Corporate

2 FREE 90-Minute Consultancy Sessions

Let our Team of IBM i experts suggest solutions for existing issues, discuss any existing project requirements or help plan new projects with 2 FREE 90-Minute Consultancy Sessions*.

We are giving your business access to our team of experts who will be able to assist you with new ideas for your IBM i application, migration from the IBM i, IBM i integration or improvements to the day-to-day operational running of your system.

Acknowledging that every business has very unique needs, we propose the first session will be one of discovery where we will discuss your needs in detail. Once we have these details we will identify the best member(s) of the team to attend the second session where we will be able to discuss in greater detail.

The intended outcome of the two sessions is to present you with solutions that will enable your business to grow and thrive in the digital age, ensuring full leverage of the IBM i to drive business growth and success.  

In addition to our expertise in IBM i, KFA’s consultants also bring a wealth of knowledge in other areas of technology. They will help business owners better understand web development, software development and can provide guidance on how to utilise these in the most effective way.

Our Services

• IBM i Application Modernisation
• IBM i Development
• IBM i Data Migration
• IBM i eCommerce Integration
• IBM i Integration
• IBM i System Upgrades
• IBM i Testing
• IBM i Support

The Important bit…

*Free consulting sessions are subject to availability and the offer is valid for sessions booked and held on or before 31/07/2023. 

Sessions can be used to discuss current code, databases, and application interfaces and scope potential projects but do not include implementing any system changes. 

If your intention is to migrate from the IBM i we will also be able to offer the free consultancy services to assist you with the process. KFA Connect will provide a written quotation on request for any requirements identified during the sessions that you would like us to deliver. 

There is no obligation to engage in the services of KFA Connect beyond the free consultancy sessions. 

24th March 2023

Want to know more? Get in touch with our team today.

All You Can Eat or à la Carte?

We’ve all been there; searching for a must-have product we find that many outlets have availability, but the stock level is the same for all of them, coincidence? Obviously not, so what is going on?

It depends, but it is likely that the distributor or manufacturer of the product has made its entire product set and stock holding available to its resellers by way of a data feed, in that way the resellers can advertise all of those products on their websites, offering them to their customers, without having to hold stock themselves.

But what is a data feed, and is it something that can be used with your IBM i systems?

Thankfully the first question is simple, and the second? The answer there is a resounding yes!  A data feed is simply a set of information or ‘data’ that is provided in an automated way.  Sometimes this data will be live, sometimes it will be generated on a schedule.

Hang on, that sounds a lot like EDI…

Absolutely, and Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) should be considered a form of data feed.  EDI is highly standardised so that any company using an EDI standard can transact with any other using the same standard.  The complexities of EDI are beyond the scope of this post, suffice it to say that whilst EDI is a system of data feeds, there are many data feeds which are not EDI.

So, what about the IBM i?

IBM have always been at the forefront of business computing and the IBM i and its predecessors the i Series, AS/400, and System36/38 were no exception.  There are a variety of methods that can be used to provide data feeds to business partners, let’s run through some of them now:

• File Transfer – Going right back to 1971 FTP has been a standardised method of allowing a system to place and retrieve files from a remote system.  These days Secure Shell (SSH) based methods such as Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) or Secure Copy Protocol (SCP) offer a secure way to move files.  Your IBM i supports all of these methods natively, using the integrated programming tools simple (or complex) automations can be created to allow data feeds to be utilised.

• Flat Files – A frequently used term that describes a number of file types that contain data in rows.  Common types would include comma-separated, and tab-delimited files.  These files could carry the data being provided (or consumed) in the feed.  Again, like FTP or SFTP the IBM i has supported this functionality natively since its inception.

• Web Services & APIs – These offer a different way of presenting data, rather than a file being generated which is transferred and then processed to extract the data; a web service offers the data directly so that partners can securely connect to it on their own schedules (pull) and be selective about the data that they access.  The IBM i can both provide web services and connect to them making it easy to integrate with the systems of your business partners.

• Direct Database Connectivity – As an IBM i user, you will be aware of the incredible performance offered by the DB/2 database which is completely integrated in the platform.  Using database connectors, for example, Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) or Java Database Connectivity (JDBC) connections can be made to this data and information transferred directly.  In the same way, those connection methods can be used to connect to partner systems also.

So, whether it’s providing stock levels or pricing so that you can enable your customers to sell your products easily, or using the Google Merchant Center to make sure your services are found in every search, data feeds can satisfy the appetite of all diners.

Joe Vavasour

KFA Connect IT Manager

22nd March 2023

Want to know more? Get in touch with our team today.

Mark Narramore – Support Manager, KFA Connect

Starting Out…

Having left school and completed a diploma in Business and Salesmanship at college I didn’t really have any idea of where my future lay. A YTS trainee at a local manufacturing firm saw me placed in a Purchase Ledger department which I was running within 18 months, managing a team of 6 people.

Pulling an all-nighter Assisting IBM sorting out a Disk issue on our IBM System/38, I caught the IT bug. The company then sent me on a Basic Operations course so I could better assist the IT Department, as well as still running my own department.

When the IT manager left, I was overlooked for the vacant position by someone more experienced and it was at this point I decided to venture out and see what other IT opportunities were available in the marketplace.

Banking On It!

In 1989, I joined a large multinational bank as a System Operator, mainly managing multiple applications running on a number of AS/400 Systems, scheduling backups, running end-of-day processes, attending offsite Disaster Recovery/Contingency tests at IBM Sites, as well as traveling to various sites across Europe, understanding their operational requirements before moving their processes into the UK.

Seven years of shift work as a now Senior Operator was enough, and having become proficient at CL Programming, I decided to move into the programming department as an RPG Trainee Programmer in 1996. I adapted to this role quickly firstly supporting the banking applications overnight before being sent to various sites worldwide to implement various banking applications and updates.

A Small Break From Banking

In 1998, I left the bank and went contracting as a Senior Analyst Programmer. This increased my experience of both programming and working for different companies in a variety of environments. For my final contract, I was working back in the bank at their branch in London assisting with various projects.

Whilst there, I found a permanent role as a Technical Support Analyst back in the Banks Operations Centre. Here I was responsible for system builds and integrations, onsite Disaster Recovery Test planning, Operating System upgrades/planning, and software replication as well as providing full support for all Systems, working closely with IBM to work through any operational or hardware issues.

Having worked closely with IBM on a number of performance-related issues, I became interested in this subject and moved into the Performance and Capacity Planning department. This included monitoring the performance of the systems, tweaking systems for optimum performance as well as analysing existing capacity, making recommendations where necessary, and working closely with IBM providing Systems Performance/Trace/Debug/PEX Data when working on Software or Hardware issues. Some time was also spent at IBM in Rochester bench-marking some of the bank’s applications as well as attending the IBM Large User Group (LUG) sessions which were also based in Rochester.      

Life outside the Bank

After leaving the bank late in 2014, I took a couple of technical support contracts within the insurance and manufacturing industry. I then found another contract as an RPG Development and Support Manager which required moving the UK portion of Staples Application from the US to the UK, which became Office Outlet. This required time spent in Belgium, where the application was supported, to learn the operational and technical requirements needed to move UK portion of the application back to the UK, working with a 3rd Party to set up and configure a new IBMi system to support this workload.

This required me to build a team of iSeries experts to support the Application / Infrastructure, creating training documentation for UK staff and managing additional projects as required by the business.   

KFA Connect

In February 2020 I joined KFA Connect as their Support Manager. This role is varied and enables me to use my past IT experiences on the various projects we are engaged in.

I feel very fortunate to have a great team around me who are amazing to work with and have an amazing attitude towards their work. This exemplifies this company’s ethos.

Work-Life Balance

I enjoy good company as well as my own. I do not travel, play golf, or go fishing as often as I used to but when I do I find these very enjoyable, therapeutic, and relaxing things to do. As I get older, I am certainly more into taking life easier, taking the dog for a walk, enjoying nature, reading, and meditation.

Want to know more? Get in touch with our team today.

KFA Connect Fore-ward Thinking

KFA Connect are now the proud sponsors of Bay number 5 on the driving range at Hamptworth Golf Club.

Located in the heart of the beautiful New Forest, Hamptworth Driving Range is now fitted with the latest Top Tracer Technology, which makes perfecting your swing easy.

It has technology that tracks your ball flight, distance, ball speed, trajectory, and so much more, all conveniently displayed on a screen behind you.

You can even play virtual golf courses on screen such as Pinehurst, St Andrews etc.

Hamptworth Golf Club has fantastic facilities; with 8 covered bays, a short game area, and a large putting green, there’s something for everyone, regardless of your skill level.

Whether you’re a seasoned pro looking to fine-tune your technique or a beginner just starting out, Hamptworth has everything you need to get the most out of your practice sessions.

Possibly the best thing about Hamptworth Driving Range is the stunning location. Surrounded by the rolling hills of the New Forest, you’ll be able to enjoy breathtaking views as you work on your game.

KFA Connect have also recently sponsored the installation of a defibrillator at Hamptworth Golf Club, so you can feel safe whilst you play.

Finley Austin

KFA Connect – Marketing Assistant

21st March 2023

Want to know more? Get in touch with our team today.

KFA Connect helps Nutland Carpets Accessories to print PDF’s from their IBM i.

IBM i Application Development

IBM i (formerly known as AS/400) is a platform for business computing that provides a robust and reliable environment for running applications. IBM i application development involves creating and maintaining software applications that run on the IBM i platform.

For decades, applications have been developed on what is now called the IBM i. In the 80’s there were many applications developed to run specifically on the IBM midrange platform each specific to the industry they were developed for.

These applications have been enhanced over the years to introduce new functionality and to meet regulatory rules.

Many applications have been written from scratch where companies bought IBM hardware and then developed the systems they needed on those platforms.

There are therefore hundreds of IBM i applications running legacy applications in the UK all developed over a period of 40+ years.

RPG

The predominant programming language of the IBM i is RPG (Report Program Generator). RPG programs reading/writing/updating the native IBM i database DB2, deliver incredible processing speeds on a system that is renowned for its reliability.

RPG was introduced in 1959 but RPG II was the language of the S/3X machines that were the predecessors to the AS/400. RPG II was/is a programming language that used the program cycle where the system would control the logic of reading records from files.

Did you know?

• RPG was preceded by a language called FARGO which was also a Report Generator language. (Wikipedia)

• RPG III was introduced for the S/38 and was the main language of the AS/400 (although renamed RPG400).

• The main text editor for the AS/400 was SEU (Source Entry Utility) – it allows developers to create, modify, and compile RPG, COBOL, and CL source code.

Other development tools on the system include:

• SDA (screen Design Aid) was a tool for developing and designing user interfaces for data entry and enquiry.

• RLU (report layout utility) was a tool for developing and designing reports for printing.

RPG IV & RPG LE

1994 saw the release of RPG IV and RPGLE, this iteration of RPG introduced the first change in RPG moving away from fixed format code to free format. It took until 2013 before a truly free-format RPG was released by IBM.

Even though RPG has continued to evolve over the years with more built in functions, SQL functions and the capability to link to Java objects, code that was written in RPG II 40 years ago will still run on the platform today alongside code written in free format.

RDi

Together with updates to RPG, IBM introduced Rational Developer for i (RDi) in 2008: An integrated development environment (IDE) that provides a comprehensive set of tools for developing IBM i applications. RDi supports several programming languages, including RPG, COBOL, Java, CL and SQL. This tool effectively replaced SEU on the AS/400.

Whatever iteration of RPG your legacy systems are written in and whatever development tools you use, KFA have extensive experience of development on the IBM i with a team of staff who either grew up coding RPG II and have coded everything in between or started recently learning the latest version.  

Richard Austin

KFA Connect – Director

15th March 2023

Want to know more? Get in touch with our team today.

Joe Vavasour – IT Manager, KFA Connect

Starting Out…

Can take anything to pieces, can put most things back together again. 

I grew up during the golden age of computing when technology was anything but ubiquitous and many had not even seen a computer let alone owned one, but from the first time I saw one I was hooked.  It wasn’t just computers either, it was technology of any sort, and I didn’t just want to use it I wanted to understand how it worked. 

My early working life was spent in the photographic industry working in photographic equipment sales, computing was very much relegated to a lapsed interest.  However, I knew that I didn’t want to stay in retail long term and began exploring other potential career paths.   

The Beginning of a Career in IT!

After an unhappy year or so working in corporate insolvency for an accountancy firm, I found myself working as a management trainee in the automotive industry where one day frustrated on the reliance on paper datasheets, and individual knowledge I decided to develop a database driven application to enable the quick identification of components. 

I Interviewed for a small IT company which had been formed by two BT stalwarts and was thrilled to get the job, slightly less thrilled to be told that I was second choice!  However, whilst inexperienced and still very young, my enthusiasm for technology and its application flourished. 

I worked with technologies that are now universal, technologies such as Wireless Lan (WIFI) as part of one of perhaps three companies in the field, we were one of the first to put WIFI and long range point to point links into operating theatres, rally cars, offices, even whole villages; and our mobile computing offerings took me to places from warehouses, to airfields, supermarkets, even the JET fusion reactor. Because the company was small having multiple roles was essential and I became responsible for the computer systems and networks internally whilst selling and supporting our then leading WMS system for small business across the UK. 

Starting at KFA

I became the father to a little boy who was critically ill almost from the point of his birth, he shocked everybody except his mum and I by pulling through and so as a family we looked at what was important to us and decided to relocate to the South of England to be close to family and so that my wife could pursue her career. 

It was at this point that I interviewed for an IT support role at a small company in rural Dorset, Kingfisher Associates (KFA Connect) really just to give myself something to do!  That role changed as KFA changed; I now provide technical sales, business analysis, software development, whilst still managing the infrastructure and computer systems of what has become a diverse team working in many fields. 

Work-Life Balance

I am passionate about music, reading, and film, still enjoy getting my hands dirty building things and taking them to pieces, and can fix pretty much anything, given time! I love living so close to the South Downs, the New Forest, and the coast, and can often be found watching the sunset with my family, some good food, and a glass of wine. 

And that early fascination with technology, software, and systems?  Still going strong! 

Want to know more? Get in touch with our team today.

What do IBM i Consultants do?

Before answering that question it is vital to understand and look at what a consultant is. 

At the simplest, a consultant is someone who you would consult on a subject; more specifically there is a level of experience implicit that suggests that a consultant would have specialist knowledge on that subject.

An IBM i consultant then is an IT consultant who specialises in the IBM i ecosystem and who can offer consulting services to businesses and organisations who either use or are investigating the use of the IBM i platform. 

What services can an IBM i Consultant offer? 

In the same way that medical consultants may be generalists, or might specialise in a specific discipline, the same is true of IBM i consultants.  For this reason, let’s describe some of the types of consultancy that could be sought, and how a skilled consultant could service those requirements; whilst remembering that it is unlikely that a single consultant would be capable of meeting all those scenarios. 

One of the hallmarks of a great consultant though is the ability to bring in supporting expertise where their own skillset does not cover the task at hand. 

How does this differ from a general IT consultant? 

Like Windows, Unix, or Linux machines, the IBM i has its own strengths, features, and quirks that mean that to get the best from it a consultant should understand the platform completely. 

The IBM i is a powerful mid-range computing platform, and to utilise that power it needs to be implemented effectively.  A consultant will be able to help organisations to develop and implement IBM i-based solutions and should be as adept at refining and optimizing existing systems.  

Solutions could include: 

• The design and implementation of high availability, disaster recovery, and backup solutions 
• Deploying new applications (ERP, WMS, CRM)  
• Investigating compliance with regulation (Sarbanes Oxley, PCI, ISO 27001) 

Working as a business analyst, a consultant might work within an organisation mapping out, performing analysis, and suggesting solutions to meet a set of requirements. This could include the production of high-level designs which could form the basis of software development or the production of implementation plans for complex off-the-shelf packages for example. 

Consultants experienced in the IBM i ecosystem will be up to date with the latest developments on the platform.  This means that they are ideally placed to bring the efficiencies of the latest developments to their clients, for example: 

• a new release of the IBM i operating system could unlock new features or additional performance. 

• The IBM i can be moved from the premises and virtualised in the cloud. 
• Backup can now be made to cloud storage or to virtual tape libraries. 

An IBM i Consultant will be able to unlock the potential of the systems within a business, centered on the IBM i and will help to shape them into something greater than the individual parts. 

In summary 

If your business or organisation uses an IBM i, or one of its predecessors the IBM i Series, or AS/400, then a consultant will be able to work with you to achieve your business aims.   

Rather than retaining and training an expensive internal resource, a consultant can be called upon for specific projects. 

IBM i consultants will be experienced in the IBM i platform and also in how that platform can work in numerous business scenarios. 

Joseph Vavasour

KFA Connect – IT Manager

13th March 2023

Want to know more? Get in touch with our team today.

Richard Austin – New Business Director, KFA Connect

Richard Austin – Husband, Dad, Son, Brother, Uncle, Friend, Confidant and KFA Director.

Richard never had any intentions of working in IT, it just happened!

Starting Out…

Having failed my ‘A’ levels and taken a job at a local manufacturing company driving documents between manufacturing locations, because of my love of cars, I was encouraged by colleagues to apply for an internal opportunity as a trainee IBM S/38 developer.

I really wasn’t too sure it was for me, and besides, I was 18 and was loving driving the company brand new Astra GTE around for parts of the day! It was a big departure from driving my own 1964 Mini 850cc that rarely made it to my intended destination.

Have a Go!

Having been persuaded to at least ‘have a go’ and apply for the job, I passed the aptitude test and was offered the role. At this point, I think it’s safe to say, my life changed considerably for the better and my future became a lot brighter.

After a 10-week residential training course learning the S/38 from scratch and learning to program in RPG and CL, I returned to my employer and was immediately promoted from Trainee to Junior programmer. This was not through any skill on my part but through the necessity of trying to keep hold of staff in what was a very buoyant market.

Reaching the dizzy heights of Junior programmer wasn’t enough for me and when I was offered the role of programmer on the then-new AS/400, at a large American bank, I rewarded the company who had invested heavily in me by jumping at the opportunity. In this role, I grew my developer skills and gained significant operational experience particularly around IT security. 

After 2 years I left the bank to go contracting at the age of 21.  

The Next 20 Years…

Over a period of 20 years I worked predominantly in Finance for large multi-national banks and investment houses in the city of London. One year was spent living and working in Switzerland where my now wife and I caught the bug for skiing and snowboarding. Whenever I wanted to work nearer to home I took a break from Finance and worked in local Retail and Distribution contracts.  

Always looking for new opportunities, I purchased one of the software houses I had been contracting at locally but was unable to make a success of the business and returned to contract in London where within 12 months I had set up a consultancy providing resources to the bank for support and development of their AS/400 application. This consultancy agreement remained in place for 10 years.

KFA Connect

In 2011 I joined KFA as a contractor and was tasked with trying to re-vitalise the business with new ideas whilst helping to service the existing customer base. Within 2 years of joining, I became a 50% owner of the business through a Management Buyout with another colleague/friend at the company.

Throughout my 35 years in IT, the diversity of my roles in different organisations has led to a wealth of experience and a real understanding of how business works in both large and small organisations with exposure to many different areas of IT delivery, operations, and management.

Work-Life Balance

I have always been someone who looks for a good balance between work and family. I love to travel and enjoyed playing golf regularly in my late 20s/early 30s before my wonderful children were born.

I have always lived along the South Coast from Portsmouth to Bournemouth and finally settled in the New Forest in 1996. The New Forest provides me and my family with plenty of opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors walking, cycling and camper vanning.

My passion for a healthy life, both mentally and physically, is reflected in our ethos for the KFA  team, encouraging hard work but plenty of time away from work to recharge, switch off and enjoy life.   

Want to know more? Get in touch with our team today.

What is IBM i Application Modernisation?

Application modernisation in general refers to the process of updating and transforming legacy applications to make them more modern, efficient, and user-friendly.

IBM i Application Modernisation

IBM i Application Modernisation refers to the process of updating and improving applications that run on the IBM i (formerly known as AS/400 or iSeries) platform to modernise the user experience, improve performance, and enhance functionality.

The modernisation of applications has been an important topic for many years. The IT industry moves quickly – but the applications that are developed to make use of that technology rarely, if ever, keep pace. Out-of-date applications can be inflexible, difficult to change and costly to maintain, but are often critical to business.

Updating the IBM i Application’s Architecture, User-interface & Functionality

IBM i is a popular platform for running business-critical applications, and many companies have been using it for decades. Often used by early adopters of technology, businesses that use IBM i have made large investments in their applications. Over time, these applications may become outdated and difficult to maintain, leading to reduced productivity, increased costs, and a lack of flexibility.

Application modernisation involves updating the application’s architecture, user interface, and functionality to better meet the changing needs of the business and users. This can include adopting modern programming languages and improving integration with other systems.

Some common modernisation strategies include:

• Web-enabling legacy applications to make them accessible via web browsers and mobile devices.
• Refactoring code to optimise performance and improve maintainability.
• Integrating IBM i applications with other systems and technologies
• Re-architecting applications to adopt modern design patterns and principles.
• Adopting the use of new development tools.

Through modernising IBM i applications, organisations can improve their agility, reduce costs, and better leverage their existing investments.

Modernised Applications

An application that has been modernised is more flexible, easier to enhance and responsive to business demands.

With mobile device support, staff no longer need to be at their desk to access applications or data – they can be wherever they need to be with access to the information and functions, whether that’s checking stock in the warehouse or placing orders when visiting a customer’s site.

Through modernisation it is easier to recruit younger staff interested in newer technologies and also to maintain the interest of existing users and developers.

Staff satisfaction is increased if the interfaces are modern, powerful and assist them in completing their work – and with more and more members of staff in the workforce accustomed to modern digital devices that means that the expectations of those staff are higher than ever before.

In our experience, regular, incremental change is the least disruptive way to modernise systems, it’s the most manageable way to undertake the task, it reduces risk, and should always be preferred if possible.

Finley Austin

KFA Connect – Marketing Assistant

2nd March 2023

Want to know more? Get in touch with our team today.