COMMON POWERUp 2026

The Code for IBM i family of extensions continues to grow with new tools and powerful enhancements. In this session, we will showcase recent improvements, highlight community contributions, and share a glimpse of upcoming features on the roadmap for 2026.

Learning Objectives:

• Share newly released features across all IBM i VS Code extensions • Showcase new tips and tricks to improve the developer experience • Share an overview of upcoming features in the 2026 roadmap

The numbers are in — and they tell a story most AI vendors don't want you to hear.
 
79% of enterprises are experimenting with AI. Only 8.6% have made it to production. 94% have adopted AI tools, but fewer than half have the governance frameworks to support them. 72% have scaled pilots — but only 33% have governed what they scaled. And after everything, only 6% can point to measurable EBIT impact.
 
And the pace isn't slowing. The CEO of the lab most associated with measured, conservative AI claims is now describing the rate of change as a civilizational tsunami — one most organizations haven't recognized yet. The window to close the readiness gap is not a planning horizon. It's a competitive one. AI-native companies aren't waiting for organizational alignment — they're likely already in your market, and they're building on day one what it took your organization a decade to construct.
 
The IBM i community has always known how to build systems that last. The platform didn't fail. But technology that arrives without organizational readiness doesn't transform — it accumulates. And when Naval Ravikant publicly declares software "uninvestable," he's not making a valuation call. He's pointing at the only layer that still holds durable value: governance, trust, and the organizational infrastructure to deploy at scale.
 
This session is a practitioner's account of what actually happens when you run a technology transformation and an organizational transformation in tandem — not sequentially, not siloed, not hoping the tech carries the org when it's finally ready.
 
This session will explore what transformation actually looks like at both layers — the technology and the organization — and why the sequence and structure of that work matters more than the tools you choose.
 
The organizations that close the gap first won't be the ones with the best technology. They'll be the ones who understood what the technology was actually asking of them.

Service programs have been around for quite some time. Perhaps you’ve even bumped into one in your professional travels. You will certainly find them on the road to application modernization. This session focuses on what they are, how to implement them and making them a regularly used asset during your application development. In this session we will discuss service programs, program signatures and using binder language.

Learning Objectives:

We will go step by step to the creation of an RPG service program.

Every RPG shop has them. Most developers avoid them like the plague. Large monolithic programs are a significant source of technical debt in all RPG shops. They limit your agility which in turn is detrimental to your business. So, once you are ready to deal with the issue, where do you start? There is no one answer, but there are steps you can take to begin dismantling and repurposing the code within these behemoths.

Learning Objectives:

1. Discuss steps to refactoring monolithic RPG programs 2. Learn common pitfalls to avoid 3. Learn how to organize extracted procedures for ease of use

Now that virtual meetings have become the new normal for so many of us, it's vital that we learn to make the most of this approach to getting things done. Whether you use Zoom, Teams, Webex, or another product, come to this session to learn the secrets to supercharging your online meeting productivity and getting results!

Learning Objectives:

In just 20 minutes, you'll learn: - How to plan your meeting for success - How to run your meeting for maximum productivity - The best ways to take meeting notes - When and how to end your meeting - Tips and tricks to maximize your use of technology and supercharge your work from home environment

Do you dread the thought of negotiating on your own behalf? Are you unsure of the best ways to handle conflict in the workplace? If you answered yes to either of these questions, then you need to attend this session! We'll cover time-tested techniques for negotiations and conflict resolution that could change your life!

Learning Objectives:

In just 20 minutes, you'll: - Learn to consider the value of an argument vs the cost - Find common ground to smooth the negotiation - Understand that all new ideas are great, and that we all make mistakes - Show respect and build a reserve of good will to allow everyone to leave the negotiation with their head held high