Find out what's happening with Information Management, DB2, InfoSphere, Warehouse

Join us for this webcast that will help you understand where DB2 is headed in the future... IBM DB2 Chat with the Lab - Thursday, April 12th at 11 AM Eastern, 10 AM Central, 8 AM Pacific Beyond DB2 Viper - Technology Trends and Directions The next offering in IBM's Chat with the Lab series will feature Sal Vella , Vice President of DB2 Development for Linux, Unix and Windows and Les King , Program Director of the Data Services Portfolio, who will talk about the next release of DB2 on the distributed platform. A detailed look at key... [More]

A total of 19 Technical Education sessions are being offered at the IOD conference on Sunday October 14 in Las Vegas. The sessions are spread across the following segments: Information Platform & Solutions (3)Enterprise Content Management (3)Data Servers (12)Support (1) The fee for these classes is set at $399.00 which is the same price as offered at last year's conference. I've listed most of the available sessions in this entry. Click on the link to see the list and to register for the class. Successfully Transitioning with DB2 9 for z/OS... [More]

Two more books by Roger Sanders are ready to preorder and will ship in October! If you are going to be at the IOD conference, you'll also have an opportunity to buy the book at the bookstore onsite. Your choice! Expert Preparation for Exam 731: DB2 9 for Linux, UNIX, and Windows Database Administration Certification Study Guide Author: Roger E. Sanders Price: $64.95On Sale: $38.95 Roger E. Sanders—one of the world's leading DB2 authors and an active participant in the development of IBM's DB2 certification exams—covers everything a reader... [More]

It has been pretty tough to find time to create blog entries while at the IOD conference! One of the things I was really proud of this week was the launch of 3 NEW certification guides! I've blogged about this before, but the books were displayed in their full splendor at the conference. With the 20% discount for attendees, the book seller was very happy that the books were flying off the shelves... Here are the books that made their debut while at the conference: DB2 9 for z/OS Database Administration Certification Study Guide for Exam... [More]

Last week’s TwitterChat was as fast paced as usual, but I’m glad to say that we had more people join us than in the past.  Several of the experts are new to twitter, so it is great to hear their points of view (POV)!   Be sure to follow the experts:     @IBM_DB2 @statchuk @jrockwood @mcpherson13 @jasontavoular @GuyLohman1 @tomlrieger @craigmullins @dvellante @DTurnerBlogs @enzeevoice @Keith_Carlsen @dfloyer     Crysta created a Storify recap of the TwitterChat.  Check out the great conversation... [More]

Viral Data in SOA: An Enterprise Pandemic, Rough Cuts By Neal A. Fishman . Published by IBM Press . ISBN-10: 0-13-703567-5; ISBN-13: 978-0-13-703567-0; Will published: July 20, 2009 About the Author Neal Fishman , leader of IBM Software Group's integration forensics program, has spoken at conferences around the world, and is a Practicing Member of the World Wide Institute of Software Architects. He holds IBM certifications in DB2, DataStage, QualityStage, and Information Analyzer. Fishman co-authored Enterprise Architecture... [More]

You may have taken part in this survey of IDUG members on the topic of evolving roles and eduction / training needs. I can't say that the results are unexpected, but I can say that it is very helpful to see the analysis and results as they are discussed in the final survey report, "Data Professionals Broaden Their Skills," . The document is currently posted on IDUG's Web site and can be downloaded free-of-charge. IDUG partnered with Unisphere Media to conduct the survey of IDUG members on this important topic. Sponsored by CA, the survey... [More]

Tags:  idug skills books

Mark your calendars for this event: Accelerate Application Development, Achieve greater business agility and improve business insights with DB2 9 for z/OS pureXML on The World of DB2 for z/OS Time: April 21, 2009 from 11am to 12pm Location: Virtual Event with LIVE Q&A 11 EST Organized By: Surekha Parekh Event Description Keeping pace with rapidly changing requirements is a constant challenge for organizations today. One way to meet this challenge is by storing and processing XML natively. Doing so can help enterprises improve application... [More]

Tags:  green

Happy New Year! I hope you enjoyed a well-deserved break and have lots of momentum for the coming year! I have many things that I could blog about today, but I think this is likely the best thing for the start of the year. On Wednesday, January 9, IDUG and CA are delivering a FREE webcast. This sounds like a perfect way to begin the year! Free Technical Webcast: DB2 Prerequisites, Migrations and Deprecations Wednesday, January 9, 11 a.m. ET IDUG is pleased to partner with CA to deliver a free Webcast by renowned presenter Phil Grainger , CA... [More]

The Version 9 books are slowly arriving, so now is your chance to pick up any Version 8 books that you may want for 50% off the usual price. Here are the details: ************************************************************SPECIAL OFFER - Save 50% on DB2 8 Books************************************************************ BUY any two DB2 8 books from IBM Press and save 50%, plus free ground shipping in the U.S. Make room on your library shelf for these invaluable resources, quantities are limited. DB2 Universal Database V8 for Linux, UNIX, and... [More]

Here is another conference for you to attend Information On Demand's activities: IBM Pulse 2009, February 8-12 in Las Vegas . Information Management is a sponsor at this year's conference and is offering a combination of track sessions, mini-theater presentations and pedestals, to raise awareness on how Information On Demand capabilities can help you reduce costs & complexity associated with managing and governing your information assets. According to an IDC study , digital information is estimated to be growing at 57% per year from 2006 to... [More]

Tags:  conferences

We are off to a great start in 2008 with an incredible 29% increase over December 2007. Information Management software published six IBM Redbooks publications in January: five books and one paper. The most active book in the month of January was "DB2 for z/OS Stored Procedures: Through the CALL and Beyond" followed by "Content Manager OnDemand Guide" . DB2 for z/OS Stored Procedures: Through the CALL and Beyond This IBM Redbook helps you design, install, manage, and tune stored procedures with DB2 for z/OS. Stored procedures can provide... [More]

Tags:  redbooks

Not only is tomorrow the first online community day , but it is also the launch of the " Search for the XML Superstar " contest. Show the world how great your XML skills are! There are five categories in the contest: 1) XML application programming2) ported applications3) database gadgets4) videos5) query challenge Contestants will participate in a combination of education, exposure to practical applications and “tests” that will validate understanding and ability to program IBM database technologies. Entries will be judged by an independent... [More]

Tags:  xml contest

Here are a couple of new books that you may be interested in reading: Reaching The Goal: How Managers Improve a Services Business Using Goldratt's Theory of Constraints by John Ricketts Managing services is extremely challenging, and traditional “industrial” management techniques are no longer adequate. In Reaching the Goal, Dr. John Arthur Ricketts presents a breakthrough management approach that embraces what makes services different: their diversity, complexity, and unique distribution methods. Ricketts draws on Eli Goldratt’s Theory of... [More]

With the summer holidays coming to an end (sad).... and school about to start for a good portion of the population... it seems like the right time to give you a summary of all the IM books we've published this year so far... and those that are coming very soon. I'm very proud of the number of books and the breadth of content that we covered this year... with quite a few more still on their way! I hope you are able to find one or two books that match your needs perfectly! PUBLISHED Understanding DB2 9 Security (IBM Press) by Rebecca Bond, Kevin... [More]

IBM Data Studio software is a revolutionary approach to managing data and data-centric applications throughout the lifecycle, from requirements to retirement. Read the overview article by Holly Hayes that explains both the vision and reality of Data Studio and how you -- whether a data architect, developer or tester, DBA, or data steward -- can use Data Studio today to improve productivity, increase quality of service, and encourage greater alignment across IT roles. Enjoy! Susan

Tags:  datastudio

Join this free SSWUG Webcast: The Big Deal about Big Data , staring expert Paul Zikpoulos.  The webinar is free only during the live broadcast that takes place Wednesday, February 20, 2013, 1:00 PM Eastern.   What you’ll learn: Big Data can mean a lot of things to a lot of people; but one thing we're sure of, it's the hottest thing to hit the IT landscape. In this chat you'll get a comprehensive introduction to Big Data. You'll learn how to spot Big Data, it's characteristics, and what the opportunities are. (Hint, be prepared... [More]

Tags:  paulz sswug bigdata

Another 200 exams taken on the second day of the conference! That brings our two day total of exams given to 400! We appear to be on our way to breaking our previous record of conference exams. Lots of action in the bookstore as well. Many people are choosing to purchase one of the Sanders study guide or the certification guides rather than paying $10 to take an assessment exam. The study guides have a set of assessment questions that explain reason an answer is correct. This may be more helpful to prepare for the exam than taking the... [More]

Tags:  books certification conferences

Quite a few people in the Toronto Lab are upgrading their certifications to the V9 level this summer, and I thought I'd pass on study tips for Exam 733 that I learned from the candidates this week. 1) There isn't a book available for Exam 733, nor is there one in plan. People recommend reading the V8 book by Roger Sanders to help prepare for Exam 733. If you work for IBM, remember that you can access this and other books through Books 24x7 . 2) The two biggest additions to the 733 exam versus the 703 exam is .net and XML content. Of course,... [More]