COMMON POWERUp 2025: Full Schedule

Unlock the Power of IBM i at POWERUp 2025!

Join us in Disneyland, California, for POWERUp 2025, the premier conference for IBM i professionals. Whether you’re an experienced expert or just starting your IBM i journey, this event offers unparalleled education, hands-on workshops, and valuable networking opportunities. Stay ahead of the curve with insights from industry leaders, explore the latest innovations, and connect with a thriving community that shares your passion for IBM i. Don’t miss this opportunity to expand your knowledge, grow your skills, and power up your career!

10:00am PDT

IBM i 7.6 by the Architects

Monday May 19, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am PDT

South Ballroom B

The IBM i development team has just delivered a brand new release - IBM i 7.6. This release is just full of new enhancements targeted to help your business applications run more securely. In this session, Scott and Tim will detail a number of the new enhancements, helping you understand what's new and be ready to target the sessions throughout the conference that provide a deeper dive. Many of you wait to upgrade, we are going to show you why IBM i 7.6 may be the release to break that trend!!! Attend this session to see the must-have technologies for your IBM i.

Speakers

Tim Rowe

STSM - IBM i Business Architect, IBM

Tim Rowe is the Business Architect responsible for Application Development and Systems Management for the IBM i operating system. His responsibilities include helping to make sure that the IBM i has what is needed to be successful both today and into the future. He sends much of his... Read More →

Scott Forstie

STSM, Db2 for i Architect, IBM

Scott Forstie is a Senior Technical Staff Member within IBM i development and spends most of his time working as the Db2 for i Architect. He has worked on IBM operating system development since joining IBM in 1989.Scott is a frequently published author, speaker at industry events... Read More →

Monday May 19, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am PDT
South Ballroom B 1150 Magic Way, Anaheim, CA 92802

IT Strategy

3:15pm PDT

Technical Debt: On the Clock

Monday May 19, 2025 3:15pm - 4:15pm PDT

Amazon

We've all heard of the National Debt and what a threat it is to our country. What you may not have heard of is the Technical Debt that may lurk in your information systems and is just as big a threat to your business. Join us as address the often sensitive subject and explore five of the worst (best?) examples of Technical Debt - how they manifest, the damage they can cause and how to begin to turn the tide in the right direction. We'll also put it into terms that both management and technical staff can understand.

Speakers

Christopher Burns

Sr. Consultant, Tri-Delta Resources

Most of my peers know me as the brains behind Inuendo, an open source database model and API layer. But I'm just an IBM i geek like everyone else. In recent years, I've tackled the sensitive topic of Technical Debt, and how to eliminate it. Check out my open source projects on GitHub... Read More →

Monday May 19, 2025 3:15pm - 4:15pm PDT
Amazon 1150 Magic Way, Anaheim, CA 92802

IT Strategy

9:15am PDT

IBM i - A Strategic Preview for 2025 and Beyond

Tuesday May 20, 2025 9:15am - 10:15am PDT

Amazon

With the extreme pace at which technology is changing, it's nice to have a platform that is built for change. In this session, Steve Will, IBM i CTO & Chief Architect, will talk about the current technology drivers in the industry, and how the IBM i strategy and roadmap are adapting. Come hear about the new things in 2025, and the direction of the platform in the future.

Speakers

Steve Will

IBM i CTO & Chief Architect, IBM

Steve is the CTO and Chief Architect for the IBM i Operating System. Spending the past fourteen years of his IBM career in this position, he has become an award-winning speaker, author of the influential blog "You and i," (https://bit.ly/You-and-i-blog) and is one of the most sought-after voices at customer briefings and events. Steve has worked on IBM i and its predecessors since before the creation of the AS/400, and is currently responsible for setting the strategy of the IBM i operating system, as well as deciding which enhancements will be implemented. In his role, he talks to clients and pa... Read More →

Tuesday May 20, 2025 9:15am - 10:15am PDT
Amazon 1150 Magic Way, Anaheim, CA 92802

IT Strategy

10:45am PDT

IBM i Licensing 101

Tuesday May 20, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am PDT

South Ballroom A

Can I transfer this license? Is this license part of IBM i Group SWMA? How are non-expiring and subscription licenses different? We receive a variety of licensing questions on a regular basis. We'll share some basic terms and definitions, along with common questions for IBM i portfolio licensing.

Speakers

Daniel Sundt

IBM i Product Manager, IBM

Dan Sundt is an IBM i product manager. He has the responsibility for the IBM i business, including defining and guiding future directions and strategies. He works with the IBM i sales, marketing, and development teams as well as customers and partners to ensure that the IBM i operating... Read More →

Yan Zhuo

IBM i Product Management Leader, IBM

Linda Hirsch

IBM

Tuesday May 20, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am PDT
South Ballroom A 1150 Magic Way, Anaheim, CA 92802

IT Strategy

1:45pm PDT

The Era of the RPG Developer

Tuesday May 20, 2025 1:45pm - 2:45pm PDT

Grand Ballroom

First, there was customer experience. Then, user experience. Now, the idea of developer experience is taking off. Developer Experience encompasses the tools, processes, and culture that shape a developer’s daily work. The idea affirms that if organizations create an enriching and engaging environment, developers build better software — faster. The result is greater business success and a thriving developer community.

The evolution of developer experience will redefine how software is built and empower developers to focus more on innovation and less on routine tasks. As an RPG developer, you might wonder if any of these changes in process and technology will impact your day-to-day work. Some changes may never reach the world of RPG. But there are several that are likely on their way now or already at your doorstep.

In this session, Puneet Kohli – COMMON board member will discuss:
· The changes that are happening for developers today and in the future.
· How to differentiate between hype and reality for RPG developers.
· How AI plays a role in this evolution (hint: it’s not all code assist).

Speakers

Puneet Kohli

President of Application Modernization Business Unit, Rocket Software

Puneet Kohli is the President of Application Modernization BU at Rocket Software. Puneet has two decades of experience managing all facets of engineering for enterprise software. Puneet has deep knowledge of Identity and access management, governance risk & compliance, Devops, hybrid... Read More →

Tuesday May 20, 2025 1:45pm - 2:45pm PDT
Grand Ballroom 1150 Magic Way, Anaheim, CA 92802

IT Strategy

8:00am PDT

Preparing Your IBM i for the Next Generation

Wednesday May 21, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am PDT

Magic Ballroom 3

A critical challenge facing IBM i organizations today is attracting and retaining next-generation talent while preserving the deep expertise that makes our platform great. In this session, we'll explore how modern development tools, practices, and cultural changes can make your IBM i environment attractive to new developers without alienating experienced team members. We'll discuss real-world success stories of organizations that have successfully bridged this gap, and provide practical strategies for implementing change while maintaining stability.

Speakers

Aaron Magid

VP, Open Source Technologies, Open Source Technologies

Aaron Magid, Chief Architect at Eradani, has over a decade of experience in software development and technology. He specializes in modernizing legacy systems like IBM i/AS400 using Python, Node.js, and Java. Aaron excels in bridging old and new technologies together for clients, helping... Read More →

Wednesday May 21, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am PDT
Magic Ballroom 3 1150 Magic Way, Anaheim, CA 92802

IT Strategy

11:15am PDT

Level Up Your IBM i: Redundancy & Robustness in a Hybrid World

Thursday May 22, 2025 11:15am - 12:15pm PDT

South Ballroom A

This session dives into the strategic advantages of a hybrid IT approach for IBM i environments, specifically focusing on the seamless integration of PowerVS and on-premises solutions. We will explore how to design a customized hybrid architecture tailored to your organization's unique needs, emphasizing redundancy and resilience.

Key topics will include:

Multi-region disaster recovery and high availability (DR/HA) strategies using PowerVS, ensuring business continuity across diverse locations.
Robust data protection mechanisms such as Logical Replication, Virtual Tape Libraries (VTLs), and journaling with Before/After Imageing to safeguard against data loss and corruption.
Best practices for creating a redundant and resilient hybrid IT infrastructure that optimizes performance, availability, and cost-effectiveness.

Speakers

Dave Wiseman

Thursday May 22, 2025 11:15am - 12:15pm PDT
South Ballroom A 1150 Magic Way, Anaheim, CA 92802

IT Strategy

3:30pm PDT

How Developers/Analysts Control the Expectations of What Can Be Done for the Organization with AI

Thursday May 22, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT

Safari

Most organizations are intrigued by what AI can do, but what can actually be implements by programmers/Analyst. This session is focused on how to limit the expectations of management and leadership to what can actually be delivered by IT. The arguments and planning for AI are explored by this session.

Speakers

Michael McArdle

Instructor, Western Technical College

Though Mike McArdle has been involved in RPG programming since the 1970s, his career path has been through the ranks of leadership. He has been the CFO of Luther Hospital in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, the CFO of Desmond’s Formal Wear in LaCrosse Wisconsin, and Assistant Superintendent... Read More →

Thursday May 22, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT
Safari 1150 Magic Way, Anaheim, CA 92802

IT Strategy

4:45pm PDT

Planning a Smooth Move of your IBM i to the Cloud

Thursday May 22, 2025 4:45pm - 5:45pm PDT

Castle

Utilizing the cloud is can be a great option for IBM i customers. It sounds simple, and at it core it is! However, there are many items to consider for your organization to help determine if it's the right thing for you.

There are, however, options on how to plan, execute, and validate the migration and these should be analyzed to find the best fit.

In this session you'll gain a great overview of the reasons and the process for moving to a cloud.

Speakers

Larry Bolhuis

Cloud and Datacenter Engineer, IBM Champion, Service Express Inc.

Larry has grown up with computers since his father became a CE in 1967. He obtained a bachelor's degree in Computer Science from Calvin College in 1982 and soon after began working on IBM midrange equipment with the S/34 and S/36. Larry began working on the As/400 at its introduction In 1988.After spending many years as a developer Larry began working on communications, networking, and systems management tasks. Years of... Read More →

Thursday May 22, 2025 4:45pm - 5:45pm PDT
Castle 1150 Magic Way, Anaheim, CA 92802

IT Strategy