What language should I pick up in addition to RPG? RPG developers often ask me, what is the best language to learn in addition to RPG? My first question is, do you program in RPG free-form and use RDi? If not, this should be your first step. RPG is the core language on the IBM i that has been around for 20+ years. The challenge is there are a number of different versions and a mix of … [Read more...]
AI, Automation and the future for the RPG developer
Will robots replace the RPG developer? No, not anytime soon. Automation has been going on since the beginning of time. It’s human nature. We don’t want to be stagnant and are always looking for easier ways of doing things. Society has been build upon automation and innovation. It’s true that technology and automation eliminate jobs, but it does not eliminate work. The work simply, … [Read more...]
IBM’s Race to the Cloud
IBM’s Race to the Cloud with the help of Red Hat IBM’s overall strategy for all of the different cloud offerings are starting to play out. This gives you a little history on IBM’s race to the cloud and the acquisition of Red Hat. It all started back in May of this year where it was announced that IBM and Red Hat would expand their relationship which would enable “customers to benefit from the … [Read more...]
IBM and the Future of Blockchain
IBM’s role in Blockchain I had an interesting conversation with a long time contact in the IBM i market this week. He is as sharp as they come. He happens to be a Full Stack IBM i developer. Like me, he is fascinated with the possibilities of blockchain. He sees the future of blockchain in the enterprise and is starting to do research for a project where blockchain could be part of the … [Read more...]
A New Open Source ERP for the IBM i
Open Source ERP Developed in free-form RPG introduced at COMMON Great things happen when you have a COMMON belief in building an open source ERP for the IBM i. Alex Woodie, from ITJungle, unveils the news in his October 15th article. “An open source ERP package written in free-form RPG. Dubbed intERPprise, the software project is intended to harness core IBM i strengths – its integrated … [Read more...]
Top 15 things to learn at COMMON in Pittsburgh this week
2018 COMMON Fall Conference & Expo The important attraction this week in Pittsburgh for the IBM i community is, of course, the 2018 COMMON Fall Conference & Expo (October 15 – 17). COMMON is recognized as the largest IBM Power Systems user group in the world. They are leaders in education, networking, and certifications for the IBM i community. COMMON is a resource like no other … [Read more...]
What is an IBM i Full Stack Developer?
What is a full stack developer? There are a handful of definitions out there, but in general they are similar. Hackernoon in their article 6 Essential Tips on How to Become a Full Stack Developer defines a full stack developer as follows: An engineer who can handle all the work of databases, servers, systems engineering, and clients. Depending on the project, what customers need may be a … [Read more...]
IBM i RPG Programmer opening in Wisconsin – Relocation Available
Position Title: IBM i Developer Analyst – RPG What makes an RPG developer want to leave their job? Lack of opportunities, security or a poor work culture? A bad boss? There can be any number of reasons. As far as career growth, one of the core reasons we see RPG developers start to look is because of the lack of commitment their company has to the IBM i platform. Makes sense, right? If there … [Read more...]
IBM’s future with AI, Data and Cloud
Welcome to another edition of Talsco Weekly AI, Data and Cloud continue to be topics of conversation in and around the community. The challenge is understanding how it all fits together. In this weeks edition you will find articles with links about the following: News: Cloud and Data are better with AI & the mainframe is the original cloud. Career: Great communication secrets … [Read more...]
Bridge the RPG programmer skills gap with training
Is there an RPG programmer talent shortage or a skills gap? Do we think that we are the only ones challenged with a gap in available talent? No matter where you look there seems to be a shortage. It certainly makes for good headlines. Here are some of them: The STEM crisis: What the growing skills gap means for the economy Thy Cybersecurity Talent Gap is An Industry Crisis The … [Read more...]