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!

3:15pm PDT

Technical Debt: On the Clock

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

Room 5

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

Chris Burns

Monday May 19, 2025 3:15pm - 4:15pm PDT
Room 5 1150 Magic Way, Anaheim, CA 92802

IT Strategy

3:15pm PDT

The Architects Discuss the Latest IBM i Operating System Updates

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

Room 2

The Development lab is continues to roll out new functions and features with every release and technology refresh. In this session we will review some of the key features that have been delivered over the past couple of releases. These are things that you should be aware of either for you to incorporate today, or to help you tomorrow.

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 3:15pm - 4:15pm PDT
Room 2 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

Room 12

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

Mike Samboy

Chief Commercial Officer, Eradani

IBM i integrations, APIs, DevOps

Wednesday May 21, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am PDT
Room 12 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

Room 1

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
Room 1 1150 Magic Way, Anaheim, CA 92802

IT Strategy

3:00pm PDT

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

Thursday May 22, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm PDT

Room 7

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 3:00pm - 4:00pm PDT
Room 7 1150 Magic Way, Anaheim, CA 92802

IT Strategy

5:00pm PDT

Planning a Smooth Move of your IBM i to the Cloud

Thursday May 22, 2025 5:00pm - 6:00pm PDT

Room 9

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 5:00pm - 6:00pm PDT
Room 9 1150 Magic Way, Anaheim, CA 92802

IT Strategy