The strong community and culture that have grown up around the IBM i platform in the 30 years since it launched as the AS/400 underscores the success and popularity of this well-known technology. There are dozens of related user groups out there that help people get out of their everyday mindsets with the chance to interact with others who know IBM i—and who may be using it to address similar challenges in a new way. Case in point: Did you know there are more than 26,000 members of LinkedIn’s group for IBM i, iSeries, and AS/400 professionals?
Many users have spent much of their careers working with IBM i. In fact, our recent poll showed that 56 percent of respondents have 30+ years’ experience with the platform, meaning many of you may be looking forward to retiring soon, or will have to decide what to do when your IBM i talent retires! These user groups are critical as a place where newer IBM i professionals can look for information and best practices as they ramp up on the many ways IBM i is an amazing and powerful system. As newcomers come on board, make sure you share your knowledge and set them up for success.
To help you navigate this vast playing field, we’ve compiled a comprehensive list of IBM i user groups around the world.
Canada
Ontario (Toronto) – Toronto Users Group and Facebook
United States
The largest of the user groups is COMMON, which brings together IBM technology users across scores of local chapters across the globe. COMMON also has a Facebook User Group page with over 200 members.
California – Orange County Educational Advancement Network (OCEAN)
Connecticut – Fairfield Application System User Group
Illinois – Omni Users Group
Indiana
Massachusetts – New England Midrange Users Group (NEMUG)
Michigan
Minnesota – QUSER
Missouri – Gateway/400 Group
New Hampshire – New Hampshire Midrange Users Group (NEMUG)
New York
Ohio – TriState Midrange Users Group
Rhode Island – New England Midrange Users Group
Tennessee – IMUG
Texas
Utah – Utah IBM i Professionals Association (formerly Greater Salt Lake Midrange User Group)
Vermont – Vermont Midrange User Group (VTMUG) and Facebook
Virginia – Mid-Atlantic Group of IBM i Collaborators (MAGIC)
Wisconsin – Wisconsin Midrange Computer Professional Association and Facebook
Europe
There is a COMMON Europe website and Facebook page as well as these individual country pages.
Austria – COMMON Austria and Facebook
Belgium – COMMON Belgium
Czech Republic and Slovenia – COMMON Czech Republic and Slovenia
Denmark – COMMON Denmark
France
Germany – COMMON Deutschland
Italy
Luxembourg – COMMON Luxembourg
The Netherlands – COMMON Netherlands
Norway – COMMON Norway
Poland – COMMON Poland
Spain – COMMON Iberia
Sweden – COMMON Sweden (Data 3) and Facebook
Switzerland – COMMON Romandie (French) and COMMON Switzerland (German)
United Kingdom
- COMMON Great Britain and Facebook
- IBM i Southampton on LinkedIn and i-Community
Asia/Oceania/Pacific
Australia – Interaction Australasia
Korea – SISA Korea
In addition to the regional groups listed above, there are many other IBM i user groups and resources to explore:
IDUG Db2 User Group: IDUG is the foremost independent, user-driven community that provides a direct channel to thousands of professional DB2 users across the globe.
imPower Technologies: Jim Buck has an online offering that includes RPG Free/RDi education. The site states its goal as being driven to deliver the highest quality IBM i educational training that transforms corporate culture, nurtures and enhances workforce skills, and delivers maximum ROI for the corporate education budget. This is a good tool for educating new IBM i technologists.
The Large User Group (LUG): LUG counts almost 100 large companies among their members, all of which have made significant investments in their IBM i platforms. These companies are located around the world and span multiple industries.
North East User Group Conference: NEUGC is an annual IBM i event held in New England for IBM i (Power Systems, iSeries, AS/400). It’s designed to bring together IBM user groups from Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. They also have a Facebook page.
Young i Professionals: This is an international group of technology professionals that represent all “young” entrants into the job market or “young” users of IBM i, iSeries, System i, and AS/400.
ILE-RPG Developers: This organization provides educational resources and a LinkedIn community dedicated to reinvigorating development using ILE-RPG in IBM's AS/400, iSeries, or IBM i on Power.
System i Developer: SiD is a consortium of experts in RPGIV, SQL, DB2, ILE, RSE/RDi/RDP/WDSc, and PHP offering education, training/services, and conferences, including the RPG & DB2 Summit, in support of RPG and DB2.
IBM i Community: An emerging community for RPG/COBOL/DB2 professionals.
IBM Power Systems Community: An online location to connect, learn, share, and engage with the IBM Power Systems Community, hosted by IBM. Includes discussion forum, event calendar, and content library.
PUB400.COM: A free, public server running IBM i 7.4 for everyone
N2i (New to IBM i): N2i is on a mission to help new IBM i professionals navigate their way through learning and optimizing the platform. By providing advocacy, community, and education during their formative years, N2i hopes to support the IBM i community, build skills and confidence, and fuel fresh careers.
IBM Power Systems Academic Initiative (PSAI): The IBM Power Systems Academic Initiative (PSAI) equips educators with the materials, technology, and resources necessary to teach Power Systems skills. These resources include IBM courses, the Power Systems Academic Cloud, and entry-level and experienced professional job boards. All PSAI materials and resources are available to members at no charge.
IBM i en Español: Grupo de LinkedIn para compartir experiencias sobre la plataforma IBM i en español.
IBM i Academy: Knowledge is power. At Fortra, our goal is to help you quickly gain familiarity with the IBM i operating system, so that you can tackle your new responsibilities with confidence. This convenient collection of educational material was created by experts with decades of experience on the platform. Click into each category to learn about current trends, architectural nuances, operational basics, security considerations, and shortcuts for success—all specific to IBM i. We're here to help!
IBM i also has a Facebook page.
Special thanks to COMMON, RPGPGM, and IBM for helping us build this list.
What to Do When Your IBM i Talent Retires
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