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!

We live in a TLA (Three Letter Acronym) happy world, and there’s one very special TLA that very few IBM customers – and even IBM’ers – are aware of – VAP.  We have a VAP that we are very proud of and today received notification from IBM that it was recently revalidated.  I thought I should write about it, because VAP really is the best way for customers to buy IBM solutions.  Even if the VAP you need isn’t one we offer, ask your IBM team or Business Partner if they offer a VAP for the solution you are considering.

VAP stands for Value Advantage Plus.  Not exactly clear, huh?  Well, basically what a VAP does is offers IBM Business Partners a discount on IBM software solutions when they bundle services and training.   This does two things:  1) it offers an incentive to Business Partners to include services and training in a solution proposal, and 2) it reduces the cost of software to the partner.

Most technical solutions require technical assistance to implement; anyone who has been given a redbook and told to figure it out knows how difficult a do-it-yourself implementation is, and we have all unfortunately become accustomed to the software license cost being the only cost discussed when purchasing IBM software.  The second benefit, reduced cost to the Business Partner should, if you are working with an honest and ethical partner (think The Fillmore Group!) result in a lower price for you, the customer.

The Fillmore Group’s VAP is for IBM replication solutions, including Q Replication and ICDC.  We are currently working on both Q Replication and ICDC implementation projects and have historically been the exclusive provider of public IBM education for these products.

If you are considering a replication solution purchase and implementation please let us know – we would be happy to help you take advantage of this little known (terrific!) way to make sure your solution project is a success.

I was pleased and a bit surprised at the feedback from the blog post and email we sent out about the end of the IBM Authorized Training Program.  I have been gathering information on what the new program means – to IBM customers, training partners and the many independent instructors IBM has worked with over the years – and thought I would post an update.

I apologize if I didn’t respond individually to anyone who contacted me with feedback (it was good to hear from so many people, but wow!)  Overall the response was quite reassuring, as I have often wondered why it seems IBM customers are so reluctant to invest in education and skills.  Maybe they aren’t!

Today, I understand IBM intends to select 3-5 global organizations to take over the management, marketing and delivery of public training classes.  The IBM announcement about the new program is on their website. 

These vendors will manage the selection of instructors, delivery locations (cities and classrooms), and develop their own class schedules.  I’ve spoken to several of the vendors being considered and they seem to have some specific ideas as to how things will work, although quite honestly, there were some significant differences in their expectations.

For those of you who are instructors, I have been told the Global Training Partners will be able to select instructors based on criteria they establish independent of IBM, within their organizations, which essentially negates the IBM instructor authorization process. 

For those of you concerned with the availability of classes in Q3 and Q4 of 2013, it looks like IBM is working with a few providers vying for the Global Training Provider slots (Arrow, Avnet, TUV Rheinland and Learnquest) to build out a skeleton schedule of classes to be delivered in North America in Q3.  Most will be held in NYC and Colorado.  These classes are listed on the IBM training site by location.

As for private classes, I understand IBM intends to continue to coordinate and deliver private classes for customers. 

I hope this helps keep everyone up to date with the changes.  I am anxious and hope The Fillmore Group is able to continue to deliver training to IBM customers.

Get the back-to-school spirit and register for a fall class at The Fillmore Group.  The classes below are scheduled to run in our Towson, Maryland classroom, just north of Baltimore.  I can’t promise crunching leaves underfoot but I can assure you will enjoy state-of-the art classroom equipment and award winning instructors.  Click on the course code for details and registration on the IBM site.

Don’t see the course you are looking for?  The Fillmore Group also delivers private classes on a variety of Information Management topics. 

Read More…

The Fillmore Group will be hosting three sessions of what we are calling, “DB2 101” – sessions that provide an executive overview of the IBM Information Management product portfolio, one each month, in February, March and April.  We have selected three restaurants close to our Baltimore headquarters – 2 in Baltimore and 1 in Columbia, Maryland (about halfway between Baltimore and Washington, DC).  The purpose of each session is to bring attendees up to date on IBM’s Information Management product portfolio (an expanding target), and strategy. Read More…

Valentine’s Day!  What could be more fitting if you need to learn to LOVE InfoSphere Q Replication?  In honor of St. Valentine’s Day students attending class will receive a box of Godiva Valentine chocolates.  If you use Q Replication and have not attended any formal training this class will give you an understanding of how Q Rep works, how to make changes, and how to ensure your monitoring is 100% functional.  The outline and registration are on the IBM Learning Services website.  I hope you will join us!

As the end of the year approaches, if you have been careful with spending and have remaining 2010 budget, please consider purchasing a DB2 services or training retainer from The Fillmore Group.

With a services or training retainer, your organization can preserve unspent 2010 budget funds and use them next year.  Here is how it works:

Services:  purchase a minimum of 150 DB2 services hours in advance at an hourly rate of $150 per hour.  These services hours will be placed in a retainer for your organization’s use over the next 24 months.   The Fillmore Group has been delivering retainer-based services to customers looking for lower rates for ten years.  When you add in the benefit of stretching budget funds across multiple years, the value increases even more.  If you are interested there is a comprehensive description of retainer-based services on our website(www.thefillmoregroup.com – the link is on the left side of the homepage).

Training:  purchase a private DB2 class in advance for delivery in 2011.  The Fillmore Group uses IBM authorized curriculum, IBM remote eLabs (to minimize lab setup hassles) and experienced instructors.  A three-day class retainer for a private class of up to six students is $12,000 and a four-day class retainer for a private class of up to six students is $14,000. 

If you are interested and have questions, please contact us at (410) 465-6335 – and we will look forward to working with you in 2011!

IBM’s Norma Mullin is presenting a webcast next week titled, “Using What’s New in InfoSphere Data Architect to Accelerate Design for Data Warehouse and BI”.  Norma, whose official IBM title is Consulting IT Specialist/Client Technical Specialist, has worked extensively with customers implementing IDA and authored a whitepaper on migrating from ERWIN to IDA.  The webcast is scheduled to run from 1:00pm to 2:00pm Eastern time this coming Thursday, October 14th.  To register, go to:  http://bit.ly/bq4U1J

Norma’s presentation abstract is below:

InfoSphere Data Architect is a data design solution to model, relate, and develop data assets. New features will help accelerate the design of data warehouses, automatically discover and create data warehouse schema, and enable the use of standardized logical models to centralize data definitions across the enterprise.

What you will learn: • Classify dimensions, create dimensional objects and analyze dimensional models in InfoSphere Data Architect • Work with dimensional physical models • How InfoSphere Data Architect integrates with Cognos and InfoSphere Warehouse

While there are many indications the “Great Recession” is over, the budget lag and fear of one last dip seems to be constraining IT project funding – EXCEPT – of all places, training.  While this seems perfectly logical (when there are fewer hands to do the work, making sure those hands are skilled is critical), historically, training budgets are the first to be cut when there’s a downturn.  Maybe organizations are wising up this time around…here at The Fillmore Group we are receiving more training requests than anytime in the past five years.  Read More…

The countdown to the first day of Spring is below 20!  Spring can’t come soon enough for me, as here in Baltimore we’ve had over 80 inches of snow – our average is 18.  In preparation for Spring I am coordinating events with the local IBM teams to introduce customers to two great technologies we hope everyone will consider implementing in 2010:  InfoSphere Change Data Capture (CDC) and Optim Data Growth Solutions. 

Both events are planned for Baltimore’s beautiful Camden Yards, home of the Baltimore Orioles.  The tentative date for the CDC event is Thursday, May 6th, with a PoT scheduled two weeks later on May 20th.  I am working on getting the Optim dates on the calendar.  If you will be in the Baltimore/Washington area please try to join us – both topics should be of value to organizations looking for ways to better control their data.  CDC’s niche is in quickly moving data to where it’s most effective, while Optim Data Growth Solutions can help any organization with a packrat in the IT Department.  You know who you are.

Hope to see you there!