[Essay in My Heart] 

Current Status of the U.S. IT Industry - NAViGATE 2023 Observation Report

NAViGATE 2023 is an autumn conference led by COMMON, an IBM Technology User Community that IBM hosts every year. This year, it took place from October 9th to 11th at the Ocean Front Marriott Hotel in Virginia Beach, USA. It's worth noting that the same event will also be held in Virginia Beach next year.

NAViGATE 2023 provides education about IBM i, an operating system running on IBM's hardware platform POWER Systems, over 2.5 days. It includes new software releases and technical presentations. The event consists of over 100 sessions presented by industry experts covering various topics related to the latest IBM i and its associated themes. It also includes an expo where leading solution providers offer their expertise. Furthermore, NAViGATE 2023 offers a unique in-person networking opportunity for participants to interact, share knowledge, explore ways to connect the IT industry with universities and engage with a diverse set of attendees.

For those involved in practical IT work, the technical materials discussed during the event can be conveniently downloaded from the following website, which will be very useful.

https://navigate2023.sched.com/

A brief overview of the technical content discussed by topic includes Client Connectivity, Database, Developing Business Skills, DevOps, Hardware, High Availability Resilience, IT Strategy, Networking, Personal Development, Program Testing, Programming Tools, Programming (Fundamentals, General, PHP, Python, RPG), Security, Systems Management, and Virtualization. Overall, it can be summarized as the ABC of the IT industry, namely Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, and Cybersecurity. I mainly focused on sessions related to Open AI, Security, Python, and Strategic IT.

I was invited by COMMON to participate in the event with one of my students. Through my participation, I want to briefly note what I felt, saw, or learned, and the insights gained from conversations with various attendees:

1. The U.S. IT industry has steadily advanced in a highly systematic manner, building on the technologies accumulated in the past.

1. Rather than discarding old technologies, software, or legacy systems, the industry is continuously evolving by coexisting or integrating them with new technologies and systems.

1. Global corporations like IBM collaborate with small and medium-sized enterprises, building a technological ecosystem and seeking mutual technological advancements.

1. The IT industry collaborates with academia to ensure a continuous supply of skilled personnel and jointly participates in the development of advanced technologies for the future.

1. Large corporations, while promoting their own interests, continue to share the latest IT technologies and information with small and medium-sized enterprises and society through events like User Conferences.

1. Efforts are made to apply rapidly-advancing Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to the design, development, validation, and management of IT software and hardware (Artificial Intelligence – A in the ABC of IT Industry).

1. The aim is to create a complex and organic system, with databases at the core of the operating system, integrating vast data and multiple technical components (Big Data – B in the ABC of IT Industry).

1. The security intrusion monitoring and response capabilities of operating systems are strengthened to minimize damage when security incidents occur by quickly responding using technologies such as artificial intelligence (Cybersecurity - C in the ABC of IT Industry).

Due to the impact of COVID, I had the opportunity to meet and have direct conversations with those working in the IT industry after a long time. I learned about new technologies and observed industry trends. This has helped me to start building a structured plan for how to improve the content I teach at school and what direction to take in the future. I believe that given the rapid pace of technological advancement, such efforts need to be more actively and frequently pursued in various IT fields.

October 18, 2023 

Solti

한국어 Translation:  https://www.ktown1st.com/blog/VALover/343315