By Robin Tatam

As part of PowerTech’s ongoing commitment to the IBM i community, I have been taking to the skies, the roads, and even the water (on a couple of ferries) recently. In a jam-packed, two-week tour in January, I presented security information to several user groups, taught a half-day security workshop, and visited a number of PowerTech customer locations. But, that’s just the start of my 2010 odyssey to get out on the road to meet you!

Read down for information on a number of exciting events already planned for the next month or so.

Stay secure!

Online Training

We are ready to launch our new online class for PowerTech Network Security. Each session is an easy-to-fit-into-your-schedule 60 minutes, and comes in segments to accommodate different levels of expertise. The cost for this class is $99 for the basic session; $198 for the 2-part advanced session; or $259 for both (basic and advanced), and will be held at 10:00 a.m. CST on the following dates:

Visit www.powertech.com/services/training/network-security.php for additional information, or to sign up.

Midrange User Groups

First, a big thank you the following groups for their welcoming hospitality in January: Fairfield, Connecticut; Long Island, New York; Fairfield, New Jersey; and Jefferson City, Missouri. It was a pleasure to be able to come and speak to your members on various security topics, and we hope that PowerTech’s support enables you to keep up your important work in the midrange community.

We are excited to be preparing for more user group visits in February and March. If you are in any of the following cities please contact the local group for more information about the session. We are sure they would welcome your support, plus it is a great way to network with other IBM i professionals in your area.

IBM i Security Workshops

Designed to teach the basic concepts of the capabilities built-in to IBM i, our recent security workshop in the St. Louis area, hosted in conjunction with our business partner MSI Systems Integrators (www.msiinet.com), sold out quickly. Don’t miss the opportunity to learn the basics of security, without the hassle and expense of traveling to IBM, when PowerTech comes to your area. We are now finalizing plans to bring “Learn How to Secure Your IBM i Server” to the following cities:

Workshops run from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. and we provide lunch. The cost is only $49 per attendee. Seating is limited so register now to guarantee your place!

Jill Martin, Technical Services Manager at PowerTech, will present a 3-hour workshop, “Get a Jump Start Building Your IBM i Security Policy,” in the following cities:

• Las Vegas, NV, March 9
• Irvine, CA, March 10
• San Francisco, CA, March 11

Watch for more information.

Robin Tatam, the new Director of Security Technologies, joined PowerTech’s Eden Prairie, Minnesota office in July 2009. He brings two decades of IBM Power Systems (AS/400, iSeries, System i) and operating system (OS/400, i5/OS, IBM i) consulting experience, including a strong midrange background of RPG and advanced CL programming, Web site creation, and system administration.

For the last six years, Robin has been a top tier consultant for System i security and compliance issues. Robin’s recent projects included teaching commercial classes in security and system administration, performing advanced product implementations, and numerous compliance-oriented assignments. He was a guest on the panel of experts at the PowerTech iNSIGHT Security Conference in Las Vegas two years in a row. In 2009, he taught multiple security sessions at COMMON in Reno, Nevada.

Robin Tatam, Director of Security Technologies

Previously, Robin was an IBM i Security Specialist for MSI Systems Integrators, an IBM Business Partner, where he was named Technology Impact Player of the Year for 2008. He also has worked as a development manager and was a vice-president directing corporate development practices.

Robin has been quoted on System i security trends by ComputerWorld magazine and has published several full-feature technical articles in Midrange Computing magazine. He also authored the MSI System i Security and Compliance Guide and co-authored the IBM Redbook on System i data encryption.

You can e-mail Robin at robin.tatam@powertech.com.