COMMON POWERUp 2026: Full Schedule

Unlock the Power of IBM i at POWERUp 2026!

Join us in New Orleans, Louisiana for POWERUp 2026, the premier conference for IBM i professionals. Whether you’re an experienced expert or just starting your IBM i journey, this event offers unparalleled education, hands-on workshops, and valuable networking opportunities. Stay ahead of the curve with insights from industry leaders, explore the latest innovations, and connect with a thriving community that shares your passion for IBM i. Don’t miss this opportunity to expand your knowledge, grow your skills, and power up your career!

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8:00am CDT

Quantum programming with IBM i

Thursday April 30, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am CDT

Studio 9-10

Evaluation Survey

Ok, time to roll up your sleeves! Let's talk about how to build real quantum-capable programs! In this session we will explore qiskit, IBM's open source programming framework. Plus, we will show you how qiskit-based programs can interact with IBM i.

Learning Objectives:

Understand qiskit Understand IBM i integration from Python

Speakers

Jesse Gorzinski

STSM and Senior Business Architect - AI and Open Source, IBM

Experienced business architect from IBM and a specialist in the IBM i platform. My passion is enabling enterprises to adopt artificial intelligence and open source technologies.

Jack Woehr

Senior Engineer / Senior Consultant, Consulting to Procern Technology Solutions and Seiden Group LLC

40+ years development. IBM Champion 2021-2026.
IBM Qiskit Advocate since 2019. Secretary, OpenQASM Technical Steering Committee. MongoDB Creator status. Prolific Open Source creator/contributor. Former Contributing Editor, Dr. Dobb's Journal.
Consult on IBM i AI modernization... Read More →

Thursday April 30, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Studio 9-10

Technologies Integrated with IBM i, Programming: Python, Technologies Integrated with IBM i

9:15am CDT

SQL for System and Storage Management

Thursday April 30, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am CDT

Studio 9-10

Evaluation Survey

The role of a system administrator spans far and wide on IBM i, and getting an understanding of what's happening on your systems can be difficult without the right tools in place. Many system management tasks can be made easier and faster with today's modern set of SQL services available on IBM i. In this presentation you will learn how to use SQL to manage your system more effectively, including topics related to PTF currency, storage (and temporary storage) consumption, high resource usage and runaway jobs, security, and much more.

Learning Objectives:

`- Learn how to use SQL to automate system management tasks, including the building of automated reports - Learn how SQL makes retrieving, filtering, and grouping data a breeze - Become familiar with existing Db2 for i educational resources to learn how to create and use your own SQL tools, and to stay up to date with existing tools

Speakers

Ryan Moeller

Software Engineer, IBM

Ryan Moeller is a software engineer working on Db2 for i, specifically on the SQL Query Engine (SQE) team. He joined the team in the Rochester, MN development lab in 2020. Ryan specializes in SQL, database development, and query performance analysis.

Thursday April 30, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Studio 9-10

Systems Management, Database

10:45am CDT

Anatomy of an IoT device

Thursday April 30, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am CDT

Studio 9-10

Evaluation Survey

The Internet of Things (IoT), while well-established, continues to be an important part of today's technology solutions. But how does an IoT device actually work? How can it tie into IBM i? In this session, we will walk you through the whole makeup of an IoT device, from the circuits to the software and integration.

Learning Objectives:

Understand how IoT devices work and how to integrate them

Speakers

Jesse Gorzinski

STSM and Senior Business Architect - AI and Open Source, IBM

Experienced business architect from IBM and a specialist in the IBM i platform. My passion is enabling enterprises to adopt artificial intelligence and open source technologies.

Thursday April 30, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am CDT
Studio 9-10

Technologies Integrated with IBM i, Technologies Integrated with IBM i

12:00pm CDT

Meeting of the Members

Thursday April 30, 2026 12:00pm - 12:45pm CDT

Studio 9-10

Thursday April 30, 2026 12:00pm - 12:45pm CDT
Studio 9-10

Conference Events

Track Student

1:00pm CDT

From Core to Cloud: Modernizing IBM i Applications Without Losing What Works

Thursday April 30, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT

Studio 9-10

Evaluation Survey

Modernization extends the power of IBM i by integrating core applications with APIs, web interfaces, and cloud-native services. Transforming proven systems into agile, scalable platforms helps organizations improve performance, reduce risk, and accelerate digital innovation. Learn how strategic modernization roadmaps turn legacy investments into legendary business outcomes.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand modernization pathways that integrate IBM i applications with APIs, web, and cloud services. 2. Learn how to plan modernization projects that balance innovation with business continuity. 3. Gain insight into real-world modernization frameworks that reduce risk and maximize return on legacy investment.

Speakers

Raymond Hammell

Lightedge

Raymond Hammell brings a wealth of experience in Cloud, High Availability, and Disaster Recovery Solutions. His expertise lies in defining Cloud Solutions, rigorous DR and HA Plan testing, and architecting solutions for both Fortune 100 corporations and SMEs. As a certified Master... Read More →

Thursday April 30, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
Studio 9-10

Technologies Integrated with IBM i, IT Strategy

3:00pm CDT

Locking Down Your Data: Best practices for Encryption on IBM i

Thursday April 30, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT

Studio 9-10

Evaluation Survey

Encryption is your last line of defense against data breaches but implementing it effectively on IBM i requires the right knowledge and strategy. In this session, we’ll go beyond the “why” and dive into the “how.” We’ll cover what is sensitive data and what data you should be encrypting. We’ll cover the technical methods for encrypting sensitive data on IBM i, from disk level encryption to integrated encryption solutions. We’ll also explore key management, performance trade-offs, compliance considerations, and practical scenarios where one approach might be more effective than another. Attendees will walk away with actionable knowledge to evaluate encryption methods and sustainable encryption strategy for their IBM i environment.

Learning Objectives:

Understanding of the available encryption methods on IBM i How to evaluate your encryption requirements Actionable list of next steps to start your encryption implementation

Speakers

Sandi Moore

Sr. Solutions Engineer & IBM Power Champion, Fortra LLC

Sandi Moore is a Senior Solutions Engineer at Fortra with over 20 years of experience supporting systems monitoring and security software. She works extensively with IBM i environments and has been involved in product demonstrations, implementations, support, training, research, and... Read More →

Megan Olson

Software Developer and Product Manager, Fortra

Megan Olson is a Software Engineer and Product Manager at Fortra. Megan began her career at Fortra in 2021 as a Software Engineer Intern after earning her degree in Software Development in 2020. She has a strong technical focus on system security, product development, and driving... Read More →

Thursday April 30, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
Studio 9-10

Security, Database, Programming: General, Security

4:15pm CDT

Stored Procedures for Hybrid Development

Thursday April 30, 2026 4:15pm - 5:15pm CDT

Studio 9-10

Evaluation Survey

Accessing business logic from Open Source application and off platform has evolved a great deal over the years. In this session we’ll look at some of the reasons for centralizing this business logic in the database via Db2 Stored procedures. We’ll look at RPG and SQL procedures and work through examples of how these are used from exhibit languages like PHP and Python.

Learning Objectives:

1) Learn how to create and execute stored procedures in SQL and HLL (RPG). 2) See examples of how to use Db2 Stored Procedures in OSS languages. 3) Review tips and best practices when working with Db2 Stored Procedures.

Speakers

Mike Pavlak

Solution Architect, Programmers.io

Mike Pavlak has been working with IBM midrange solutions since 1992 and IBM Mainframes before that. After years of developing applications using RPG, CL and PHP he managed IT development and IT for power protection manufacturer Tripp Lite. Later Mike was instrumental in developing... Read More →

Thursday April 30, 2026 4:15pm - 5:15pm CDT
Studio 9-10

General Programming, Database

8:00am CDT

9:15am CDT

10:45am CDT

12:00pm CDT

1:00pm CDT

3:00pm CDT

4:15pm CDT

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