April 18, 2018

April 18, 2018 | Volume 12 Issue 20
- LEAD ARTICLE: IBM i Receives Package Manager Support
- FEATURED ARTICLE: Watson for i: Watson Conversation Can Generate Chatbots and Virtual Agents for Your Business, Part II
- FEATURED ARTICLE: A Small Intro to Big Data, Part 1
- NEWS HIGHLIGHT: New Survey Finds Deep Consumer Anxiety over Data Privacy and Security
- WEBCAST: 5 New and Unique Ways to Use the IBM i Audit Journal
- FEATURED VIDEO: Design an Invoice in 10 Minutes
- EVENT: Not interested? IBM Query, Reporting and Analytics
IBM i Receives Package Manager Support
With Red Hat Package Manager (RPM), IBM aligns itself with the open-source community.
By Steve Pitcher
From what I can tell, this story has not been covered anywhere, and that really surprises me. This is arguably one of the most important updates to IBM i in the history of the operating system. Not since the advent of PASE has there been an enhancement with the potential that this has. Now that's a tall order, I know.
IBM Quantum Computer Demonstrates Next Step Towards Moving Beyond Classical Supercomputing
Watson for i: Watson Conversation Can Generate Chatbots and Virtual Agents for Your Business, Part II
IBM Watson Virtual Agent uses the Watson Conversation API to help you build automated, conversational chatbots to provide self-service experiences to customers.
By John Ghrist
In "Watson Conversation Can Generate Chatbots and Virtual Agents for Your Business, Part I," we reviewed how IBM Watson Conversation can help enterprises build chatbots that can use natural-language text and spoken input from humans to support customer-service applications. IBM Watson Virtual Agent (WVA) carries this concept a step further to provide customized tools that can help you create automated self-service environments for customers, as well as analytics tools for customer engagement.
Why Migrate When You Can Modernize?
Explore the main considerations you should be aware of before embarking on a (migration or modernization) project. Take a deeper dive into business motivations and factors that could potentially influence your decision to migrate or modernize your existing IT platform and its risks.

More than ever, there is a demand for IT to deliver innovation.
Your IBM i has been an essential part of your business operations for years. However, your organization may struggle to maintain the current system and implement new projects.
The thousands of customers we've worked with and surveyed state that expectations regarding the digital footprint and vision of the companyare not aligned with the current IT environment.
Get your copy of this important guide today!

Node Webinar Series Pt. 1: The World of Node.js on IBM i
Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application.
Part 1 will teach you what Node.js is, why it's a great option for IBM i shops, and how to take advantage of the ecosystem surrounding Node.
In addition to background information, our Director of Product Development Scott Klement will demonstrate applications that take advantage of the Node Package Manager (npm).
watch now!

Low Code: A Digital Transformation of Supply Chain and Logistics
Learn how businesses leverage Low-Code to continue to deliver value through digital transformation. Discover how the power of Low-Code is helping many businesses evolve their supply chain, increase ROI, and achieve more tangible results.
Watch this webcast now.

Easiest Way to Save Money? Stop Printing IBM i Reports
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A Small Intro to Big Data, Part 1
Everyone is talking about it. You hear the buzzword on a daily basis, but do you really know what Big Data is?
Written by Rafael Victória-Pereira
You probably heard that joke about the guy who calls his favorite pizza parlor and places his order just to hear the operator tell him that his cholesterol is too high and he should order a different pizza instead. Let me tell you that’s not a joke. That’s the (not so distant) future, filled with Big Data, Data Science, and similar buzzwords. It’s time to get onboard that train and start learning about this brave new world.






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: