When our social marketer asked me to put together a post for our blog on Valentine’s Day I thought what in the world am I going to write about on love day?
Then it hit me. I've spent years working with IBM i clients, business partners, IBM and more trade shows than I can remember.
The one thing that stands out in my mind are all the love stories I've heard.
Not the ones about Mary and Joe or Bob and Lisa but the ones about how over the years, IBM i has helped put companies on the map. And, with its 30-year anniversary coming up on June 21, there are a lot of stories to tell.
IBM i has always been at the forefront of technology for as long as I've known the platform, which goes back to my first summer job as a keypunch operator on an IBM 3742 and later as an IBM System/38 Systems Admin (don't judge) and EDP Manager. We had a small team but the platform had everything integrated and made it easy for us to implement EDI, Internet, manage our data and more importantly - grow our business.
That was over 25 years ago. When you look at where it started and where it has come including the recent release of Power9 and the capability of cognitive, open source, cloud and artificial intelligence. It’s clear that the sky is the limit for IBM i.
So, on this Valentine’s Day, I'd like to share a few stories from the companies that have built their business on the platform.
JF Fabrics is a leading Canadian wholesaler/distributor of home decorative fabrics with 15,000 global customers. JF Fabrics runs an IBM i-based ERP application to manage critical business functions. For 30 years, they have evolved and enhanced their IBM i ERP applications to meet business needs and grow their company. Having personally visited the client site, I was really impressed with the integration of their IBM i applications and their innovative warehouse system.
Read how Fresche is working with JF to further evolve their IBM i applications
Learn more about JF Fabrics and see their warehouse operations
Benetech, a leading employee benefits solution provider for over 30 years, worked with Fresche to develop a browser-based benefits enrollment application that uses PHP and integrates with their IBM i.
The application has created a new revenue stream for Benetech and expanded their customer base outside of New York, which shows potential to grow nationally. It has also helped define Benetech's long-term IBM i strategy. "We can use modern web technologies with IBM i and we can be innovators in our industry," says John Dalmata, Benetech's Director of Operations.
Read how Benetech has solidified their IT strategy with IBM i
