May 20th, 2025 – Anaheim, CA
Why the i? – At this year’s COMMON POWERUp conference, Programmers.io conducted a series of on-site interviews to gather insights on the next generation of IBM i development. POWERUp, held this year in Anaheim, CA, is an annual educational and networking event and is widely regarded by the community as the premier IBM i event of the year.
Attendees and speakers alike got the chance to participate in on-camera interviews hosted by Sr. VP of Sales Kip Kugler, sparking discussion on IBM i platform history, transformation, and modern development capabilities. Programmers.io captured insights from developers, IBM experts, and COMMON leadership to understand how organizations are rethinking the platform – and what lies in store for the future.
How Does IBM See AI Leading to the Future?
AI remains a hot button issue as implementations continue to grow faster, smarter, and more agile – and its prominence in the IBM community is no exception. Dr. Sebastian Lehrig, leader of the worldwide team for AI on IBM Power, views embedding AI as nothing more than a logical next step for the IBM i platform.
“When we talk about the future, I think we have to start in the present, maybe even in the past.” Sebastian states. “We know our customers love Power for its trust. They entrust us with their data. Enterprise systems run on Power. As we think about AI, we see that it helps to drastically improve those systems.”
Sebastian continues to explain that the next step for IBM is to make consuming AI “really simple”. From streamlining the modernization of legacy RPG code to embedding AI services, AI is being positioned as a key player in digital transformation. IBM’s goal is to enable clients and customers to leverage AI at ease, without compromising the platform’s security, data privacy, and stability.
Where Community Meets Vision: COMMON’s Impact on IBM i’s Future
Since 1960, COMMON’s mission has been to drive the future of IBM i and the careers of its professionals through advocacy, networking, and high-quality education. As the largest global association of IBM i professionals, COMMON continues to play a crucial role in connecting IBM i professionals worldwide.
Through conferences like POWERUp and other similar events worldwide, COMMON delivers hands-on training, real-world success stories, and access to prominent experts shaping the platform’s future. Executive Director of COMMON, Manzoor Siddiqui, comments on the organization’s mission to foster continuous growth for both veterans and newcomers alike.
“COMMON brings the premier education wherever we go.” Manzoor states. “The amount of expertise people will have access to – learning about where IBM i is headed, and where the opportunities exist for the platform overall – I think, is a great thing that you want to see and touch in person.”
IBM i: The Trusted Bridge to the Future
Throughout the conference, attendees and speakers alike voiced optimism about the direction of the IBM i platform, particularly in areas such as AI, and the roles of SQL and RPG in modern development.
A recurring theme was the widening RPG skills gap. Many leaders pointed to the need for younger developers to embrace RPG, especially its modern, free-format and SQL-integrated variants. In an interview with a developer who had just begun their career in RPG, he expressed optimism in the language’s future and noted that he had come across frequent opportunities in enterprise-grade modernization projects.
Programmers.io contributed to the energy with the debut of its new refreshed brand identity – rooted in driving IBM i modernization through a mix of the right “Plan, Products, and People” – and a full-scale DeLorean replica at their booth. The Back-to-the-Future-themed setup was a humorous nod to the deep history of the IBM i platform, focused on bridging past reliability with an innovative and promising future.
While the IBM i platform is still often misconstrued by enterprises as “legacy”, the POWERUp community seemed to reach a consensus – IBM i will remain a prime choice for reliability, security, and innovation well into the future.
About Programmers.io
Programmers.io is an ISO/IEC 42001 and ISO/IEC 27001 certified technology company dedicated to delivering modernization solutions to clients worldwide. With the world’s largest IBM i/AS400 team, they specialize in AI enablement, cloud services, data engineering, DevOps, full stack development, QA, support, and more. For over a decade, they have provided impactful solutions to 480+ companies, including Fortune 500 and NYSE-listed firms.
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