COMMON EUROPE CONGRESS 2025: Full Schedule

WELCOME TO COMMON EUROPE CONGRESS 2025

Common Europe, in collaboration with Common Sweden, is delighted to be holding its annual flagship event, Common Europe Congress, in the friendly city of Gothenburg offering extensive education, networking and relaxation opportunities.

You will be able to validate your attendance (Check-In to sessions) using your personal schedule.

10:40 CEST

Should I stay or should I go

Tuesday June 3, 2025 10:40 - 11:40 CEST

13 - Expo Stage

AI offers the opportunity to modernize legacy code, enhancing its performance and maintainability. However, it also presents the possibility of migrating away from the current platform. This raises an important question: should you invest in revitalizing your existing environment, or explore new horizons by transitioning to a different platform? The decision hinges on your long-term goals, the needs of your business, and the value each option brings. So, should you stay and optimize or take the leap and go? Or in The Clash words: "This indecision's bugging me If you don't want me, set me free"

Speakers

Juan Manuel Alcudia

President, IBM Champion, Common Europe

I am a long-time IBM i and Power Systems professional, currently serving as President of Common Europe as well as an IBM Champion. Throughout my career, I have worked extensively on IBM infrastructure, modernization, performance, and business development, always with a strong focus... Read More →

Tuesday June 3, 2025 10:40 - 11:40 CEST
13 - Expo Stage

IBM i

11:50 CEST

Hackathon 2024 winner - Solution described

Tuesday June 3, 2025 11:50 - 12:50 CEST

13 - Expo Stage

In 2024 Common Europe launched a Hackathon, inviting teams to find solutions to several set challenges.
Easi emerged as the winner with their visitor registration application developed for the IBM i platform. The application stood out for its modern approach to visitor management while leveraging the robust capabilities of the IBM i system. The team demonstrated skills in combining traditional IBM i strengths with contemporary user interface design, making visitor registration both efficient and user-friendly. Their solution showcased the continued relevance of IBM i in modern business applications, particularly in enterprise scenarios. The project’s success highlighted how the IBM i platform can be used to create cutting-edge applications that meet today’s business needs while maintaining the security and reliability the platform is known for.

Speakers

Johannes Heirman

Software Engineer, EASI

Tuesday June 3, 2025 11:50 - 12:50 CEST
13 - Expo Stage

IBM i

15:35 CEST

Meet the LUG, COMMON and Common Europe

Tuesday June 3, 2025 15:35 - 16:35 CEST

13 - Expo Stage

Join us in a panel discussion where the different user groups are presented, what we do, why we are important for the community and IBM.

Speakers

Torbjörn Appehl

Vice President for Common Europe, Common Europe & LOAD System

IBM Champion for Power since 2016, love the IBM i platform since my very first contact with it in 1997. Today I am the CEO for Load System in Sweden. An IBM business partner with focus on IBM Power, IBM Storage, IBM Z and LinuxONE.
CEO for Load System AB in Sweden since January 20... Read More →

Manzoor Siddiqui

Executive Director, COMMON

Manzoor Siddiqui is the Executive Director of COMMON. He oversees all Operations for the organization, and has responsibility and oversight of all areas and Staff. He joined COMMON in 2006, and has over 30 years of multi-disciplinary business, marketing and IT experience across a broad range of industri... Read More →

Floyd Del Muro

Board President, COMMON

Juan Manuel Alcudia

President, IBM Champion, Common Europe

Dave Wiseman

The Large User Group

Steven Wolk

CTO, PC Richard & Son

Steven Wolk is the CTO for PC Richard & Son. Founded in 1909, PC Richard is a family owned and operated chain of over 65 appliance, electronics, and mattress superstores located throughout NY, NJ, CT, and PA. Steve's deep background in retail began on the sales floor while in college... Read More →

Tuesday June 3, 2025 15:35 - 16:35 CEST
13 - Expo Stage

IBM i

12:10 CEST

IBM watsonx Code Assistant for i - How it works and demos

Wednesday June 4, 2025 12:10 - 13:10 CEST

05 - F3

Come and see the recently announced IBM watsonx Code Assistant specifically trained and integrated with the IBM i.
IBM has trained an LLM specifically for understanding IBM i application development. With deep integration with Code for IBM i, developer productivity should soar to new heights.

Adam / Steve

Speakers

Steve Will

IBM i CTO & Chief Architect, IBM

Adam Shedivy

Software Developer, IBM

Adam is a software Developer working on Agentic AI solutions for IBM i

Wednesday June 4, 2025 12:10 - 13:10 CEST
05 - F3

IBM i, Strategy

15:20 CEST

ListAgg and Split - Aggregating, Summarizing and Decomposing Data and Strings

Wednesday June 4, 2025 15:20 - 16:20 CEST

08 - R11/R12

In this session you will learn a lot of (new) SQL tricks, such as generating all kinds of totals an sub-totals with SQL, Creating Pivot Tables, Accumulating Strings over multiple rows ... decomposing everthing, i.e. convert a pivot table with multiple columns into a table with multiple rows, decompose a *.csv table.

Speakers

Birgitta HAUSER

Database and Software Architect, BIRGITTA HAUSER - MODERNIZATION

Birgitta Hauser worked on the IBM i and its predecessors since 1992. She graduated with a business economics diploma, and started programming on the AS/400 in 1992. She worked and works as traditional RPG Programmer but also as Database and Software Architect, focusing on IBM i... Read More →

Wednesday June 4, 2025 15:20 - 16:20 CEST
08 - R11/R12

IBM i

09:10 CEST

The IBM i benefits of “instant disk copy” and the differences between ‘FlashCopy’ and ‘Snapshots’ External storage features explained.

Thursday June 5, 2025 09:10 - 10:10 CEST

09 - R14

All IBM external storage units can perform “instant copy” of all the disks of your IBM i LPAR.
Historically made using the ‘FlashCopy’ technology, these “instant copies” are now possible with a new method called ‘Snapshot’ or ‘Policy based FlashCopy’.
Discover the differences and how to use those two technologies to simplify and secure operations on your IBM i partitions:
-   To create easily manually a copy of your prod to test a change on it (or create a backup copy before a version change)
-   To perform daily several planned “instant copy” to create regular protection against ransomware or data corruption
-   To reduce, using IBM i commands, the backup window to less than 2 minutes
- To refresh nearly instantly your test/acceptance/preprod environment

By Pascal Ruckebusch

Speakers

Pascal Ruckebusch

Président, Technical Director, M81

Pascal Ruckebusch adopted IBM i at the exact beginning of AS/400, three decades ago, and never left it … Pascal's experience on IBM i covers system and application development, training and operations. Twice CTO of 2 major IBM business partners in France, his technical skills and... Read More →

Thursday June 5, 2025 09:10 - 10:10 CEST
09 - R14

IBM i, Systems management

10:30 CEST

IBM i Client Innovation Stories

Monday June 15, 2026 10:30 - 11:30 CEST

03 - RHÔNE 1

IBM i clients around the world in industries such as retail, distribution, consumer products, and more continued to innovate throughout 2025. These organizations leveraged open source technologies and infused AI into their business processes to modernize operations, automate routine tasks, and boost productivity in new ways. From smarter automation to cloud optimization, IBM i continues to evolve as a platform for innovation and growth. Join Brandon Pederson, IBM i and Power Product Marketing Manager, and Steve Will, IBM i Chief Technology Officer and Distinguished Engineer, to explore how clients are using IBM i to modernize, integrate AI, and drive digital transformation. You will leave the session with new ideas to advance your business, practical examples of AI-driven innovation, and inspiration to take your IBM i strategy to the next level.

Speakers

Steve Will

IBM i CTO & Chief Architect, IBM

Brandon Pedersen

Monday June 15, 2026 10:30 - 11:30 CEST
03 - RHÔNE 1

IBM i

11:50 CEST

IBM i Migrate While Active: minimizing downtime with Partition Mirroring, Assisted Save/Restore, or Manual Migration Methods

Monday June 15, 2026 11:50 - 12:50 CEST

03 - RHÔNE 1

Discover how to migrate IBM i environments with minimal downtime across on-prem, remote, or cloud targets using three different migration strategies: advanced partition mirroring, assisted save/restore, and the manual method. This session details architectures, technical requirements, and workflows for each approach.

Speakers

Nicolae Chirea

System Architect, Seidor Iberia

I’ve spent the last 25 years working deep within the IBM Power ecosystem. My focus is simple: helping businesses build the most reliable and efficient environments possible, usually with IBM i as the centerpiece, but often incorporating AIX, Linux, and the necessary IBM Storage... Read More →

Monday June 15, 2026 11:50 - 12:50 CEST
03 - RHÔNE 1

IBM i

14:00 CEST

IBM i in 2026 - Collaborative Strategy in the Era of AI

Monday June 15, 2026 14:00 - 15:00 CEST

03 - RHÔNE 1

The pace of change and innovation is accelerating with the advent of AI. IBM i, as an integrated solution platform, has a strong strategy and roadmap for the future. In this session, Steve Will, IBM i CTO and Chief Architect will partner with Kris Whitney, IBM i Chief Engineer, to explain the strategy, show the roadmap, and highlight the ways in which IBM collaborates with the IBM i community to set the direction of the platform.

Speakers

Steve Will

IBM i CTO & Chief Architect, IBM

Monday June 15, 2026 14:00 - 15:00 CEST
03 - RHÔNE 1

IBM i

15:55 CEST

IBM i 7.6 and the latest TRs by the Architect

Monday June 15, 2026 15:55 - 16:55 CEST

03 - RHÔNE 1

The IBM i development team has just delivered a brand new release - IBM i 7.6 along with several Technology Refreshes. These deliveries are just full of new enhancements targeted to help your business applications run more securely. In this session, Tim will detail a number of the new enhancements, helping you understand what's new and how you can leverage many of these new features to bring your applications, systems, and business forward. Often we like to wait upgrade, we are going to show you why IBM i 7.6 may be the release to break that trend!!! Attend this session to see the must-have technologies for your IBM i.

Speakers

Tim Rowe

STSM - IBM i Business Architect, IBM USA

Tim Rowe is a Senior Technical Staff Member within IBM i development and spends most of his time working as the Architect for Application Development and Systems Management. He has been working on the IBM i operating system since 1989. Tim is a frequent author, industry speaker and... Read More →

Monday June 15, 2026 15:55 - 16:55 CEST
03 - RHÔNE 1

IBM i

08:00 CEST

Accelerate your SQL Queries with SMP

Tuesday June 16, 2026 08:00 - 09:00 CEST

03 - RHÔNE 1

With Symmetric Multiprocessing (SMP) now available as a no-charge feature in IBM i, you've gained access to a powerful feature that can significantly improve the speed of query execution. However, SMP must be approached carefully, as improper usage may produce lackluster results. This session will cover the inner workings of SMP, when to utilize SMP, and tools for controlling system-wide SMP usage.

Speakers

Ryan Moeller

Software Engineer, IBM

Ryan Moeller is a software engineer working on Db2 for i, specifically on the SQL Query Engine (SQE) team. He joined the team in the Rochester, MN development lab in 2020. Ryan specializes in SQL, database development, and query performance analysis.

Tuesday June 16, 2026 08:00 - 09:00 CEST
03 - RHÔNE 1

IBM i

09:10 CEST

KEY Note IBM i

Tuesday June 16, 2026 09:10 - 10:10 CEST

03 - RHÔNE 1

Tuesday June 16, 2026 09:10 - 10:10 CEST
03 - RHÔNE 1

IBM i

10:30 CEST

A Journey to the Truth....with AI and Ansible!

Tuesday June 16, 2026 10:30 - 11:30 CEST

03 - RHÔNE 1

Sometimes, the answer to a tricky problem is right in front of you - you just have to know where to look. That’s what the team at PC Richard & Son discovered while rolling out our next-generation POS solution to our fleet of IBM i systems using Ansible. Everything was going well until we hit a hardware issue on one IBM Power Server. Fixing that single machine was easy, but figuring out if the same issue was quietly lurking on other servers? That was the real challenge. Join us for a real-world case study on how we used Ansible and AI in creative ways to find and fix hidden problems before they caused major headaches. We’ll share what we learned, how AI helped us work smarter, and how you can apply these lessons to your own environment.Join this session to discuss:How a simple hardware failure led to a bigger discovery.How Ansible can be used for more than just automation.Tips for leveraging AI in solving problems.Ways to spot hidden issues before they become big problems.Practical tips to make your infrastructure more reliable.Audience: Anyone interested in solving real-world IT challenges with automation and AI should attend.Sometimes, the answer to a tricky problem is right in front of you - you just have to know where to look. That’s what the team at PC Richard & Son discovered while rolling out our next-generation POS solution to our fleet of IBM i systems using Ansible. Everything was going well until we hit a hardware issue on one IBM Power Server. Fixing that single machine was easy, but figuring out if the same issue was quietly lurking on other servers? That was the real challenge. Join us for a real-world case study on how we used Ansible and AI in creative ways to find and fix hidden problems before they caused major headaches. We’ll share what we learned, how AI helped us work smarter, and how you can apply these lessons to your own environment.

Speakers

Steven Wolk

CTO, PC Richard & Son

Tuesday June 16, 2026 10:30 - 11:30 CEST
03 - RHÔNE 1

IBM i

11:40 CEST

What can software High Availability do for you?

Tuesday June 16, 2026 11:40 - 12:40 CEST

03 - RHÔNE 1

What does High Availability mean, what are the metrics? Why does it do much more than secure your data and how does it work? What options are available and which is the best product out there?

Speakers

Katharina Karner

Consultant, Axians ICT Austria

Tuesday June 16, 2026 11:40 - 12:40 CEST
03 - RHÔNE 1

IBM i

14:00 CEST

What's New in Db2 for i

Tuesday June 16, 2026 14:00 - 15:00 CEST

03 - RHÔNE 1

In the tradition of previous Technology Refreshes (TR), the database team is deliveringenhancements on the same cadence. Attend this session to hear about the manyenhancements to SQL on i, SQL Query Engine, IBM i Services and more. This session will coverthe new and enhanced Db2 for i capabilities added to IBM i 7.4 and IBM i 7.5 over the mostrecent IBM i Technology Refreshes.This session will include something for everyone and anyone who uses the IBM i.

Speakers

Ryan Moeller

Software Engineer, IBM

Tuesday June 16, 2026 14:00 - 15:00 CEST
03 - RHÔNE 1

IBM i

15:55 CEST

Compliance and security management on IBM i with IBM PowerSC

Tuesday June 16, 2026 15:55 - 16:55 CEST

03 - RHÔNE 1

Managing the security and compliance on different IBM i systems and partitions can be a challenging task. Changing a setting is quite simple, but automatically checking if a security setting remains the same over time and getting notified about a change is a challenge. IBM offers a product called IBM PowerSC. This product uses compliance profiles to perform the necessary security configuration and monitors that the systems remain compliant. It offers a single user interface that lets you monitor the compliance and security of all your IBM i, Linux on Power, AIX, and VIOS partitions on your Power System. It provides more security functions for malware detection, PTF level currency checking, and more. This session shows you what PowerSC is, how it works, and based on the Center for Internet Security (CIS) IBM i benchmark how to apply a compliance profile. You also see the reporting capabilities of the product, which offers administrators and auditors a comprehensive overview of the security state of your IBM i landscape.

Speakers

Thomas Barlen

Senior Managing Consultant, IBM

IT consultant architecting and implementing security solutions mainly in the IBM i and AIX area. I am also a frequent speaker at technical conferences. Specialties: Cryptography, Single Signon, Security assessments, Access Control concepts and implementation, IBM i cryptographic programming... Read More →

Tuesday June 16, 2026 15:55 - 16:55 CEST
03 - RHÔNE 1

IBM i

17:05 CEST

Common Misconceptions in the IBM i Performance Area

Tuesday June 16, 2026 17:05 - 18:05 CEST

03 - RHÔNE 1

This session addresses key performance considerations and common misconceptions that often lead to confusion when tuning IBM i systems.Topics include:CPU utilization – what it really means and how to interpret it correctlyDisk I/O scenarios – understanding the differences between synchronous and asynchronous I/ODisk page faults – when they matter and when they don’tSQL vs. native DB access – performance implications and best practicesThe presentation concludes with a simple, practical example illustrating job characteristics and performance statistics, helping you separate myth from reality and make informed decisions.

Speakers

Morten Buur Rasmussen

Power Performance Specialist, IBM Expert Labs

Morten Buur Rasmussen is a performance Specialist at IBM Technology Expert Labs. Morten has 40 years of experience in the computing field. He started working with the S/38 and AS/400 in 1988 as programmer. Before joining the Lab Services and Expert Labs, he worked for IBM Denmark... Read More →

Tuesday June 16, 2026 17:05 - 18:05 CEST
03 - RHÔNE 1

IBM i

08:00 CEST

IBM i and AI: Let's Design the Future

Wednesday June 17, 2026 08:00 - 09:00 CEST

03 - RHÔNE 1

The IBM i team wants to try something with the participants of COMMON Europe. We have a chance, at this conference, to collaborate with you on the kinds of things you'd like to see IBM i accomplish with AI in the future. Come to this session to participate as we use collaboration and design concepts to dream about what IBM i might do in the future.

Speakers