For Baltimore and Mid-Atlantic area data management customers, The Fillmore Group is excited to announce a “DB2 101” luncheon event at award-winning Woodberry Kitchen in Baltimore on Thursday, April 21, 2016, from 11am – 2pm.

Join DB2 Gold Consultant Frank C. Fillmore, Jr., for a delicious lunch and a sprint through the IBM Analytics 2016 data management solutions portfolio.   Whether you are a long-time IBM customer or are considering your first IBM product purchase, Frank’s presentation will deliver the latest on today’s hottest technology topics – HTAP, Big Data/Hadoop and Cloud – and the specific solutions IBM has built, acquired and integrated to enable customers to meet their data management goals.

Is this, “the more things change the more they stay the same”, or an inflection point for data technology? You be the judge!

Frank’s overview will include IBM’s DB2 core databases, InfoSphere data integration solutions, Hybrid Transaction / Analytics Processing (HTAP), Big Data/Hadoop and Cloud offerings, as well as his 2016 best product recommendations and resources to help you learn more and evaluate these solutions.

Lunch and valet parking will be provided free of charge by The Fillmore Group.  Registration is required as seating is limited.  Register HERE.

If you have any questions or dietary restrictions please contact Kim May at kim.may@thefillmoregroup.com.  I hope we will see you at Woodberry!

I only spoke with Steve Mills a couple of times and attended presentations he delivered at conferences a few others, but he has had an enormous impact on my career.  Steve was the executive sponsor of the DB2 Gold Consultants program, of which I have been a member since 1998.  Steve recognized that specialized, deep technical skills were imperative to enabling the adoption and successful deployment of IBM’s world-class, function-rich – but let’s face it: enormously complex – information technologies.  Through the DB2 Gold Consultants program, Steve cultivated a cadre that were not only among the best DB2 practitioners, but foremost in the world in relational database technology in general.  Folks like Richard Yevich, Bonnie Baker, Frank Ingrassia, Terry Purcell, Jan Henderyckx, and Gerry Hodge.  I am humbled to be numbered among them.

For years IBM would sponsor a week-long DB2 Gold Consultants conference, usually at Silicon Valley or Toronto Lab.  Dozens of presenters including IBM Fellows like Pat Selinger, Don Haderle, Don Chamberlin, Hamid Pirahesh, and Curt Cotner would tell us about broad industry trends and specifics regarding features and functions in vNext, vNext+, and vNext++.  It was an amazing feast of insight which enabled me to better serve my clients.  None of that would have happened without Steve’s leadership.

An even more critical and direct aspect of Steve’s support was his sponsorship of contracting vehicles for DB2 Gold Consultants which enabled us to engage directly with IBM without having to add additional layers of third-part procurement.  He understood the practical problem of small businesses and sole practitioners trying to navigate a large, cumbersome bureaucracy.  One time I explained to Steve that even with the contracting vehicle in place, IBM buyers occasionally refused to use it.  His response was “Sometimes the inmates are running the asylum”.  I didn’t hear anything for a couple of weeks and then I received a call from a senior IBM procurement officer who introduced himself by saying: “Hi, I’m one of the ‘inmates'”.  Of course, the problem was resolved.

Steve Mills, the quintessential old-school “wild duck” IBMer, will be missed.

One result of the IBM Global Skills Initiative is the complexity around course scheduling and registration as there are now five Global Training Partners managing these processes.

The Fillmore Group is aligned with our software distributor, Arrow ECS, for IBM Analytics training delivery.  Through our relationship with Arrow we deliver public, open enrollment IBM Analytics classes in our Towson, Maryland, classroom, as well as distance learning, remote classes, and private classes.

Finding our classes on the Arrow website can be a challenge, but there are two ways to do this.

#1   Click here for classes scheduled for the next 60 days

This link will take you to the pre-sorted courses scheduled to run at The Fillmore Group in the next 60 days.

#2   Visit the Arrow ECS website and sort courses

If you would like to review the courses delivered by The Fillmore Group in Towson as well as courses delivered by other Arrow affiliated vendors in other locations, follow these instructions:

1. Click on https://ecsedu.arrow.com/ibm/us
2. At the top of the screen hover over or pull down “Scheduled and Distance Classes”
3. Click on “Training schedules”
4. Select “United States”
5.  In the list of locations, De-select “All”, then check “Towson”
6. Select “6 months” for the time period to display
7. Answer “No” to the “Show Only Guaranteed to Run” question
8. Select “All” for topics, hardware and software
9. Click the “See” button to display the classes

You should see a list of classes scheduled displayed like this.  The schedule contains dates and hyperlinks to register for individual sessions.

I hope this helps!  If can answer any questions on locating classes or navigating through to fjnd what you need, don’t hesitate to email (kim.may@thefillmoregroup.com) or call (443-956-0288) me.

I was on a call this morning with an IBM technical team to discuss our progress filling the seats in one of our upcoming free IDAA classes.  Not surprising, given the number of people on the call (and who they were!) we went a bit off topic and ended up chatting about services and what appears to be – to IBM customers and sellers at least – a shortage of skilled consultants available to help with the “tions” – replication, implementations, migrations and federation.

The Fillmore Group has skilled consultants available to support these efforts, at rates that are typically about half of those being charged by “the competition”.

If your team has a project pending, or one in process, where a skilled consultant, at a reasonable hourly rate, can get things back on track, please contact me.  We are ready to work!  A list of our IBM Information Management capabilities is attached here.

Over the last 10 years I have become deeply immersed in three major (then) new IBM Information Management software technologies:

• IBM InfoSphere Data Replication (IIDR – Q Replication)
• InfoSphere Information Server (legacy DataStage, et al)
• PureData System for Analytics (nee Netezza) and – it’s sibling for System z – IBM DB2 Analytics Accelerator (IDAA)

If there’s a theme it’s data in motion, data transformation, and deep analytics.  In 2014 The Fillmore Group is focusing on BigData which encompasses all three.  As an IBM authorized Training Sales and Delivery Partner we offer IBM’s BigData curriculum.  As such I am gathering all of the resources I can find to dive into

1. InfoSphere BigInsights – IBM’s distribution of Hadoop (and a whole lot more)
2. InfoSphere Streams – Real Time Analytical Processing (RTAP) for data in motion like stock trades and social networking feeds
3. InfoSphere Data Explorer – federated discovery, navigation, and search in the BigData world

This week I am attending an IBM BigData Fundamentals Bootcamp.  I have four free resources that I would like to share with anyone who wants to try to understand BigData.  Two Redbooks:

• Just published: “IBM InfoSphere Streams: Accelerating Deployments with Analytic Accelerators“
• “Implementing IBM InfoSphere BigInsights on IBM System x“

In addition, there are two free VMWare images of fully-functional software available for download.  Please note: these images are to be used for education and demonstration purposes only; they cannot be used to support production workloads.

• IBM InfoSphere BigInsights Quick Start Edition
• IBM InfoSphere Streams Quick Start Edition

More to follow on my return from the Bootcamp.

With IBM’s 2014 focus on Big Data solutions I want to highlight The Fillmore Group’s IBM authorized training classes coming this Spring – and invite new BigInsights and Streams customers to join us.  We have students enrolled and expect these sessions to run as scheduled.

All classes may be attended either in our classroom in Towson, Maryland, or remotely via distance learning.

Feb 26 DW652  IBM BigInsights Analytics for Programmers      2 days; $1500

Mar 17 DW723  Program for InfoSphere Streams V3 with SPL   4 days; $3000

Mar 21 DW730  Administration of InfoSphere Streams                 1 day; $750

Apr 2   DW641   BigInsights Analytics for Business Analysts        1 day; $750

If you are interested in learning more click on the course code above for the complete outline of topics to be covered and registration information.  If you have any questions on these classes or other training classes available from The Fillmore Group please contact me here.

One note:  these classes are being delivered through The Fillmore Group’s affiliation with Global Training Provider Arrow ECS; you will need to register for classes on the Arrow website.

Thanks!

From my colleague, Jim Herrmann:

The Central Ohio DB2 Users Group (CODUG) no longer exists, but we are taking action to bring it back as a tremendous resource for the community and an amazing opportunity for leadership. CODUG is going to be a great DB2 regional users group because the members of the central Ohio DB2 community are going to make it so.

We are going to start out with all of you being a valuable contribution to your community by completing the RSVP for the June 25th, where you will have the ability to choose the presentations that you want to see from our amazing speakers. Use the URL below:

http://goo.gl/mpWT0

The short URL above links to a Google Docs form, which some company firewalls block, in which case you will need to make the extra effort of forwarding and filling out the form from home. Your input is essential to the success of the group. Whether you are planning to come on 6/25 or not, please fill out the form with your information and your vote. It’s free and it puts you in direct communication with the new CODUG!

You would be a further contribution to your friends and coworkers who have built their careers around DB2, on any platform, if you forward this message to them to make certain that they know about this amazing kickoff meeting. Don’t worry about them getting multiple copies, worry about them getting none. Forward this message now, while you’re thinking about it. If you wait, you will forget to do it later, and you will have missed the chance to connect someone to their community.

The meeting will be formatted with a single track in the morning and two tracks in the afternoon, one for DB2 z/OS and one for DB2 LUW. We will actually physically split the room at the lunch break. We have three well known names in the world of DB2 who will be presenting at the meeting. The bios of these three awesome individuals you can find after the attached agenda.

We are building towards an amazing day. Fill out the form, share it, and we will be one step closer to creating something powerful in our lives.

Thank you for your time and your commitment to DB2,
Please don’t forget to join us at Facebook and Linkedin to get to know about future activities at CODUG.
Linkedin group:  http://www.linkedin.com/groups/CODUG-Central-Ohio-DB2-Users-5014603/about
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CODUG
Agenda

09:00 – 09:30    CODUG Possibility (Jim Herrmann)
09:30 – 10:00    IBM Announcements (Monte Bauman)
10:00 – 10:15    Break
10:15 – 11:30    “DB2 101” or “I didn’t know IBM Information Management could do that!” (Frank Fillmore)
11:30 – 12:45    Lunch
12:45 – 14:15    First afternoon presentation block (Scott Hayes and Robert Catterall)
14:15 – 14:30    Break
14:30 – 16:00    Second afternoon presentation block (Scott Hayes and Robert Catterall)

Frank C. Fillmore, Jr., DB2 Gold Consultant and IBM Champion, is the Founder and President of The Fillmore Group, Inc., a Premier IBM Business Partner that specializes in Information Management (IM) software sales, consulting, and training.  Frank has appeared on the IDUG Experts Panel and frequently presents to customers and local DB2 users groups.  Franks 25 years of field experience spans IBMs Information Integration, Data Governance, Data Warehousing, and Big Data portfolios. Read More…

IBM Champion Kim May of The Fillmore Group and Warren Heising of IBM deliver the details on “IBM Big Data Announcements – What You Should Know”.  A replay of the May 9th, 2013 webinar can be found here.  The presentation materials can be accessed MA VUG Warren Heising Big Data Announcements 5 9 13

I had the opportunity to chat with Jeff Kelly, Big Data Analyst, at Wikibon.  You can about our discussion on the Silicon Angle blog or view the interview here.

On April 30th IBM announced several significant solution enhancements related to data management and big data.  These announcements reflect IBM’s commitment to leading the next generation of data solutions through improved functionality in their core database and data warehouse solutions, as well as expanding the capabilities of their solutions built to exploit big data, BigInsights and InfoSphere Streams.  For DB2 database customers IBM announced BLU Acceleration, delivering 8 to 25 times faster reporting and analytics on DB2, along with significant compression and space savings.  For customers considering IBM’s Big Data solutions, IBM announced BigSQL, its ANSI SQL interface that makes BigInsights analysis accessible to business users, not just data scientists.    And for organizations looking to simplify administration, a new appliance, the IBM PureData System for Hadoop was announced.

Join us Thursday, May 9th from 11am-12pm Eastern for an overview of the announcement and learn how your organization can benefit from IBM’s continued investment in data management.  Register here.

Presenter:
Warren Heising, Certified Consulting IT Specialist IBM
Warren is a Certified Consulting IT Specialist for IBM working in the Mid-Atlantic region.  He has over 25 years experience in the database field including 9 years at Informix prior to the IBM acquisition. He has a strong background in both OLTP and DSS Informix products and has worked with numerous clients in both Commercial and Federal accounts. Currently, he supports the full family of IBM Informix products along with DB2 and big data products for the Mid-Atlantic region and is actively involved in Proof of Technology and Proof of Concept scheduling and delivery.