User Group Roundup: Connecting the IBM i Community

The Orange County Educational Advancement Network (OCEAN) User Group offers an affordable educational resource by providing the latest information on both IBM and multiplatform technology. Educational sessions are presented by guest speakers at monthly meetings, webinars, special events and the annual Technical Conference and Vendor Solutions Expo. Meetings are scheduled monthly and are held January to November. The primary focus of the meetings is to discuss the IBM Power Systems platform and IBM i OS while covering topics related to technical areas and career development. The user group focuses on how to innovate and thrive with IBM i, while offering full technical presentations that focus on all aspects of IT from strategic directions to today’s latest technologies and hands-on workshops on learning how to tune up your skill sets. 

COMMON, the world’s largest association of IT professionals that focus on IBM and related technologies, focuses on enhancing the careers of its members. By attending a COMMON event, you will have the opportunity to choose educational sessions that best support your educational goals while networking with others in the ecosystem.

The Fairfield Application Systems User Group advances the effective use of IBM Power Systems computers through free interchange while gathering information about these computers and techniques. The user group meets monthly and consists of an open interchange during the registration hour, buffet dinner and a presentation by a guest speaker. Presentations by guest speakers provide detailed information about a specific topic of interest to the Power Systems community.

This annual conference is squarely focused on meeting the needs of technical experts charged with maintaining, automating and modernizing enterprise software systems like RPG, COBOL, CA 2E (Synon), and CA Plex on IBM i/Power and Microsoft, offers multiple tracks of proven, focused sessions and will cover everything from basic development techniques for novices to advanced topics for seasoned users. If you have a creative, interesting, or unusual application or feature built into your software applications, email your presentation idea to info@plex2e.com. In person and virtual event. 

The Omni User Group is Chicago’s largest and oldest association of computer users. The user group specializes in the IBM midrange platform and associated computing devices. Omni’s dinner meeting is held monthly to share educational and practical experiences amongst the IBM i community.

The Southeast Michigan IBM i User Group’s mission is to provide a forum for IBM i users to gain new skills, stay informed about upcoming changes on the platform and network with other IBM i professionals. Meetings take place monthly September through June (excluding December). Many of the speakers at the user group’s meetings are IBM i experts who have a vast wealth of knowledge to share with the attendees.

West Michigan IBM i User Group (WMSUG) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to presenting timely information to CIOs, directors, managers, analysts and programmers who utilize the IBM i platform in their businesses. WMSUG meetings are typically held monthly September through May.

The Mid-Atlantic Group of IBM i Collaborators (MAGiC) was founded to provide a place to collaborate and to learn new IBM i skills from industry experts and share ideas with other members. MAGiC provides informative monthly online sessions, an annual two-day workshop focused on open source and an annual conference. MAGiC has become a great resource for IBM i professionals to gain valuable insights and training from knowledgeable industry experts, designed to help us shift our thinking and approaches from reactive to proactive, from status quo to visionary, from keeping up with the industry to leading from within it.

The QUSER Group is an excellent opportunity to network with peers, share ideas and tips, and become knowledgeable on topics relevant to the IBM i community. Becoming a member allows for access to additional support provided by IBM, COMMON and other corporate sponsors, all of which are committed to the success of QUSER Group. These sponsors provide special guest speakers, contributing to education funding and provide discounts to attend the popular conferences such as COMMON.

The Long Island System User Group (LISUG) is dedicated to the education of system professionals that utilize IBM i. LISUG has become one of the largest and most technical user groups in the country, consistently advancing the knowledge of all computer users on all platforms. The user group meets monthly except July and August. Format consists of a pre-meeting followed by a cocktail hour, dinner and then the main presentation. LISUG attracts some of the industry’s top speakers, including professionals from IBM Rochester and Toronto labs.

The Northeast User Group Conference (NEUGC) is dedicated to helping its members and the Power Systems community meet the challenge of change in a fast-moving technology age. The conference includes sessions, expert speakers and vendor sponsors.

The TriState Midrange Users Groups is a nonprofit organization that was formed to advance the state-of-the-art data process on the IBM midrange system through mutual education, dissemination of technical and non-technical information, exchange of ideas and open discussions.

The Toronto Users Group provides a professional forum for presentations and exchange the ideas that pertain to IBM midrange computers as well as related subjects for users, from the technical management and end user perspectives. Meetings are usually held every second last Wednesday evenings in January, March, May, September and November. Admission is free for members.

The New England Midrange Users Group is a nonprofit organization whose growth and development keeps pace with the business computers introduced and marketed by IBM. The user group currently consists of more than 200 companies. Monthly meetings provide an opportunity to meet socially and technically with other users. The New England Midrange Users Group is a member of COMMON.

IMUG supports and promotes members’ professional success. With an emphasis on technical and management education for IBM Power Systems, IMUG sessions and seminars cover topics such as security and disaster planning. IMUG membership entitles users to networking and support with industry leaders, full access to the IMUG website, COMMON membership and discounts, superior professional development and contact with vendors specializing in IBM midrange computing.

Metro Midrange Systems Association is a community of Power Systems users running IBM i in the Dallas/Fort Worth metro area. The user group strives to provide its members with the best information on Power Systems from IBM and related solutions providers, and networking among their members. The membership is available to anyone who is interested in or involved in IBM Power Systems or the IBM i operating system. Webinars are available on the user group’s website with a free registration.

The Central Texas IBM i User Group (CTXiUG) is a community of passionate technology experts focused on sharing knowledge about  IBM i and everything related to it. No topic is too unique or niche for CTXiUG. The group was founded in 2020 and is always looking for members in central Texas, including metropolitan Austin and San Antonio areas. The user group meets every other month and has successfully brought a host of IBM champions and other accomplished people in the IBM i community to present exciting new ideas to the group. Each meeting is typically accessible online to anyone who registers.

The Wisconsin Midrange Computer Professional Association allows members to exchange information regarding the use and growth of IBM i. The dinner meetings are held monthly from September through May—with the exception of March—and each meeting consists of two sessions by a guest speaker. In March, the user group holds its annual Spring Technical Conference, which is a two-day event. Membership is recommended to any person, company, group or organization which uses IBM i or to anyone who is directly involved in the creation of software and hardware related to midrange systems.

COMMON is a worldwide association of IT managers and IT specialists with a focus on IBM Power Systems. In almost every country there are individual national organizations, such as Austria, which bring a variety of advantages to their members. Common Austria uses their network to exchange experiences to achieve their goals faster and more effectively. They have special events to further train and to have a basis for strategic decisions.

Common Belgium works hard to plan rich education that brings your skills to the level that your business demands from you. Common Belgium participates in the annual Common Europe Congress and will be holding its annual flagship event, Benelux Power, in early November 2023.

Common Czech Republic's mission is to promote and expand the use of information technologies, provide members with an independent forum for the exchange of information, and to provide the members with enhanced learning opportunities. They represent members in negotiations with partners, especially IBM in promoting their interests. Common Czech Republic wants to influence international standards in the interest of its members and cooperate with like-minded organizations. To become a member, contact a committee member.

Common Denmark is a nonprofit community driven by volunteer members. The community was founded in 1974 under the name GS-Gruppen. The Common Denmark community is focused to facilitate network for users, vendors, business partners and IBM. They organize events for members to expand their knowledge about the business value of IBM Power Systems. Common Denmark's members exchange and share knowledge about OS features and software solutions. They bring relevant education to their members through dialogue with IBM and sharing ideas for future development.

Common France's objective is to promote the exchange of information, experience and contributions around the IBM i platform on Power Systems and in other areas related to the activity of an IT department. They use the experience of each member to evolve together. Common France organizes regular meetings on topics requested by their members, both technical and strategic as well as organize joint training sessions to reduce costs. Any company or institution that is simply interested in centralized computing can become a member.

Common Finland is an active network of IT experts who aim to network with colleagues, meet experts or stay up to date with news about the IBM Power Systems platform, storage systems, operating systems and applications. They use the network to exchange experiences and information as well as work closely with IBM across all industries to bring significant benefits to their members. The main event of the year is the annual Common Europe Congress, which brings together hundreds of IBM Power and IBM i experts, users and suppliers. In addition to the CEC event, many associations and user group events are organized annually, online and in person.

Common Germany is a manufacturer-independent interest group of companies that operate on the IBM i platform, whether that be users, service providers or IT educators. Common Germany's goal is to provide their members with valuable and always up-to-date content to make the IBM i environment fit for the future. Regardless of if you are looking for information for your strategy development, exchange experiences, or are looking for knowledge transfer, Common Germany is the right place for you. More than 225 medium-sized companies from a wide range of industries are involved with Common Germany. With IBM i, your IT is on a stable and innovative footing.

Common Iberia is an association of users of IBM i, AIX, Linux and other related technologies that work on IBM Power servers in Spain and Portugal. Their goal is to train their associates in these technologies and to help partners and customers to get the most out of these technologies. Common Iberia is a meeting point to discuss trends and best practices and share knowledge between the different generations and roles that exist around the IBM Power base platform. Common Iberia participates in the annual Common Europe Congress and all members are subject to significant discounts.

Faq400 is a reference point for everything related to the Power IBM i platform. Faq400 organizes events on the IBM i platform and the technical community revolves around Faq400—a few thousand people including developers, IT managers, freelancers, system engineers and IBM platform enthusiasts. Faq400 organizes the most important industry events in Italy, with hundreds of people and companies that use the platform.

The Italian Power Association (ITPass) works to help students entering the workplace acquire useful knowledge and help professionals to stay up to date with technologies. The Italian Power Association offers the opportunity to discuss and actively participate in the construction of an idea that is greater than the sum of individual contributions.

Common Luxembourg is a nonprofit association that exists to promote the use of IBM products and more, particularly the Power Systems range. Through regular meetings, Common Luxembourg presents the developments in the IT world, as well as the technical and structural implications of the implementation of new tools in an established organization. On the website, you will find an overview of previous meetings that are lively, friendly and informative that will also allow members to meet and exchange ideas.

Common Netherlands mission is to encourage members to exchange experiences and information related to the use of IT as well as provide its members with advanced education and training in IT. They strive to influence IBM’s strategy for product development and encourage an ongoing, open dialogue between members and IBM.

Common Norway is an independent association originally formed for users of IBM computers and software, as well as users of software that can run on IBM platforms. Common Norway is a popular meeting place for members that want professional and strategic development and a place where members can achieve favorable terms from selected partners. Common Norway is a member of the umbrella organization Common Europe, and its members are invited to join Common’s major conferences every year.

Common Poland is passionate about carrying out tasks professionally and responsibly. Members are ready for new challenges that can increase their skills with technology and most importantly increase their potential by exchanging knowledge and experience. The mission of Common Poland is to ensure contact between specialists and users of IBM technology. For years, members have been carrying out this task by organizing Common Poland meetings twice a year. Meetings are open for anyone who registers.

Common Sweden, also known as Data3, is an independent user association and network for companies and individuals with an interest in IBM Power Systems. The purpose of this association is to exchange experiences and contribute knowledge regarding hardware, software, communications and interfaces with other platforms. The annual meeting is held every year no later than five months after the end of the financial year.

Common Switzerland promotes the exchange between young and experienced IBM i users. They track down the latest trends and pass them on to their members. From this, their members make optimal decisions and benefit from technological and methodological progress. Common Switzerland maintains personal contact with its members through events, e-mail, online and telephone.

COMMON Romandie is an association of IBM system users with around one hundred members in French-speaking Switzerland who use small and midrange servers. It is a nonprofit organization, which is officially recognized as a user group by IBM. This association was founded in Geneva in 2000. It succeeds the organization Common Switzerland, region of French-speaking Switzerland. COMMON Romandie is a member of Common Europe and contributes to it. Common Europe has 11,000 members in Europe and collaborates with its sister organization COMMON USA.

i-UG offers its members the opportunity to listen to top-level speakers from IBM, business partners, the vendor community and the users themselves to assist in making key decisions about IT and business. i-UG meets up to four times per year throughout the United Kingdom, keeping members up to date with IBM thinking and technology that is relevant to their businesses.

Whether it’s to network with peers, learn from industry experts, or keep up with news and developments in the IBM Power and IBM i communities, Common Europe can help facilitate that knowledge sharing and get you in front of the right people. From attending the annual European Common Europe Congress (CEC)—which brings together hundreds of IBM Power and IBM i experts, users, vendors and like-minded professionals all under one roof—to participating at country-level in the Common Europe iTour events, to joining in a webinar, it’s easy to network, learn and share best practices within the community.

 

Common Europe has primarily been an umbrella organization serving other Common-related user groups at various country levels throughout Europe and they remain very important and key members. Common Europe encourages membership in those organizations.  Any member of a Common Europe Country User Group is automatically considered a member of Common Europe! Learn more.