Dr. Frank Soltis Opens Discussion on IBM i's Future
at the RPG & DB2 Summit

Will share insight and new iManifest initiative in Keynote Address

Woodbury, VT - February 18, 2011 - Dr. Frank Soltis, legendary father of the IBM i and activist for IBM i Manifest Americas, will reveal insights into the future of the IBM i in his Keynote address to RPG & DB2 Summit attendees on Tuesday, March 22, at The Florida Hotel in Orlando. Drawing on the "i can, can you?" theme of the conference, Dr. Soltis is also expected to announce a new IBM i Manifest Americas initiative geared towards IBM i developers and IT management, lead an open discussion on current dynamics within IBM i shops, and suggest practical ways that individuals can help the platform get the respect it deserves outside the IBM i loyalist community.

"Few people have any idea just how big the i is to IBM," explains Dr. Soltis. "I hope to shed some light on why the platform is not going away. Still, there's no doubt that some IBM i organizations find themselves having to defend their use of the system. I plan to use this opportunity at the Summit to listen to the end users, to further explore the challenges faced by IBM i professionals in the workplace, and to proactively elicit feedback on iManifest's plan to help."

According to Jenniefer Halverson, chairperson of IBM i Manifest Americas, talking with Summit attendees dovetails nicely with the organization's goal to preserve and expand the IBM i base. "System i Developer reached out to IBM i Manifest Americas with ideas for how we could work with IBM i developers to support those teams who need to communicate the strengths of the i platform to their management, and to give their passion for this platform a voice beyond the i community. We're looking forward to kicking off our new initiative at the RPG & DB2 Summit with the help of the attendees."

The RPG & DB2 Summit is produced by System i Developer and is sponsored by leading media organizations, IBM Systems Magazine, System iNetwork and MC Press Online.

For more information on attending the RPG & DB2 Summit, visit www.systemideveloper.com, email conference registration or call 802-472-3941 (toll-free 866-716-5409).