Monday 23 August 2010

Still a couple of places available on the Logicalis annual Study Tour to Rochester, Minnesota

Logicalis' annual Study Tour gives delegates the chance to learn about IBM's strategy for Power Systems and IBM i from the most senior and knowledgeable speakers at the Rochester, Minnesota Laboratories. Sessions are very interactive and are covered by the Forum Confidential Disclosure Agreement, allowing speakers to share futures information with attendees. As always the event also provides an opportunity to discuss issues with your peers, in this case including representatives of Logicalis US customers.

Dates: 14-19 September.

For details see my previous post on this subject.

Monday 9 August 2010

Logicalis IT Forum : 2010 Study Tour to Rochester, Minnesota : 14-19 September






We have a very exciting provisional agenda for this year's IT Forum study tour to the IBM Laboratories in Rochester, Minnesota.

Current agenda (unconfirmed)

Zumbro Room, Executive Briefing Center, IBM Rochester, MN
Wednesday 15 September
09:00 : Welcome : John Rathke, Briefing Project Manager for Europe and Latin America
09:10 : Power7 Update and Directions
10:20 : Break
10:30 : IBM i 6.1, and 7.1 Update and Directions: What benefits are gained by moving to 6.1 and/or 7.1? : Steve Will, Chief Architect, IBM i Operating System
12:00 : Luncheon
13:20 : PowerVM: IBM i, AIX, Linux, VIOS, Blades : Naresh Nayar, IBM Distinguished Engineer, Architect –  PowerVM
14:05 : Break
14:15 : PowerHA : Steven Finnes, Power Systems HA Product Offering Manager
15:15 : Backup/Recovery Update : Deb Saugen, IBM Rochester
Thursday 16 September
09:00 : IBM Systems Director – Bringing together IBM Platforms: to include i Navigator coming under Director banner : Rob Bestgen, Business Architect, IBM Systems Director
10:00 : Break
10:10 : Application Development Directions: Rational Development Tools : Tim Rowe, Business Architect. Application Development for IBM i
11:10 : Break
11:20 : Application Development Directions – continued: General Update – Open Access for RPG, etc. : Tim  Rowe
12:20 : Luncheon
13:20 : Green Initiatives : Brad Brech, IBM Distinguished Engineer, STG Software Strategy and Architecture
14:20 : Break
14:30 : Security Update from a compliance perspective : Terry Ford, Project Manager, Security Services Delivery
15:30 : Break
15:40 : DB2 for IBM i: Data Warehousing
Friday 17 September
09:00 : Cloud Computing : Amit Dave, IBM Distinguished Engineer, STG Software Portfolio Management
10:00 : Break
10:10 : IBM i Marketing Update : Ian Jarman, Manager, Power Systems Software
11:25 : Web Support Update : Paula Fulton, Executive IT Specialist - Senior Certified IBM Support Portal Strategy and Design
12:25 : Luncheon
13:25 : WebSphere on IBM i - Update 

Logistics Overview
We will leave Heathrow at lunchtime on Tuesday 14 September, getting back late morning on Sunday 19 September.
The Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights will be spent at the Marriott TownePlace Suites in Rochester, and the Friday night at the Minneapolis Airport Marriott.

If you are interested in attending, or for any further information, please get in touch with me at mandy.shaw@iperimeter.co.uk or on 01225 436302.




Tuesday 3 August 2010

Excellent description of a great manager


Great article by David Hopps in yesterday's Guardian at http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2010/aug/02/andy-flower-england-pakistanincluding the following, which seems to me to encapsulate most things great managers do:
'One of Andy Flower's great achievements as England's coach ... is to oversee an atmosphere of professionalism, ambition and mutual dependency ... He is shrewd, in charge of his brief and, what's more, he is in charge of his team. He talks honestly but not carelessly. He is measured, not glib, or evasive, or a sucker for meaningless phrases. He analyses but does not inhibit. He is tough but in no stretch of the imagination is he a bully. His fairness demands respect because not to respect him is to be foolish.'