The IDAA class feedback was terrific as the attendees had the opportunity to expand their understanding of the potential use cases and opportunities to use the IDAA to:  1) speed analytic queries, 2) archive rarely used data, and retrieve it quickly, and 3) reconsolidate workloads on System z.

We hosted the class in Baltimore, since it’s our backyard.  At the recommendation of the IBM Big Data team, we are planning to host two more sessions in June.  The dates are confirmed:  June 11th and 12th, and June 25th and 26th, but the locations are still TBD.

If you are interested in attending, the outline is available here, and my email address is here.  If you let me know you are interested I will contact you – before the end of April – with the two locations.

The Fillmore Group will deliver a free webinar Wednesday, June 26th, from 11am-noon EDT on the value of migrating from Oracle to DB2.  We have been assisting customers with Oracle to DB2 migrations for the past few years and believe that with the recent DB2 BLU enhancements and IULA announcement the time is right to break free!

Register Here.

What’s an IULA?  It’s the IBM Unlimited License Agreement, a new way to license DB2 use that provides a low cost entry point to purchase DB2, and allows customers to predict and control their ongoing maintenance and support costs.  

As long-time believers in the superiority of IBM’s database technology, we also want to spread the word about the technical enhancements announced for the new IBM BLU Acceleration.  With beta customers reporting 90%-95% compression and amazing performance improvements, the DB2 vs. Oracle performance comparison is a great story to tell.

Most importantly, however, is helping current and prospective IBM customers understand where IBM’s efforts to compete directly with Oracle will deliver the most benefit to their organizations.  Whether it’s cost, performance, or simplifying their in-house database environment, we want to help each one understand why and how IBM has the lead.

I hope you will join us!

Frank is attending IDUG in Orlando this week to present on one of our favorite new IBM Information Management solutions, Query Capture Replay (QCR).  If you are heading to Florida this week, please say hi to Frank and join him on Thursday, May 2nd, from 3:30pm – 4:30pm in Bonaire 7&8 for his session.  

“Don’t Guesstimate! Migration Testing with Query Capture Replay”

This presentation focuses on several migration use cases for IBM’s new InfoSphere Optim Query Capture and Replay tool, announced in 2012. Query Capture and Replay (QCR) enables users to capture database activity on a production database and run it to analyze and evaluate the performance when changes – to SQL, hardware, operating system software and even the underlying database – are completed. It’s a great new migration tool.

The Fillmore Group has been delivering IBM Authorized Training classes in our Towson, Maryland classroom for the past several years and believe we offer some of the best DB2 training around – in a comfortable facility at an affordable travel location.  Our first half of 2013 schedule has recently been posted on the IBM website and a complete list of classes is available here.

In addition to the public, open enrollment classes we host on IBM’s behalf, we deliver an extended group of IBM classes directly to organizations as private classes.  The complete list of private classes available is attached here. 

If you or anyone on your team is looking to upgrade your DB2 skills in 2013 please let me know how I can assist.   Email me directly and I will help!

An article I wrote, “How to Get the Most from a Distance Learning Class“, to help students successfully participate in remote classes was published in IBMdatamag.com (IBM Data Management magazine) this week.  If you are planning to attend an upcoming class and opt to attend via Distance Learning I recommend it.   

The Fillmore Group has been delivering IBM Information Management training classes for over fifteen years, courses we developed internally as well as classes delivered on behalf of IBM as an IBM Authorized Training Partner.  In the early 2000’s we developed one of the first delivery tools to enable students to “see” and “hear” the live instructor.  Since then Distance Learning has become available for many classes, and as the tools and delivery methods have evolved we have also developed a better understanding of the challenges remote students face.  I tried to address these in the article. 

Training has become a luxury.  If you have the opportunity to attend a class in the coming months and choose to attend remotely I hope this article helps you get the most value from your class.

Don’t wait – act now!  Invest in DB2 before year end.
 
With 2012 rapidly drawing to a close now is the time to review unused budget funds and invest in DB2 training and services.  The Fillmore Group has our DBA on Demand support option and IBM Authorized Training classes scheduled that can be paid for in advance and used to ensure your team is prepared for a successful 2013.
 
DBA on Demand offers expert consulting services, either onsite or remote, at a discounted hourly rate.  Our “150 for 150” offer delivers 150 hours of support at a discounted hourly rate of $150 per hour.
 
There are still seats available for the December 10th CL412/CL442 DB2 for LUW Performance Tuning and Monitoring Workshop to be delivered by DB2 Gold Consultant Frank C. Fillmore, Jr., in our Towson, Maryland classroom.  Additional TFG classes scheduled are available on the IBM Learning Services website.
 
Please feel free to contact me with any questions on how The Fillmore Group can help preserve your unused funds and help your team have a successful 2013 with DB2!

Use TFG Services to Close Q2 Deals

*Update*  Thanks to the IBM sellers who attended yesterday’s webinar.  The slide deck is attached – I hope it helps with your Q2 sales!

I am delivering a webcast Thursday, June 14th, targeted to IBM Information Management software sellers who may benefit from using The Fillmore Group’s services to help close software sales deals by the end of June – a big day for IBM sellers (it’s the end of the first half of their business year).  I am excited to do this as The Fillmore Group has historically taken a holistic view of the software acquisition process.  We recognize that more needs to happen AFTER customers purchase Information Management software than BEFORE.

And while figuring out the budget and how much an organization has available to spend on the software itself is important, it’s the follow-on services that make or break an implementation – consulting to help install the software and integrate it with existing systems, and training to ensure an organization’s DBA team is prepared to support it long-term. 

We offer these services and are proud of the consistently fine work performed by our consultants and trainers. 

If you sell IBM software and would like to attend the webinar, I am keeping it short and sweet (30 minutes start to finish).  Register here.

Or, if you are an IBM customer, or thinking about becoming an IBM customer, and are interested in top qualify services from a Premier Business Partner, please contact me here.

IBM introduced the DB2 Advanced Enterprise Server Edtion (AESE) in late 2010, bundling Optim tools, compression and replication for high availability and disaster recovery in with the features in DB2 Enterprise Server Edition.  Current DB2 customers are offered several upgrade options, making AESE an affordable, comprehensive database solution and an alternative to going a la carte.  

In this presentation DB2 Gold Consultant and IBM Champion Frank C. Fillmore, Jr., will explain what each of the features included in the AESE bundle is and what functionality they deliver.  Using customer examples, Frank will analyze the benefits of moving to AESE for each organization and how they evaluated the options and reached a decision.  Finally Frank will explain how to determine the upgrade path for your organization and what you can do immediately to get an accurate estimate of the cost and best time to move to AESE.    For details on the presentation click, “Read More”. 

April 5th, 12:00pm – 1:00pm EDT.    Register here.

Read More…

Frank delivered a terrific summary of the products in the Information Management portfolio at a lunch event at Baltimore’s Cinghiale restaurant earlier this month.  Unfortunately, we can’t offer everyone lunch (sorry!) but we will offer a repeat presentation via webinar on April 5th.  The invitation and registration information are below and the complete session abstract and Frank’s bio can be accessed by clicking ” Read More”.  Please share this event with anyone who may be interested in learning more about what IBM has to offer – it’s packed with great information.

Thursday, April 5, 2012, 3:00pm – 4:00pm EDT    Register here.  Read More…

If you are in the Baltimore/Washington area tomorrow afternoon, please stop by the BW DB2 Users Group Meeting at the Columbia Sheraton to hear Robert Catterall present on:

“DB2 for z/OS Stored Procedures – Trends and Technology” and 

“The MOST VALUABLE Information I Get From DB2 for z/OS Monitor Accounting and Statistics Reports”

Robert is a terrific speaker (and a great consultant, too!)  For the meeting address and logistics visit the BWDB2UG website at www.BWDB2UG.org