Date:  Thursday, September 25, 2014

Time:  12:00pm – 1:00pm EDT

Register:  HERE

Every organization – current DB2 users and others – is under fire to deliver a flexible, reliable database solution to support business requirements.  In sixty minutes you will learn why DB2 10.5 for LUW is the best choice to support critical data management needs.  When someone asks, “Why DB2?” you will have 3 answers!

We will cover:

1. Functionality: high availability with pureScale, maximum data compression, and query acceleration with DB2 BLU
2. Success:  learn how current customers are leveraging DB2 to meet their objectives
3. Pricing:  find the right fit with simplified purchasing options

Whether you are currently using DB2 and looking to better understand its features, or considering a move to DB2, please join us.

The webinar will be presented by IBM DB2 Competitive Sales Specialist Bill Kincaid and IBM Champion Kim May.

About the presenters:

Bill Kincaid is an IBM DB2 Competitive Sales Specialist.  Bill has worked for IBM, Microsoft and Oracle, as well as data virtualization solution developer xkoto.  Bill’s specialty is helping database users – customers currently using DB2 and customers considering migrating to DB2 – to fully understand the value of DB2.  Bill earned his BA at the University of North Carolina and his MBA from the University of Georgia.  He lives in Charlotte and works with IBM customers in the Eastern US.

Kim May is the Vice President of Business Development for The Fillmore Group and an IBM Champion for Information Management.  Kim coordinates The Fillmore Group’s software sales and consulting efforts, including migration support for customers moving workloads to DB2.  Kim’s experience includes several years supporting technical education, and she currently serves on the board of the Baltimore/Washington DB2 Users Group.

IBM has scheduled a second presentation of the 2014 zEnterprise Technology Summit due to the snowstorm that hit in January when the event ran originally.  If you are in the area and have time to attend, please do!  Information on the event is below; register on the IBM site here.  There are several other events scheduled across the US in 2014 – view them on the IBM site here.

IBM zEnterprise Technology Summit Tuesday, May 6, Washington, DC

New technology is stretching IT budgets in many directions, forcing IT to find better ways of meeting business demands in increasingly complex data centers. Read More…

This past summer IBM rolled out the Global Skills Initiative, essentially outsourcing all education marketing and delivery to four selected Global Training Partners.  IBM will continue to develop course curriculum, but everything else is now in the hands of the four Global Training Partners, or GTP’s.

The Fillmore Group has aligned with Global Training Partner Arrow ECS, our software distributor, and I am pleased to finally be able to announce that we are back in the training business.

There are still challenges.  Two of the biggest are the process of finding our classes on the IBM training site and actually registering for a class.  While I work through this process so I can update our website with accurate information, I am going to post our schedule in as many places as possible (right here for starters), and invite anyone in search of an IBM class to contact me if you need help.  Public classes, private classes, in the classroom or remote – please don’t hesitate to email me.  I want to help!

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!

Instructor-led classroom training is the most effective and reliable way to develop new data management skills.  The Fillmore Group delivers a select group of public IBM authorized training courses in our state of the art classroom in Towson, Maryland.  Invest in yourself and join us for a class in 2012. 

A list of classes scheduled for the first half of 2012 is attached.  Please feel free to contact me with questions on our training offerings.  In addition to these classes TFG delivers private onsite classes, classes via distance learning, and custom training to meet specific needs.

First Half 2012 IBM Information Management Training Word

The Fillmore Group’s Frank Fillmore has been delivering training classes on IBM’s behalf for so many years that the team here at TFG has the drill down cold:  get the IBM enrollment reports once or twice a week and figure out which classes are likely to run, advertise the ones that look promising, then cross our fingers and hope the enrollment is sufficient to be able to notify the students that class is ON!!

From there it is off to the store to stock up on sodas and treats for Donna and planning on a weekend in the classroom to do the lab set-up for Frank (sorry, Frank!)  When everything is set and the students arrive, Frank goes into delivery mode and somehow stays focused in spite of lab malfunctions, power outages and jetlagged students.   

Over the past two years we’ve seen class enrollment going up, just a bit.  I hope that as you read this you will give some thought to the benefits of IBM Information Management training.  We work really hard to deliver a great experience to everyone who comes to Towson for a class.  We have Information Server (DX447), DataStage (DX444) and DB2 Connect (CF602) classes coming up.

IBM DB2 Connect expert Melanie Stopfer’s Presentation, “Help Me, Help You – DRDA Connections to DB2 for z/OS” will be delivered to the DB2 Connect Virtual Users Group on Tuesday, April 27th, from 12:00pm-1:00pm EDT.  All are welcome to join us for this webinar.  Register here.

Abstract:
Do you want to better understand and tune your remote DRDA connections to DB2 z/OS? Are you looking for tips to make your life easier?  Melanie will present analogies and insider advice to help improve performance, availability, reliability, and usability. The goal is to provide you with an arsenal of tips you can use in various remote DRDA distributed to DB2 z/OS situations.  Come learn new DB2 Connect and JDBC Universal Driver tips and tricks that you need to know.

Read More…

IBM’s Melanie Stopfer has volunteered to present at the next DB2 Connect VUG session.  Melanie’s presentation is titled, “Help Me, Help You, Remote DRDA Connections to DB2 z/OS“.    The session abstract and objectives are below, along with Melanie’s bio.  I hope you will join us!

Abstract:
Do you want to better understand and tune your remote DRDA connections to DB2 z/OS? Are you looking for tips to make your life easier?  Melanie will present analogies and insider advice to help improve performance, availability, reliability, and usability. The goal is to provide you with an arsenal of tips you can use in various remote DRDA distributed to DB2 z/OS situations.  Come learn new DB2 Connect and JDBC Universal Driver tips and tricks that you need to know.

Read More…