IBM i Technical Conference

It's a New Era for IBM i !

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Technical Conference Overview

Two Days of
Inspiration & Innovation!

July 23 & 24, 2026

Technically, We're passionate about continuing education on the IBM Power Systems platform!

#OceanTechCon26

It's a New Era for IBM i !
Day 1

Thursday, July 23, 2026
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM

ONLINE ONLY - A full day of technical presentations focusing on all aspects of IT from strategic directions to drilling down into today's latest technologies.

It's a New Era for IBM i !
Day 2

Friday, July 24, 2026
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM

LIVE IN COSTA MESA, CA - A full day of technical presentations focusing on all aspects of IT from strategic directions to drilling down into today's latest technologies.

Registration

OCEAN TechCon26
IBM i Technical Conference

July 23 & 24 2026

Schedule for Thursday, July 23, 2026

Full Schedule

Sessions by Speaker

Speaker Biographies

It's a New Era for IBM i !

08:30 PT

SYSTOOLS Services Birgitta Hauser

With the last releases and technology refreshes IBM provided a bunch of new IBM i and Db2 Services. A lot of these Services provide functionalities that are not directly available in RPG or can only be implemented in RPG by calling complex System APIs and/or by using pointer handling for accessing the data. However, IBM provides new SQL services mostly located in the SYSTOOLS schema that can write data into the IFS, delete old spool files and even transform a spool file into a PDF document. With other services the SQL queries can be executed and the result saved as Excel-Sheets or *.csv files. Even eMails can be easily sent with the aid of an IBM i service. And the best, we can put all this together. This session will show a sub-set of SQL and IBM Services which can easily be embedded in any programming language that supports SQL and, in this way, can make live much easier. Learning Objectives: In this session you’ll learn how specific SQL Services can be implemented with embedded SQL in RPG or Cobol and how the formerly complex source code can be reduced.

Birgitta Hauser worked on the IBM i and its predecessors since 1992. She graduated with a business economics diploma, and started programming on the AS/400 in 1992. She worked and works as traditional RPG Programmer but also as Database and Software Engineer, focusing on IBM i application and database modernization. Currently she is an independent consultant and works in Consulting, Application Modernization on IBM i and especially Database Modernization on Db2 for i. She also provides individual programming on IBM i to her customers.

9:45 PT

From AI Uncertainty to Business Value Pascal Polverini

Artificial Intelligence introduces a fundamental shift from deterministic to probabilistic systems: the same input can produce different outputs—not due to defects, but by design. While this enables powerful automation, it also introduces uncertainty that becomes a critical risk in production environments. When using tools like Project BOB or other LLMs for code modernization, organizations may face hidden defects, subtle bugs, and hallucinations—often difficult to detect and costly to fix. This session demonstrates how to safely operationalize AI through robust governance, control, and validation frameworks. From a technical perspective, we will explore practical approaches such as automated test generation, regression validation, output consistency checks, and techniques to guide and constrain AI behavior. From a business perspective, we will show how these practices reduce risk, limit rework, and create a measurable ROI by accelerating modernization while maintaining quality and compliance. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies to transform AI from an unpredictable tool into a controlled, reliable, and value-generating asset in their modernization journey.

With thirty years of professional experience in North America, Europe and Australia Pascal Polverini has a strong experience in digital transformation, strategy roadmap and planning, end-to-end software architectures, with expertise on DB, programming languages, communication protocols and UI with expertise on DB, programming languages, communication protocols and UI he was awarded by IBM Champion nomination in "DATA and AI". Co-author of the IBM i Modernization Redbooks, he is an expert in cross technologies. Active member of the IBM i ISV Advisory Council since 2005, he is also an individual associate of the OpenPOWER foundation since 2014, senior speaker on IT events (in english, french and italian) and occasionally writer on IBM Systems Magazine and others. Pascal is deeply involved in solutions to merge or cross different technologies and innovations, involving as well AI technologies, focusing on project governance and quality result with a particular attention to the added values in a business approach to the client need and market extensions. Since 2020 Pascal has particularly worked on expertise on testing automation to help the IBM i community and customers to leverage the platform to accelerate development ROI, TTM, DevOps and AI integration. Since 2024 he is working on methodologies to secure code expectation from AI LLM processes.

11:00 PT

SESSION TITLE Liam Allan

12:00 PT

Break for Lunch

13:00 PT

What's New in Db2 for i Ryan Moeller

14:15 PT

Building Your AI-Powered IBM i Knowledge Base: Preserving Expertise Before It Retires Aaron Magid

Your senior developers hold decades of business logic in their heads. When they retire, that knowledge walks out the door. But what if you could capture that expertise in an AI system that new developers could query? In this session, we'll show you how to build intelligent documentation systems that preserve institutional knowledge. You'll see how AI can analyze existing applications to extract business rules, generate comprehensive documentation from code, and create interactive knowledge bases that answer questions about your systems. We'll demonstrate techniques for documenting legacy applications automatically, capturing tribal knowledge through AI-assisted interviews, and building searchable knowledge bases that understand context. You'll learn practical approaches for knowledge preservation, see real examples of companies that successfully captured expertise before retirement, and understand the tools and processes required. Whether you're facing imminent retirements or want to preserve knowledge proactively, you'll leave with actionable strategies for protecting your organization's most valuable asset: expertise. Learning Objectives: Attendees will learn strategies for using AI to preserve institutional knowledge before experts retire. They'll understand automated documentation techniques, knowledge capture processes, and implementation approaches for AI-powered knowledge bases that make expertise accessible.

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 them connect modern solutions to existing systems. His previous roles include Lead Cloud Systems Engineer at CTI Smart Systems and Co-Owner and Director of Product Development at BigPie, Inc.

15:30 PT

Case Study on Subsystem Configuration for HTTP Server Instances and QSQSRVR Server Jobs Dawn May & Matthew Neill

As applications are modernized, it is common to move from green screen interfaces to browser-based applications. In many cases, the associated HTTP server runs on the IBM i in the QHTTPSVR subsystem. These web applications access the database, perhaps directly, but also by using SQL CLI, which results in the database access running in an QSQSRVR jobs in the QSYSWRK subsystem. As environments become more complex, one may see several web instances using a large number of QSQSRVR jobs. This default configuration can make it difficult to understand system resources used by the application, as well as related challenges in troubleshooting problems. This session is a case study of using subsystems to isolate web applications to their own subsystem; the HTTP server instance and related QSQSRVR jobs running in the same subsystem. Learning Objectives: In this session you will learn how to: - Configure HTTP instances to run in their own subsystem - Set up the system so QSQSRVR jobs run in the subsystem of the requester - How to use the Performance Data Investigator to review performance by subsystem after the configuration changes are made.

Dawn has been involved with COMMON for over 20 years and has been a consistent volunteer since 2008. She's been a member of the strategic education team, a subject matter expert, and a speaker. As Immediate Past President of COMMON, she's focused on leading COMMON as the industry leader of IBM i education, networking, and community. Dawn is a leading authority on IBM i performance management, work management, systems management, and general system diagnostics. She has in-depth knowledge of the IBM i operating system developed through her distinguished career with IBM. A former IBMer, Dawn is now an independent consultant, assisting companies with system performance reviews and recommendations. She also teaches clients on the latest IBM i tools to enable them to get the most out of their IBM i systems. Dawn is the author of the "i Can" blog published by TechChannel and a frequent speaker at local user group meetings and IBM i conferences around the world. You may contact Dawn by email at DawnMayiCan@outlook.com, find her on X at @DawnMayiCan, or connect on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawnmay/.

Matthew Neill has 35+ years experience across IBM i application development, database engineering, modernization, and application integrations. Expertise in Db2 for i SQL, SQL/PL, Modern ILE RPG AppDev, Service Programs, and IBM iDoctor performance tuning. Enjoys mentoring teams, teaching modernization practices, and turning complex technical concepts into practical implementation patterns.

16:30 PT

End of Sessions

Schedule for Friday, July 24, 2026

Full Schedule

Sessions by Speaker

Speaker Biographies

It's a New Era for IBM i !

08:30 PT

IBM Bob: Your AI Development Partner - Latest Info! Tim Rowe

09:30 PT

Vendor Solutions Expo & Coffee Break

10:00 PT

IBM i 7.6 and the Latest TRs by the architect Tim Rowe

11:15 PT

CL 2026: What's New and Useful -AND- RPG Arrays, Modern Features You Should Be Using Simon Hutchinson

Control Language (CL) remains a core tool for IBM i system operations, and recent releases have added features that make scripting faster, cleaner, and more powerful. In this 20-minute session, Simon Hutchinson will provide a hands-on look at the most useful new CL commands, built-in functions, and SQL integration techniques. Attendees will learn how to modernize legacy scripts, automate system tasks, and streamline everyday operations using the latest CL features. Learning Objectives: By the end of this session, attendees will be able to: - Identify and use the most important new CL commands and functions. - Integrate SQL statements into CL scripts for database operations. - Modernize legacy CL code with practical tips for efficiency and readability. - Apply CL features to automate routine system tasks.

RPG Arrays: Recent RPG enhancements have transformed the way arrays can be used, introducing new capabilities that make your code cleaner, faster, and easier to maintain. In this session, Simon will explore modern array techniques, including dynamic arrays, and powerful new Built-in Functions that eliminate much of the complex coding of the past. You'll learn how to take full advantage of the latest features, discover what might be holding you back from using them, and see how these enhancements can simplify data handling.

Simon Hutchinson has worked with IBM midrange servers and the RPG programming language since 1988—starting in the U.K. and continuing in the U.S. for over 35 years. He is best known for his long-running blog, RPGPGM.COM, where for more than 12 years he has shared practical insights and examples in RPG, SQL, and CL. An IBM Champion for Power for six consecutive years and an IBM i Community Advocate, Simon is recognized by COMMON Americas as an SME in RPG, CL, and SQL. His contributions have earned honors including the John Earle Speaker Scholarship (2023) and Gold and Bronze PowerUp speaker pins. Simon frequently presents at conferences and user groups worldwide—both in person and virtually—and serves as president of the Central Texas IBM i User Group (CTXiUG).

12:15 PT

Vendor Solutions Expo & Lunch

13:15 PT

Using SQL in Everyday Life Tim Rowe

14:30 PT

Agentic AI Speaker

15:30 PT

Vendor Solutions Expo & Afternoon Refreshments

16:00 PT

PANEL DISCUSSION: It's a New Era for IBM i: The Year Ahead Moderator: Charles Guarino Panelists: Tim Rowe, Brandon Pederson, Jeff Boleman

Explore the future of software development and infrastructure on IBM Power Systems and IBM i. Experts will discuss essential skills, AI integration, and leading-edge technologies, highlighted by real-world customer success stories. Bring your questions!

Charles Guarino believes in the “power” of IBM Power Systems. His career reflects his dedication and interest in bringing the platform and its solutions to others and as a result has been recognized as an IBM Champion. He is a member of COMMON’s Speaker Excellence Hall of Fame and a proud recipient of the Al Barsa Memorial Scholarship Award. Additionally, he participates on COMMON’s Strategic Education Team. Other professional endeavors have included the roles of President and monthly Q&A host for many years of the Long Island System User’s Group LISUG (www.lisug.org) In the spring of 2020 Charles created the monthly virtual IBMi iChime community. Each meeting features a “No PowerPoint” discussion with an industry expert. To learn more visit https://www.centralparkdata.com/ichime-dates.html Today, along with the team at Central Park Data Systems, he is serving individuals and companies on a worldwide basis though his consulting work and award-winning speaking engagements. Charles is a true people person and can often be found at conferences sharing his expertise on RDi and other IBM i topics. Charles can be reached at cguarino@centralparkdata.com. LinkedIn - http://www.linkedin.com/in/guarinocharles Twitter - @charlieguarino

17:00 PT