Newsletter - November 2001
Serving the community of IBM Midrange users.
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President's Message from Peter MaherNo matter where we are in our careers today and no matter what we plan to be doing 1,5 or 10 years down the pike as long as we plan to be using computers we will have to deal with Microsoft. This is not meant to be political, derogatory, inflammatory or any thing other than stating a simple fact. Microsoft has and for the foreseeable future will continue to determine what we use on our desktops. It is with that in mind that we present this last meeting of 2001.Folks the world has changed and we need to change with it or be left behind. I looked back at some thing I wrote in February and in my humble opinion it is truer today: "Now my belief in the box wont save it - no that’s up to all of us banding together and fighting for the box. We have to be willing to stand up to those who want to bury it. But we must fight with logic and not emotion. Why have most of the companies that have "abandoned" the iSeries left it? In my opinion those of us who were in the position to fight were unprepared. We were victims of complacency and the iSeries superb track record. We stopped learning. We resisted the "new technology", the unfamiliar and the untested. Now we have a lot of catching up to do. How do we catch up? Well each shop is different and each person is different but it is my opinion that if we want to be working on iSeries boxes in the future we better get on the education bandwagon and fast! I know some folks who are taking night courses in web design, html, JAVA and anything else they canget their hands on at the local community college or tech training center. Others are getting CDs and doing computer-based training. Still others are taking advantage of the courses offered by IBM, News400 and Midrange Computing. Whatever you do - JUST DO IT! Folks I'm talking about taking personal responsibility for your future. IBM won't do it. COMMON won't do it. WAM won't do it. It's all up to YOU!" When I wrote that I was responding to the doomsayers who said the iSeries was dead - well they may be right and if it is not dead then it needs life support and the folks in Rochester are debating the merits of signing a "DNR" order. In the last several months I have seen too many of OUR peers let go because of corporate decisions to change technology and the AS/400 - iSeries was not part of the plan. Without a box to maintain and without the skills in the new technologies we have become expendable. If you don't believe what I say is true ask around at JAM this December I am sure most everyone knows someone who has been displaced in the past year because of this. All these "someones" add up and soon there is a picture and it is not pretty. I said in February that YOU have to take responsibility for your own future I meant it then and I mean it more now. IBM is not going to help you they are all about profit, selling whatever the public wants and the heck with yesterday. (As a former stockholder I am glad they are all about profit that’s their job!:) COMMON bless their hearts aren't going to do it they are all but done they will keep trying to put on a too big, too redundant, too same old same old, twice yearly conference instead of putting all of the good intentions into one really good reasonably priced conference per year. Additionally they should be pushing more new technology as well because if they haven't noticed yet the RPG folks are getting older and fewer. Without new blood - a lot and fast - they will be gone too. Which brings us to the final piece in the triumvirate - WAM. Folks I come not to bury WAM but to praise it. We have tried to be the local source for the AS/400 now iSeries and I think we have done a worthy job. But now the time has come to change. I don't have the answers, the board doesn't have all the answers, but you do. We have asked for input from you in the past and some have chosen to share with us - most have not. I can't believe we have done everything so well that no one has any suggestions. Now the time has come to speak up What do you want out of your Users group? Do you want/need it? Why do you want a users group? Will you attend any of the meetings? How about if we just offer quarterly meetings? The ball is in your court both for WAM and YOUR own future ….think about it. November MeetingWindows XP Professionalwith John Dailey of Microsoft Come learn about Microsoft's newest operating system Windows XP Professional. Find out what it is, and what it has to offer Businesses today over Windows 2000 Professional. Learn about the focuses and decisions that Microsoft made when developing Windows XP. Come see what will be on your desktop tomorrow! John Dailey is a Technology Specialist with Microsoft As a Technology Specialist he serves in a pre-sales engineering capacity, helping clients understand Microsoft Technologies and how they solve the needs and challenges of businesses. John is currently 1 of 2 Windows XP Technology Leads in the Mid-Atlantic District. Prior to Microsoft, John worked as the Lead Messaging Analyst at Indiana University, responsible for the day to day operations of a 150,000 user Windows NT Network, and a 35,000 mailbox Microsoft Exchange Organization. He also served as the team lead for the Windows 2000 Migration project at Indiana University. While at Indiana University he wrote articles on Microsoft Exchange for "Exchange & Outlook" magazine published by Fawcette Publications. Prior to working for Indiana University, John was the Project Manager & Lead Engineer for Consultech Technology Solutions, managing a team of programmers that built the 1st internet-based Real Estate Multiple Listing Service software solution and a Medical Records Database solution. Tuesday November 20th, 2001 WestPark Hotel Tysons RT 7 & Westpark Drive Tysons Corner Virginia
6:30pm Dinner 7:15pm John Dailey 8:15 Board Elections 8:30pm Adjournment MEMBERS FREE 30.00 Non-Member
Board of Directors
Board Elections for 2002 will be held at the November Meeting Please contact Peter if you would like your name placed on the ballot.
Chat with iSeries WebSphere Experts!These events are an informal exchange of ideas between IBM experts, iSeries customers and Business Partners. Our first WebSphere Chat last week chat was a tremendous success with 145 participants. The call will be available for replay beginning at 2:30pm ET on the day of the call (11/01) and running through 11/15/2001 (2 weeks). To access the replay, caller's will dial (888) 203-1112 or (719) 457-0820 and entering the passcode 638948. Each one-hour event is comprised of a conference call presentation followed by Q&A, followed by an electronic discussion forum session. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON REGISTRATION AND DOWNLOADING PRESENTATIONS, PLEASE GO TO iSERIES NATION WEB SITE. ON THE RIGHT HAND SITE OF THE PAGE, CLICK ON "WEBSPHERE CHATS" Nov 6 Extending 5250 Business Applications to the Web 10am - 11am ET, Passcode 706529 Nov 8 Building New e-business Applications 10am - 11am ET, Passcode 535464 PRIOR TO THE CONFERENCE CALL, PLEASE REGISTER for these events by calling (800) 289-0579 or(719) 457-2550 and reference the passcode of the event you would like to attend. If you are unable to attend any of the calls they will be available for replay 2 weeks after the live date. To access the replay, call 1-888-203-1112 and reference the passcode for the event. Following each conference call presentation, on the day of the event, there will be an electonic discussion forum on search400.com. Once the web cast presentation is over at 11am ET, go here. **Note: If you're not a member of search400, you'll be prompted to sign up for FREE membership when you create a handle to participate in the forum. Click here to sign up prior to the event:
ADDITIONAL DETAIL ON EACH EVENT:November 6, 10am ET, Doug Fulmer and Dave Slater from IBM will discuss: Extending 5250 Business Applications to the Web Topics include:
Building new e-business applications Topics include:
-Your friends at IBM!
JAM 2001JAM 2001 is just around the corner! It is December 7th by now you should have received a brochure or an email describing the event. If you received only an email the following info should help you. WHERE and WHEN
Time: 8:45 AM to 5:00 PM Registration: 8:00 AM - 8:45 AM Place: The University of Maryland University College Conference Center University Boulevard & Adelphi Road College Park, MD 20742 Tel: 301-985-7300 -Peter |
Latest Update - November 2001