COMMON POWERUp 2026

IBM i shops are at a crossroads. Core applications continue to run the business reliably—but aging architectures, monolithic code, and skill gaps are slowing innovation. Executives are asking for speed and flexibility, while developers are stretched maintaining decades of business logic. The good news? Modernization doesn’t mean starting over. It means unlocking new value from what you already have. In this session, Amy Blea will break down a practical, business-aligned approach to application modernization on IBM i. We’ll explore why modernization is no longer just a technical upgrade—but a strategic investment that reduces maintenance effort, improves agility, and prepares applications to participate in AI, cloud, analytics, and API-driven ecosystems.

Learning Objectives:

In this session, Amy Blea shares real modernization journeys from IBM i clients—what sparked the change, the roadblocks they hit, and the outcomes they achieved. You’ll learn: * How companies modernized applications while keeping the business running * What worked—and what stalled—when moving from green screen to modern web and API-driven interfaces * How different teams adopted tools like VS Code, Git, DevOps, and AI-assisted development * Where AI-powered code assistants sped up code understanding, conversion, documentation, and developer onboarding Whether you’re a CIO looking to future-proof your IBM i investment or a developer eager to move beyond maintenance work, this session delivers practical guidance, tools, and inspiration to accelerate your modernization journey confidently and sustainably.

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.

Your senior developers hold decades of business logic in their heads. When they retire, that knowledge walks out the door. But what if you could capture that expertise in an AI system that new developers could query? In this session, we'll show you how to build intelligent documentation systems that preserve institutional knowledge. You'll see how AI can analyze existing applications to extract business rules, generate comprehensive documentation from code, and create interactive knowledge bases that answer questions about your systems. We'll demonstrate techniques for documenting legacy applications automatically, capturing tribal knowledge through AI-assisted interviews, and building searchable knowledge bases that understand context. You'll learn practical approaches for knowledge preservation, see real examples of companies that successfully captured expertise before retirement, and understand the tools and processes required. Whether you're facing imminent retirements or want to preserve knowledge proactively, you'll leave with actionable strategies for protecting your organization's most valuable asset: expertise.

Learning Objectives:

Attendees will learn strategies for using AI to preserve institutional knowledge before experts retire. They'll understand automated documentation techniques, knowledge capture processes, and implementation approaches for AI-powered knowledge bases that make expertise accessible.

We’ve all heard the saying: Don’t be afraid of change - be afraid of not changing. But let’s be honest - change is hard. Whether it’s outdated technology, entrenched processes, or resistance from within, modernization can feel like an uphill battle. Does it frustrate you when your applications are labeled legacy? You're not alone. This session is a real-world case study of how one retailer navigated the journey to modern application development using IBM technologies, including Power, IBM i, Ansible, and more. Along the way, they didn’t just modernize their apps—they transformed how IT is perceived within the company. IT is in a prime position to drive meaningful change. But how do you start? How do you overcome resistance and build excitement? In this session, you’ll learn practical strategies to shift mindsets, gain leadership buy-in, and turn legacy into WOW!

Learning Objectives:

`- The key differences between modernization and modern application development—and why it matters. - Proven strategies to lead people through change and turn skeptics into champions. - How to demonstrate the business value of IT and secure executive buy-in. - Lessons from a company that successfully transitioned to modern application development—and its approach to IT.

If you’re struggling to find skilled IBM i developers or administrators, maybe the problem isn’t the talent pool - it’s where and how you’re looking. This session challenges the common misconception that it’s difficult to attract new talent to the IBM i platform. Drawing from real-world success stories, we’ll explore how hiring for intrinsic qualities - curiosity, problem-solving ability, determination, and passion for learning - can allow you to grow exceptional IBM i professionals from people with no prior experience on the platform. You don’t need people who already know IBM i - you need smart, driven people, with great communications skills, who love learning and never give up. We’ll discuss how building the community you want to hire from starts long before a job posting goes live: through mentoring, engaging with user groups, and giving back to the broader IBM i community. We’ll also cover the importance of providing modern tools and meaningful projects to keep your IBM i developers engaged and inspired - while leading your organization toward building truly modern IBM i applications. You’ll learn strategies for promoting change within your company so IBM i isn’t thought of as a legacy platform, but a legendary one - where innovation, reliability, and modern thinking come together to power your business into the future.

Learning Objectives:

`- How to rethink hiring on IBM i by focusing on potential and mindset, not experience. - Practical strategies to cultivate a pipeline of passionate IBM i talent through community engagement. - Proven methods for mentoring and retaining developers who become enthusiastic advocates for the platform. - Actionable approaches to modernize your tools, workflows, and development practices on IBM i. - How to lead organizational change that transforms IBM i from legacy perception to legendary reality.