It’s not just software that gets upgraded and enhanced!
Greetings, readers! Welcome to the first edition of MC Press Magazine. As you can see, we’ve been busy making changes to ensure that your reading experience is convenient, productive, and pleasurable.
We revised the MC Press Online website in January 2017 (MCPO V2.0) Now, we’re bringing you this new format, an e-magazine that you can read on your desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone...or even print out if, like me, you still have a passion for paper.
Inside this first edition, you’ll find your favorite authors and favorite topics—from RPG and SQL to mobile, cloud, and more. We have Node.js, and if Aaron Bartell’s filled-to-capacity sessions on that topic at the spring COMMON Conference are any indication, it’s arguably the hottest programming language around right now. You’ll find Aaron’s Node.js TechTips right here in MC Press Magazine as well as in MC Press Online, just as you always have. Steve Pitcher’s session on security at the COMMON Conference was also quite popular, which is very encouraging. In case you haven’t yet been convinced that your IBM i is not an “impenetrable fortress,” you’ll want to read Steve Pitcher’s article in this issue. Also in this issue, Carol Woodbury reveals why a security-conscious company should be wary of DDM. We’ll keep bringing you information about how to get or keep your system secure.
Going forward, you’ll find that our focus has shifted a bit too this year. While we’ll certainly continue to bring you the authors and article topics you’ve relied on for many years, we’re also adding new topics that will help you to understand IBM’s direction and to see what that direction means to you. For example: Cognitive analytics—what the heck does that actually mean? And what about this Internet of Things (IoT) that’s all the buzz suddenly? And is Watson more than just a Jeopardy! stunt? Some of it seems so murky and unclear, doesn’t it? Not to worry! We’re peeling back the layers to see what’s underneath. Turn to John Ghrist’s article in this issue to see how you can get started with Watson.
In upcoming issues of MC Press Magazine, you’ll get a bonus article as well, one that you won’t find published on the MC Press Online website or anywhere else. What better reason to look forward to future issues of MC Press Magazine? You won’t want to miss anything.
New and Fresh
In 2017, we’ve brought you a new website with lots of new information and functionality, and now we’re giving you a new e-magazine format to access all your favorite authors and topics. We’re moving forward so that we can guide you and your company forward too.
Happy reading, dear readers! Enjoy!
Business users want new applications now. Market and regulatory pressures require faster application updates and delivery into production. Your IBM i developers may be approaching retirement, and you see no sure way to fill their positions with experienced developers. In addition, you may be caught between maintaining your existing applications and the uncertainty of moving to something new.
IT managers hoping to find new IBM i talent are discovering that the pool of experienced RPG programmers and operators or administrators with intimate knowledge of the operating system and the applications that run on it is small. This begs the question: How will you manage the platform that supports such a big part of your business? This guide offers strategies and software suggestions to help you plan IT staffing and resources and smooth the transition after your AS/400 talent retires. Read on to learn: