doesn't have the resources to purchase the costly computing equipment that it might take to keep her compliant with the regulations of producing, marketing, and selling her Gamay Noir wine varieties. So a package of cloud-based business applications that she can use over the Internet and simply log in to would be a great option.

And then there are some shops that will likely maintain their data on IBM i, but perhaps go to the cloud for email or other business applications.

--Rita-Lyn Sanders, Senior Industry Editor

Posted by rsanders on October 16, 2009 at 5:33 PM | Comments (1)

September 8, 2009

COMMON Stimulates Conference Attendance with Savings Package

With the rise and fall of so many statistics like unemployment and consumer confidence, it's difficult to know when this economic roller coaster might straighten out. But COMMON is doing its part to help and boost attendance at its educational events.

COMMON is offering members an “Economic Stimulus Package” that provides a discount on both its Directions/Focus conference event next week in Indianapolis and the 2010 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Orlando come next May.

Folks who attend the Directions/Focus 2009 conference will enjoy a 50 percent discount if they also attend the annual meeting, where they'll save $200 off the registration. And the offer also is valid if two people from the same company attend the two different conferences so that each person will get the appropriate conference discount. Participants must register by September 14. You can get more information online.

--Rita-Lyn Sanders, Senior Industry editor

Posted by rsanders on September 8, 2009 at 5:26 PM | Comments (0)

July 27, 2009

Next RPG & DB2 Summit Set for October 13-15

System i Developer has announced its next RPG & DB2 Summit conference dates and location: October 13-15, 2009 at the Sofitel in Minneapolis. In a year that finds many conference organizers cutting back, System i Developer says it's planning a full conference program of four tracks spanning three full days, plus a fourth day of optional Headstart Seminars. The curriculum focuses exclusively on topics of interest to RPG and DB2 development professionals.

System i Developer is a consortium led by four i-focused partners: Susan Gantner, Jon Paris, Paul Tuohy, and Skip Marchesani.

In addition, the conference boasts some additional expert speakers: Scott Klement, Barbara Morris, Mike Cain, Kent Milligan, Bruce Vining, and Aaron Bartell.

"Once again, we're fortunate to have our favorite gurus working with us," Paris says. "Each of these individuals adds a unique dimension to the Summit, and we have a great time together. The dynamics create a fantastic environment for teaching and for learning."

He adds, "With many IT departments facing budget and staff cuts, it is even more critical for developers to stay up-to-date and improve their personal productivity. We try to do our part by inviting the best speakers in the industry and by making the Summit affordable."

Full disclosure: The RPG & DB2 Summit is sponsored by System iNetwork, in addition to IBM Systems Magazine.

System i Developer says it has significantly updated its agenda for 2009, focusing on practical, in-depth, use-it-today tips and techniques on topics ranging from RPG IV to SQL to modernizing program architecture as well as user interfaces. The four optional half-day Headstart Seminars on Monday, October 12 focus on SQL, PHP, Subprocedures and Service Programs, and HTML/Javascript/CSS for RPG developers.

Attendees can add seminars to their conference registration at $215 for one seminar or $295 for two. Early registration rates are $995 ($895 for Alumni) through August 31. Attendees can book rooms at the Sofitel for $99 a night.

For more information, check out http://www.systemideveloper.com.

Posted by cmaxcer on July 27, 2009 at 10:16 AM | Comments (0)

May 13, 2009

LISUG Offers Annual May Education Day for IBM i Enthusiasts on Long Island

Easterners looking for a bit of education to pump up the volume on their resumes have the opportunity to attend a full day of IBM i sessions during the Long Island System Users Group's (LISUG) Annual May Education Day on May 20. Attendees also will have the opportunity to network with retired IBMer Dr. Frank Soltis, the "father" of AS/400 technology, and attend a vendor exposition.

The event features four educational tracks: IBM i (RPG and the Web, RPG and the IFS, pattern to Good ILE with RPG, Accessing External Databases from the Web); Web Technologies (.NET, PHP Lab, The "Hows and Whys" of Virtualization-as-a-Service); Project Management (PMI and PMP, MS Project, PMBOK Project Metrics, Avoiding Confrontation); Career Advancement (Personal Workflow Management, Resumes and Interviewing, Positive Speaking).

LISUG says on its website that it has expanded the event this year to include topics beyond IBM i and RPG because it "has recognized that the focus is not only on enhancing your current technology skills, but also on retaining your current position and/or preparing for the next opportunity. This means learning how to 'market' yourself, finding opportunities, and improving your personal 'value equation.'"

Annual May Education Day will be held at the Melville Marriott in Melville, N.Y. The cost to attend the sessions is $100 for LISUG members, $125 for non-members, and $50 for students. More information is available at lisug.org.

--Rita-Lyn Sanders, Senior Industry Editor

Posted by rsanders on May 13, 2009 at 9:45 AM | Comments (0)

April 23, 2009

IBM i-Friendly Skills Appear on Hot List

You may be a bit down in the dumps as of late, wondering how your IBM i skills, which you've coveted your entire career until the last few years, are going to translate into future job potential.

But trust me, baby, you've got SKILZ!

Okay, so don't trust me; but according to Foote Partners, which tracks IT salaries and certifications from sunny Florida, virtualization is a hot skill right now.

Third down on Foote Partners' new Hot List of IT skills, in fact, right behind Java (gulp!) and Linux on the non-certified side. Microsoft .NET and NetWeaver round out the top 5 non-certified, hot (ouch!) IT skills.

So, if you're a Crackerjack IBM i systems manager who has become a virtualization maestro, then you've got a hot skill. And if you've happened to play with Linux on an i logical partition, too, then you're double skilled!

And there are plenty of other non-certified skills on the Hot List that apply to IBM i, so if you've been tinkering with the box for more than just business apps, heck, you could be triple, quadruple or even quintuple skilled: unified communications and messaging is no. 7 on the list, while security comes in at no. 8, MySQL is no. 22, and PHP is right behind it at no. 23.

Now, if you're looking for genuine certified skills that could translate from your IBM i career, you have to look a little farther down on the Foote Partners' Hot List of IT certifications. It looks to me like IBM Certified Infrastructure Systems Architect (no. 12) could do it for you, and there are a bunch of Cisco certs listed. Of course, there are a few Microsoft, and something called SNIA (gesundheit!).

And what might this mean, exactly? Well, again according to Foote partners, it's true that many skills and certifications have declined in value because of the economic recession. Pay premiums for IT-certified and non-certified skills fell an average of 0.5 percent in the first quarter of 2009. Still, 46 skills and certifications increased in value.

"This is not at all unexpected, for a few good reasons," insists David Foote, the co-founder, CEO, and chief research officer of Foote Partners. "First, pay for skills is, by its nature and purpose, more dynamic than salaries. Employers use it tactically and strategically to attract and retain talent. And second, the fact is that premium pay for skills is even more important during tough economic times when fear and uncertainty about job security clouds the judgment of IT professionals.

"That's because even the best workers are nervous about whether they will have a job," explains Foote. "They're concerned about stability, and so they look for signs that their employers are recognizing and rewarding them for their skills and contributions. Employers can't afford to appear blasé about their most important IT people. Sending out even a passive message that can be interpreted as 'you're not worth investing in' can result in experienced workers wondering whether they should start considering a change of venue."

So cheer up, and put those skills--both certified and non-certified--to use!

--Rita-Lyn Sanders, Senior Industry Editor

Posted by rsanders on April 23, 2009 at 12:09 PM | Comments (0)

February 24, 2009

IBM Makes List of Top Entry-level Employee Recruiters on College Campuses

Despite word of layoffs at many major companies, including IBM, some still seem to be hiring.

And I'm not just talking about replacing U.S. employees with lower-paid workers in overseas countries. The U.S. companies are still seeking skilled people with intelligent minds to replace the folks leaving the companies for their own reasons--usually retirement.

Take IBM, for example. The company ranked number 19 on a survey of companies actively recruiting college seniors for entry-level jobs.

The survey, conducted by The Black Collegian Magazine, asked employers about the number of projected hires from on-campus recruiting, the number of campuses they recruit on, and the top majors they are recruiting.

Incidentally, computer science, information services, and information technology are among the majors companies are recruiting.

IBM ranked just below the Federal Bureau of Investigation with 1,000 projected hires and 100 campuses visited. Microsoft came in at number 15 with 1,250 projected hires and 120 campuses visited.

--Rita-Lyn Sanders, senior industry editor

Posted by rsanders on February 24, 2009 at 10:31 PM | Comments (5)

December 17, 2008

Former Peregrine CEO Heads to Slammer

Here's an update for you from a scandal that we covered all the way back in 2002.

Here's a quick summary: from 1999 to 2002, Peregrine higher-ups altered their financial statements, resulting in an increase in their stock price. After an audit, they were discovered and sued by several law firms.

Here's an excerpt from our 2002 article mentioned above:

In the wake of this financial bombshell, Peregrine has announced several measures to get back on track financially. Last week, Peregrine announced that it was consolidating its North American offices and paring its staff by nearly half, cutting loose 1,400 people, or 48 percent of its workforce. The company also borrowed $50 million in a secured loan and agreed to sell its supply chain enablement business to Golden Gate Capital. Peregrine acquired the supply chain enablement business two years ago when it bought iSeries e-commerce vendor Harbinger, yet analysts at the time said that the acquisition was doomed because the two vendors served customers in different industry segments and different financial brackets.

Well, if you were one of that 48 percent of employees, you can rest a little bit easier now. Former Peregrine Systems Inc. CEO Stephen Parker Gardner, 55, was sentenced to eight years behind bars. He also had to cough up more than $1 million in proceeds from the sale of real estate and nearly $400,000 seized from his brokerage accounts.

Of course, that's nothing next to the $8 million that he gained when he sold his over-inflated stocks, but hey, it's better than nothing. And I doubt all his riches will do him much good in prison when he's sleeping next to his cellmate, T-bone.

--Erin Bradford, systems management & availability editor

Posted by ebradford on December 17, 2008 at 2:13 PM | Comments (0)

December 15, 2008

COMMON Embraces Power Systems, Calls for AIX Sessions to Complement IBM i Education

AIX and Linux on Power Systems users could find themselves in a big, COMMON bear hug this spring. In an effort to embrace IBM Power Systems, the IBM i user group COMMON is calling for sessions on AIX, IBM's version of the Unix operating system, to complement the rich curriculum of IBM i educational courses it offers at its annual meeting. COMMON's Annual Meeting and Exposition will be held April 26-28, 2009 in Reno, Nevada.

Following its mission to educate users of the IBM i operating system, COMMON President Randy Dufault says the organization wants to provide information and training to IBM i users who might need to implement an AIX partition, as well as AIX users who might want to implement IBM i on a Power System server. The organization already includes Linux sessions among its annual conference courses, but would also like to offer AIX-specific sessions on systems management, database, security, application development, and high availability topics. You can get more information about COMMON's call for AIX presentations on the web. Submissions are due December 22.

In an email exchange with Dufault, System iNEWS Senior Industry Editor Rita-Lyn Sanders asked about the inclusion of AIX sessions at the annual meeting and what it might mean for COMMON's future direction and attendees at the educational event.

System iNEWS: What does it mean for attendees that COMMON is seeking more AIX sessions?

Dufault: COMMON certainly has taken a proactive approach to addressing the needs of the entire Power Systems community—beyond just our traditional IBM i audience—since the merging of the platforms was announced at the annual meeting in Nashville earlier this year. We expect that as part of this transformation we will continue to be proactive in addressing the needs of the COMMON community, including providing AIX education.

AIX-related content for Power Systems shops coming from a primarily i background simply means that when there is a business need to run an AIX partition, the three pillars of COMMON (Advocacy, Education, and Community) will be there to support them.

For Power Systems shops coming from a primarily AIX background it means that all the knowledge—particularly on the non-operating system areas of the environment (e.g., virtualization, hardware, development tools)—embedded in the three pillars of COMMON is accessible and available to them.

System iNEWS: Does COMMON anticipate it will have more AIX sessions than at past conferences? If so, why?

Dufault: Other than the User Blue joint effort COMMON conducted with Share a few years back, there has not been much AIX-specific educational content offered at any of the COMMON venues. That said, however, COMMON was very early and has been very consistent with educational and community support for Linux on Power. Linux and AIX share an awful lot in common and as such, AIX is by no means a stretch. So yes, we expect that as part of addressing the needs of our members, which now include the broader Power Systems community, providing AIX-specific educational sessions is an important part of our educational offerings.

As to why . . . although right now there is a network of AIX local user groups, there is not an opportunity for those groups to come together with a consolidated voice. Many of the things we have come to expect from our user group—like a viable requirements process—do not exist in the AIX arena yet. New education options at the annual meeting are certainly one opportunity, but there is much, much more.

System iNEWS: How many AIX sessions have there been (on average) at past annual conferences, and how many would COMMON like to have in Reno?

Dufault: As I noted earlier, there were few AIX specific session topics at annual meetings, except where the topic had a strong relationship to i. Some examples of those topics include virtualization, Unix aspects of PASE and, as I mentioned before, Linux. In the past, probably less than 1 percent of our annual meeting sessions were AIX specific, but at Reno we will offer a much higher number.

What we are advertising for in Reno are very specific AIX topics, above and beyond the content we have offered before and will continue to offer. Transitioning to AIX from other Unix platforms seems to be a real education need right now as IBM wins more of that business away from the competition.

Obviously, how many AIX-specific sessions end up in Reno will be a function of how many folks from that community step up to share their knowledge. Regardless, we are adding session rooms to make it all happen. It does have to be limited to 40 session periods or so as it is important that there not be any impact on the other content that COMMON's members are planning and expecting.

System iNEWS: Has COMMON had vocal interest from the COMMON masses for AIX sessions or is COMMON taking a proactive approach to Power Systems?

Dufault: In its 48 years, I think COMMON has always taken a proactive approach to the changing IBM-product landscape, and this change is no different. From the 1620 in the beginning to the System 3, System 32/34/36, System 38, and AS/400, the leaders of this organization were always way ahead in helping members and prospective members with the next thing coming down the IBM technology pipeline.

As for a vocal interest from the community; we have had conversations with the AIX community at large, some of the leaders in the AIX community, and with IBM, and I have heard nothing but strong interest. We will need to reach into the community and let them know we are here, but I think we can get that done. Interestingly, the single biggest topic in demand from the AIX community right now seems to be Power Systems virtualization—something COMMON has a whole lot of experience with.

System iNEWS: Does COMMON expect there will be AIX folks at the conference as opposed to traditional i folks? Is this a goal, to increase AIX folks attendance?

Dufault: Again, COMMON has a big task ahead of getting the message out to the AIX community. I do believe that will get done and as a result, I do expect folks will be with us in Reno that do not come from a traditional i background. Those folks won't be there just for AIX education, though. There will be advocacy programs for AIX getting under way, some community activities for them (Ask the Experts and such), and a whole bunch of Power Systems education that applies to them—whether or not they have discovered the incredible business value of an i partition yet. Of course, all of us will have the opportunity to help those folks make that discovery.

The goal for COMMON always is to reach into the community it serves, to see where it can serve that community better, and to see where it can reach more of the community. The communities COMMON serves are businesses that trust IBM Power Systems servers to run their enterprises, along with the individuals that make those servers do useful things. AIX is a part of that community, as is Linux, as is i, as is PowerVM.

So, I sure hope more folks come to our annual meeting and participate in all of COMMON's programs as a result of what we are doing. Regardless of what changes IBM makes, the need for an independent user voice that provides advocacy, delivers education, and develops community never lessens, and with the current situation, probably is growing.

--Rita-Lyn Sanders, industry issues & RPG editor

Posted by rsanders on December 15, 2008 at 8:04 AM | Comments (0)

December 4, 2008

IBM Teams with DeVry University to Train Next Enterprise Generation

IBM and DeVry University have launched a new Enterprise Computing track within DeVry University's Computer Information Systems (CIS) bachelor's degree program. The new track will incorporate multiple IBM systems technologies into a single degree program track. The move is not only designed to give students an understanding of IBM's systems but also to create enterprise-focused skills for some of the largest and systems-diverse businesses with modern--and complex--data centers.

DeVry University is a member of the IBM Academic Initiative program, and IBM says it is the first to incorporate multiple IBM Systems technologies into a single degree program track.

"IBM's clients and Business Partners are always looking for college graduates who are educated in enterprise systems concepts and technologies," notes Ross Mauri, general manager of IBM Power Systems. "DeVry University's courses will help students develop skills unique to scalable midrange and mainframe platforms. As an added feature, students will apply that knowledge by using IBM technology through the use of supported labs, case studies, and design projects."

If the Boomers Retire

"For DeVry University, the relationship with IBM enables us to continue to revitalize interest in technology careers by leveraging IBM's assets and providing a career path for our graduates," notes David Pauldine, president of DeVry University. "Within the next five to seven years, Baby Boomers will begin retiring, and DeVry University can help fill the pipeline with a pool of qualified applicants for IBM, its customers, and Business Partners. Our students will be educated on IBM's technology that currently runs the world's top 50 banks and 22 of the 25 top U.S. retailers."

DeVry believes that this new Enterprise Computing track that covers IBM systems will help set its students apart from other computer science graduates.

"The IBM Academic Initiative was established to address the need for maintaining a vibrant workforce and attracting new talent," says Terry Patane, director of IS recruiting for Costco Wholesale. "This approach creates a win-win-win relationship between IBM, key clients, and forward-thinking colleges and universities. Costco's recent teaming with IBM to host the Academic Initiative roundtable for DeVry University has opened new opportunities for Costco recruiting, resulting in what we hope becomes a mutually beneficial relationship."

As further evidence of the need for entry-level yet enterprise-savvy talent, IBM says the Large User Group (LUG), which is an organization of high-end IBM Power Systems IBM i-focused customers, supports the new Enterprise Computing track being offered by DeVry. The LUG has a closed membership of 100 or so of IBM's most privately vocal and active IBM i-running customers, and the LUG meets regularly with IBM to discuss its enterprise-focused needs. The LUG membership represents many diverse industries including retail, logistical services, financial services, real estate, insurance, and others, and a number of LUG members are included in the Fortune 500.

IBM Academic Initiative faculty members worldwide can access more than 1,000 other hardware, software, and services training resources at no cost at www.ibm.com/university/academicinitiative/. The DeVry Enterprise Computing track will launch in March 2009.

Posted by cmaxcer on December 4, 2008 at 9:07 AM | Comments (0)

October 15, 2008

C'mon People Now, Smile On Your Brother...

Ev'rybody get together...Try and love one another right now...

And isn't that what we all need right now? A little hand-holding and peace-circling in this time of great financial and political crisis?

I recently read a very disheartening article on SD Times' webpage, 'Testers Are Idiots' Revisited.

Let me share with you a few highlights:

That’s right: Testers are idiots. The practice of testing offers no innovation. Testing is boring, manual and repetitive. It’s not a career. Testers aren’t as smart as developers. They’re nitpicky, pencil-pushing quality/process geeks. They’re beside the point and are easily replaced. Testing is not a career; it’s a necessary evil between application users and the brilliance of developers.

Believe it or not, some of these assertions came from an audience of testers at FutureTest, a conference I attended last week in New York City. The politically (and in all other ways) incorrect answers were the result of a question by Cisco’s Jeff Feldstein: “What are developers’ perceptions of test engineering?”

Whoa! I honestly had no idea that any single group of IT folks were feeling so darned defeated. With all of the obvious apparent animosity between testers and developers, I have to wonder how they manage to work together so often. Could it be that testers are merely sensitive types, or is it actually true that testers are basically spat upon in the development game?

And do other IT professionals, such as sys admins, have problems getting along with developers or testers, too?

I honestly don't know the answer to this question. I don't work for a software company, and I have no personal experience working with either testers OR developers. So, I'm asking you readers out there who are bold enough to answer: Is there a rift between the job classes, and if so, does it push everyone to work (angrily) harder, or lead to a general decrease in morale?

--Erin Bradford, systems management & availability editor

Posted by ebradford on October 15, 2008 at 3:07 PM | Comments (1)

July 30, 2008

Ohhh We're Movin On Up....

Staying in the same vein as last week's blog, I stumbled on a new job search board for systems management careers that includes a good number of positions in the world of i.

The new searchable board, based on Systems Management News's website, claims to provide "services, resources, and a networking community for IT systems administrators and data center managers. In our NEW online Career Center you’ll find a large bank of job postings and resumes, career resources, career coaching and advice services, and so much more!"

The site also offers anonymous resume posting for job seekers. Employers pay for the resumes they want to view. Helpfully, the job help doesn't end there--users can also take advantage of a career library full of useful advice.

And definitely don't miss out on this site, which is completely focused on careers in the System i field. Not a ton of results, but the jobs that are listed are definitely fresh.

For more info on which of the more popular job sites are worth your time, check out this article from IT Jungle.

--Erin Bradford, systems management & availability editor

Posted by ebradford on July 30, 2008 at 1:39 PM | Comments (0)

July 25, 2008

Your job is more stable than you think...

In these tough economic times, it can be tempting to jump the tech-job ship and start looking into jobs that will have more stability. Like repo-men or bankruptcy counselor. But hold up, things aren't quite as bad for tech folks as you might think.

Consider these recent articles:

In Computer Jobs Hit Record High, we're encouraged by a report of over 10 percent reported growth in tech-related jobs, explained like so:

"Why would IT employment remain robust as unemployment rises in most other job categories? IT performs a critical role in business productivity, and the efficiencies it brings are crucial for employers looking to trim costs—including payrolls—as fuel and related expenditures soar and the economy and dollar weakens. In addition, companies today cannot operate without functioning IT systems, so certain business technology skills cannot be eliminated if a company wants to remain competitive."

A recent Jobfox report lists the top 20 recession-proof jobs, with software development hitting number two on the scale and networking at number six. Database and project management also made the list.

And lastly, this article on the hottest IT jobs right now reports that tech jobs are employing more than ten percent greater numbers than a year ago, with greater than a 20 percent increase in Network/Computer Systems Administrators.

Not too shabby, folks. Not too shabby at all.

--Erin Bradford, systems management & availability editor

Posted by ebradford on July 25, 2008 at 11:53 AM | Comments (0)

July 15, 2008

Good Karma Nabs $400 (Plus, Reno's a Great Place to Present a COMMON Session)

I have lots of fond memories of Reno--Nevada's biggest little city.

You, too, can make your own memories of the mountain town next April when COMMON holds its annual meeting and educational conference there. And speakers take note: The deadline for submitting sessions is August 31.

Reno is a great place to hold a conference, or in this case a week-long opportunity to learn about all things i. The event will be held April 26-30 at the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino.

Although I haven't been to Reno in a while, my memories of the gambling town are vivid. I grew up in Redding, Calif., just three hours northwest of Reno on the other side of the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

My parents would load my brother and me in the car and we'd make the trek to Reno, where my parents would drop a few coins in the slots and sip on the free drinks while my brother and I played video games to our hearts content at Circus Circus.

And then during my junior high years there was the annual Reno Jazz Festival, where music groups from regional schools competed in song and dance. Mrs. Jacoby led our group, Music-in-Motion, to wins both years that I participated. The event was held at the Grand Sierra Resort when it was still the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino.

Reno is also the place I won my first (and only, thus far) series of Blackjack hands, resulting in $400 worth of chips to the positive. My best friend's mom, who I was with at the time, sat me down at a table after a "good karma" incident where I took an elderly, blind lady by the hand and led her to a stall in the ladies' bathroom. Her husband had abandoned her outside the door and I couldn't just stand there idly as she felt her way around the tiled room. Who would want to touch the walls inside a public bathroom--gross!

The buffets, too! Admittedly, the food was much better and more of a draw way back when. Now that I have to watch my calorie intake, it isn't so appealing to go all-you-can-eat at mealtime.

But, back to the future. Reno is a fun place. The city is small enough that you can walk from one end of Virginia Street to the other and see all the downtown casinos in no time. The airport is easy to get to and quick to get in and out of, especially from the Grand Sierra.

And Reno is definitely more family friendly than the other large, Nevada gambling center. In Reno, I don't recall being approached by anyone swatting a rolled up flyer at me.

At 4,400 feet, Reno is likely to be cool but comfortable in late April when COMMON is scheduled. And although it's too early to tell about special events, there are plenty of museums and other year-round activities for visitors looking for a break from a detailed-session induced headache.

Speaking of sessions, if you have a bit of i knowledge that you'd be willing to share in a session, you need to submit the outline to COMMON by August 31. You can submit the session online at COMMON's website.

The user group is looking for a variety of session topics to educate its members during the annual meeting, says Nancy Boutcher, COMMON's education project manager. "Usually we just keep it wide open," she says. "If we see there's an area that's lacking we will try to seek people to fill that area."

COMMON doesn't leave all preparation to the speakers. The website features a slide template and other useful tools to help speakers prepare for a successful session.

About 50 percent of presenters are IBMers, Boutcher says. And the rest are typically COMMON members (according to the website, speakers must join COMMON if a submission is accepted for presentation at the annual conference).

Incidentally, qualified speakers who present at COMMON get one COMMON Credit (CC) for each one hour and 15-minute session they present. One credit is the equivalent of 25 percent of the COMMON registration fee. Credits can be applied to the cost of registration. So speaking has financial rewards, too.

I can't wait to go to COMMON 2009 in Reno. I'm looking forward to seeing all the interesting topics that come about in presentations . . . and making more memories.

--Rita-Lyn Sanders, industry issues editor

Posted by rsanders on July 15, 2008 at 4:58 PM | Comments (0)