Welcome to another edition of Talsco Weekly

IBM i Briefs: History: The AS/400 Launch. IBM Releases New Generative AI Models. Power10 and AI.
Career: 7 Questions to Ask When Building Career Relationships. A Different Take on the Aging Workforce.
Open Source: A Modern Introduction to Node.js v3.
Modernization: Software is Disrupting and Innovating Every Industry.

IBM i Briefs

Courtesy of RPGPGM.com, here is a “news story from KTTC TV, Rochester, Minnesota, broadcast on the day of the launch of the AS/400, June 21, 1988.”

IBM Releases New Generative AI Models

IBM has unveiled new generative AI models named the Granite series for its Watsonx data science platform. Comparable to OpenAI’s ChatGPT and GPT-4, these models can summarize, analyze, and generate text.

IBM is also launching Tuning Studio, which will let users tune generative AI models to their data in Watsonx.ai.

The Watsonx Platform is made up of Watsonx.ai, Watsonx.data, and Watsonx.governance. All of which you can learn more about here.

Power10 and AI

IBM Power is designed for AI and advanced workloads, allowing enterprises to inference and deploy AI algorithms on their most sensitive data and transactions that reside on Power systems.

For example, clients can leverage AI acceleration that comes with every Power10 core to process up to 42% more batch queries per second on IBM Power S1022 than on an x86 server during peak load of 40 concurrent users, when each is using large language AI models.

If you are running IBM i on Power10 (or looking to upgrade to Power10), you have the capability to leverage AI in your environment.

Career

7 Questions to Ask When Building Career Relationships

If you believe in modernizing the IBM i, the RPG code base, and extending the reach of the platform, then you should “Friend Up” and “Lift Up” your relationships.

Friend up: “Build relationships with people who have experience, status, and resources early in your career.”
Lift up: “When you have experience, status, and resources, build relationships with people who don’t have what you have.”

Here is a quick article that suggests questions you should ask yourself in both the early and later stages of your career.

A Different Take on the Aging Workforce

Where are the RPG developers?

This is a common question that comes up in IBM i shops. The reality is that it is happening everywhere, in every industry, and in every domain.

Looking outside the IBM i, this is an insightful article from Bain & Company that uncovers some interesting information about the aging workforce and the impact it will have on the future, as well as some examples of what some companies are doing about it.

Key Takeaways:

Research shows worker motivations evolve with age with attributes like interesting work and autonomy rising to the top around age 60.
Too few firms recognize the changing needs and priorities of older workers or invest in integrating older workers into their talent system.
Leading companies focus on recruiting, retaining, reskilling, and respecting the strengths of this group of workers.
Creating roles that benefit both older workers and the company is not just the right thing to do, it’s also a business imperative.

Open Source

A Modern Introduction to Node.js v3

“Take your JavaScript skills to the server with Node.js! Learn to build command-line interfaces, read and write from files and databases, and create scalable servers. Use third-party modules, asynchronous coding, and CRUD operations. Test your code with Jest. Gain all the skills you need to develop professional Node.js applications!”

Modernization

Software is Disrupting and Innovating Every Industry

As the IBMi community continues to modernize and offer their customers “seamless, engaging digital experiences,” here are six principles that will help lead digital innovation.

Build a software- (and customer-)centric culture:

Driving digital transformations requires cultural change, and embedding software into organizational culture requires it to be part of the business, not just IT. A “software mindset” should be developed throughout the organization.

Drive product management and consumer expertise

“Product managers help drive tech development by setting the strategy, road map, and feature definitions while serving as a liaison among consumers, business, data/engineering, and design teams.”

Upgrade platform architecture and data management

Next-generation technology innovation requires a robust underlying tech architecture; however, most companies struggle with legacy systems, and 20% of this is considered “tech debt.”

“At the same time, not all tech debt is bad: modernizing applications adds value, but only up to a point. Consumer companies should prioritize what, how, and when to migrate to a new solution.”

Act as a link in the tech and manufacturing ecosystems

Consider digital additive manufacturing—that is, 3-D printing. It requires deep software integration between brands and manufacturers across multiple points of the product development and manufacturing life cycle. Investing in such integration can unlock faster time to market and product customization at scale.

Embrace creativity in “Go to Market” strategy

Traditional CPG companies have also been able to enter the direct-to-consumer space by leveraging technology to build a closer connection with their consumers.

Develop a deep-tech talent bench and modern-technology operating model

To help drive innovation, consumer and retail companies should consider pivoting toward a tech-focused talent pool. One approach is for businesses to establish their own talent ecosystems. For example, launching open-source projects, hosting hackathons, and fostering a developer community.

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