On February 15, 2025, IBM launched its highly anticipated 2025 Guided Tour series with a compelling session hosted by Carmelita Ruelca, a key figure in the IBM i community.

This inaugural event welcomed attendees from around the globe and featured an in-depth strategic preview of IBM i’s direction for the year ahead, delivered by none other than Steve Will, IBM i Chief Architect. For those who couldn’t join live, the session was recorded and is now available for you to experience in full, embedded below. This presentation offers a front-row seat to IBM i’s evolving role as a powerhouse platform for modern business needs.

Steve Will’s address reaffirms IBM i’s foundational strengths, which have made it a cornerstone for enterprises worldwide. He spotlighted its unmatched capabilities in managing business-critical data through DB2 for i, delivering integrated security woven into the platform’s architecture, ensuring high availability for uninterrupted operations, and adapting seamlessly to cloud environments. These pillars have long defined IBM i, but Steve went further, unveiling a slate of advancements that signal an exciting future. From AI-enhanced analytics embedded in DB2 to robust encryption and auditing tools, IBM i continues to innovate at its core. A standout highlight was the "migrate while active" capability, introduced late in 2024, which leverages DB2 Mirror technology to enable near-seamless workload transitions to the cloud or other systems with minimal downtime—a game-changer for businesses eyeing hybrid deployments.

Looking ahead to 2025, Steve teased a major IBM i release, part of the platform’s three-year cycle, promising significant security enhancements and deeper DB2 improvements. This aligns with IBM Power’s broader strategy, emphasizing performance, scalability, availability, and AI acceleration—areas where IBM i plays a pivotal role, contributing substantial software profit to the Power business. The platform is also doubling down on modernization, making it easier for new developers to engage through open-source tools like VS Code and Ansible, while integrating AI-driven workflows to streamline application development and management. Whether on-premises, in the cloud, or in a hybrid setup, IBM i is designed to meet customers where they are.

Community feedback, including insights from the Fortra Marketplace Survey, underscores rising priorities like cybersecurity, skills shortages, and application modernization—30% of respondents now rank AI and machine learning among their top five concerns. Steve addressed these head-on, showcasing how IBM i is evolving to integrate with cloud data sources, support new talent with open-source familiarity, and simplify management for a broader audience. Real-world client stories further illustrate this progress, from modernizing RPG programs to implementing DevOps with Git and connecting to AI tools like Alexa for innovative applications.

Dive into the full presentation below to explore IBM i’s 2025 roadmap in detail, hear inspiring client success stories, and see how this platform is embracing hybrid cloud and AI to empower your organization. Stay connected with *MC Systems Insight* for ongoing updates on IBM i’s dynamic journey!

Here is the URL for the full presentation: https://www.mcpressonline.com/images/video/IBM_i_in_2025-A_Strategic_Preview.mp4