Modern Development on IBM i: The Shift to an AI-Powered Future

Welcome to the September edition of the Programmers.io newsletter!

The race to adopt AI at scale is successfully underway – and as more AI use cases continue to emerge, companies are seeking developers and 3rd party professionals that know how to adopt and develop AI safely, ethically, securely, and at a company-wide scale. As September kicks off the next round of planning and budgeting for 2026, we’re here to inform you of the latest in innovation on IBM i, and how the community is stepping up to the future of forward-thinking, lasting technology solutions.

COMMON NAViGATE: The Latest in IBM i Education

Several exciting IBM i events are happening in September – and we’ll be there! We’d like to firstly announce another event hosted by COMMON – NAViGATE 2025. Held September 15-17 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this 2 ½ day event will feature extensive networking opportunities, industry-leading speakers from around the world, an expanded tech expo, and 100+ educational sessions with topics spanning:

• System Admin & Security
• RPG & Open-Source Development
• DevOps
• Cloud & Modernization Strategy
• AI integration
• ...& More!

Programmers.io will be featured in the expanded Technology Expo at booth #28, ready to talk about all things IBM i. Be sure to stop by and see our team! We’re happy to chat or share how we can support your IBM i modernization journey with a mix of the right plan, products and people to take you where you’re headed.

Mike Pavlak , a member of the Programmers.io team and leading speaker in the IBM i space, will be leading several educational sessions on Stored Procedures and beginner to advanced Python on IBM i. Be sure to sign up for his sessions on the event schedule!

Not yet signed up for the event? There's still time to register on the COMMON website.

Infor InPower: Explore the Latest in Infor ERP

Invested in ERP? We’ll also be attending Infor InPower 2025, the leading annual gathering for Infor XA, LX, and System 21 users running on IBM Power. Held September 22-25 in Pewaukee, Wisconsin, InPower brings together Infor customers, technology leaders, and partners for 3.5 days of in-person networking, hands-on education, and insights from industry leaders.

Featuring a special Monday TECH Day and up to 12 different concurrent sessions, visitors can participate in:

• Technical and functional education
• Product roadmaps
• Open labs and forums
• Unlimited networking opportunities with other Infor and IBM customers
• Discussions with consultants and industry experts

You can register for this trade show through the event site here.

Stay tuned for more event updates and expert insights as we connect with the IBM i community. We’re excited to engage with other passionate technology professionals and hope to see you there!

JS Days 2025: Watch the Premier Virtual JavaScript Conference

This month, we’re thrilled to highlight CTO Bhuvan P. ’s participation in JS Days 2025, the premier virtual event on JavaScript innovation. With over 30 years’ experience in the emerging technologies space, Bhuvan offered his forward-thinking perspective on JavaScript in his session JavaScript in the Age of AI: Adapting and Innovating – a leading topic for those seeking to discover what’s next for JavaScript in modern AI frameworks, tools, UI design, and more.

If you weren’t able to make it live, that’s no problem! We’re providing you exclusive access to Bhuvan’s recorded sessions, listed privately on our YouTube channel.

Click here to request the recording on our Events Page >

IBM iSeries/AS400 Modernization Developments in 2025

IBM has released several exciting updates for IBM i in 2025, not the least of which was the IBM watsonx Code Assistant – an AI-powered tool that accelerates coding workflows for developers of any experience level. Our favorite blog post this month, IBM iSeries/AS400 Modernization Developments in 2025, dives into the features of watsonx, as well as how AI code assistants are significantly influencing modernization through automatically refactoring legacy RPG code, writing documentation, and converting code to different formats. Read our blog to discover how IBM is accelerating coding workflows across Python, Java, C, C++, Go, JavaScript, TypeScript and more with AI – as well as simplifying migrations across cloud and hybrid environments.

Upcoming Webinar: Revolutionizing IBM i Development with AI-Driven Impact Analysis

While the case for modernizing outdated IBM i applications is clear, change management comes with its own set of challenges that must be addressed. Older applications often have a lack of visibility into how your code functions, due to causes like complex interdependencies, insufficient documentation, and knowledge gaps left by retiring developers.

Which is why on September 25th, we’ll be sharing a smarter path to change management in our next webinar, Revolutionizing IBM i Development with AI-Driven Impact Analysis. Hosted by 2024 IBM i Champion Mike Pavlak , this session will showcase how to leverage our AI-powered Impact Analysis (iA) product for in-depth code analysis, documentation, and more – saving costs, effort, and safely identifying dependencies before you change your code.

Here’s what's on the schedule:

• Overview of IBM i modernization challenges & solutions
• Approaches to optimizing resources and cost
• Identifying application structures, dependencies, and areas for improvement
• Using data to guide critical development decisions
• Key strategies for incorporating AI in code analysis

Whether you’re just starting out or a seasoned pro, this lunchtime session is your chance to learn from a leading expert and sharpen your skills. Grab your seat for free today >

Snapshots from Our Team Activities

At Programmers.io, we believe modernization isn’t just about technology – it's about the people who make it happen. In partnership with HDFC Bank and Bombay Hospital, we organized a Health Check-Up Camp on August 26th on-site at our Manasarovar office. Employees were welcome to engage in a list of free health check-up services, including:

• Blood Pressure Monitoring
• Blood Sugar Testing
• Dental Check-up
• Electrocardiogram (ECG)
• General Physician Consultation

Additionally, a specialist-led session was held for team members to learn and ask questions about short and long-term health, wellness, and habits that promote healthy living, both in and out of the workday.

We offer a big thank you to the team members and partners who made this event possible, and want to highlight the importance of prioritizing personal wellbeing. We're honored to take care of our colleagues that innovate with us every day, support one another, and contribute to our collective growth and success.

Key Takeaways

Modern development in an AI-powered world has spurred a lot of change – and fast.

More than ever, companies and development teams are having to remain agile, informed, and ready to innovate to an efficiency-focused future. But along with the pressure to modernize comes even more opportunities to learn, bring ideas to the table, and be a part of the next era of IBM i development.

We’re excited to explore upcoming advancements with such an enthusiastic community. Be sure to subscribe for more updates, company announcements, and insights from platform experts.

Let’s keep innovating together!