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This redirect is about a computer users' group. For other uses, see Common.
COMMON - A Users Group
Formation1960
TypeAssociation
PurposeIT Education and Networking
HeadquartersChicago, Illinois
Region served
Worldwide
Official language
English
President
Jeff Carey
Executive Director
Manzoor Siddiqui
AffiliationsIBM
Websitewww.common.org/

COMMON is the world's largest association of IBM technology users. Named for a Fortran statement, the organization's membership has been traditionally comprised of users of IBM Power Systems and IBM i.

Governed by a Board of Directors[1], COMMON is headquartered in Chicago, IL. With both staff and volunteers, COMMON offers a wide variety of educational opportunities throughout the year. COMMON's mission is to enhance the careers of its members[2] .

Membership

Membership in COMMON is open to all students, individuals, and organizations interested in business computing using IBM Power Systems and other platforms.[3] There are four types of membership:

  • Student
  • Individual
  • Local Users Group
  • Corporate

Educational Events

Annual Meeting and Exposition

Held in May, the Annual Meeting and Exposition is COMMON's largest event and the "biggest IBM i show on earth."[4] Expert speakers, many of them IBM employees and IBM Champions[5], present sessions on a variety of topics relevant to IBM Power Systems, IBM i and business computing[6]. Additionally, the Exposition is the largest gathering of Power Systems vendors and solutions providers, providing attendees an opportunity to see what is new in the market in one convenient place[7].

Next Annual Meeting: May 7-10, 2017 at the Loews Sapphire Falls Resort at Universal Orlando®

IT Executive Conference

In conjunction with the Annual Meeting, COMMON hosts the IT Executive Conference (ITEC), a two day event designed for IT managers and decision-makers. Focusing on high-level IT topics[8], attendees interact with IBM executives, expert speakers and peers.[9]

Next IT Executive Conference: May 7-8, 2017 at the Loews Sapphire Falls Resort at Universal Orlando® , Orlando, FL

Fall Conference & Expo

The Fall Conference & Expo is COMMON's Power Systems education and peer networking event held in October. Although it is on a smaller scale versus the Annual Meeting, it provides numerous educational sessions taught by subject-matter experts[10] and an Expo of vendors to the Power Systems market.

Next Fall Conference: October 24-26, 2016 at the Hilton Columbus Downtown, Columbus, OH

COMMON Forum

Several times per year, COMMON hosts two-day educational events focusing on one or two specific topics. The COMMON Forum allows attendees to study a topic in-depth versus shorter sessions that are available at other events.

Next COMMON Forum: Open Source and Systems Management, August 24-25, 2016 at the DePaul University O'Hare campus, Chicago, IL

Virtual Conference

COMMON hosts its Virtual Conference twice per year, generally in the summer and winter. These free events featuring sessions and exhibitor booths provide IBM i education without the need to travel. It also provides non-members an opportunity to sample what COMMON offers at its in-person events.[11]

Next Virtual Conference: Winter 2016 TBD

Online Education

Webcasts

COMMON offers hour-long educational sessions throughout the year on various IT topics. Taught by subject-matter experts, these webcasts allow attendees to participate and learn without taking the time to travel.

Webinars

Similar to webcasts, COMMON webinars provide education online. However, they are more in-depth as they span multiple days.

Certification

COMMON offers certification for IT professionals in the following areas. One must successfully pass an exam to be awarded certification.

COMMON Business Computing Associate

Certification as a COMMON Business Computing Associate (CBCA) is targeted to students, recent graduates and entry-level IT staff members. COMMON has worked with the IBM Academic Initiative to bring awareness of the certification to its affiliated schools.[12] The goal of the CBCA certification is to demonstrate one's knowledge in the "context of a business".[13]

COMMON Certified Business Computing Professional

Attaining certification as a COMMON Certified Business Computing Professional (CCBCP) is the next step for those earning the CBCA. It is also appropriate for those that have several years of working experience in information technology and business.

COMMON Certified Application Developer – ILE RPG

The COMMON Certified Application Developer – ILE RPG certification is for those with experience using RPG on the job. It is the only RPG certification as IBM no longer offers it.[14]

COMMON is also working on a student-level RPG certification.[15]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Board of Directors - COMMON.org". Retrieved 2016-06-30.
  2. ^ "About Us - COMMON.org". Retrieved 2016-06-30.
  3. ^ "Membership - COMMON.org". Retrieved 2016-06-30.
  4. ^ "The Four Hundred--Jazzing Up IBM i In COMMON's Quarter". www.itjungle.com. Retrieved 2016-06-30.
  5. ^ "The Four Hundred--Learn Great Stuff From IBM i Champions At COMMON". www.itjungle.com. Retrieved 2016-06-30.
  6. ^ "COMMON 2016 Annual Meeting and Exposition Schedule". commons16.sched.org. Retrieved 2016-06-30.
  7. ^ "The Four Hundred--Product Highlights From Spring COMMON 2016". www.itjungle.com. Retrieved 2016-06-30.
  8. ^ "The Four Hundred--Captains, Commanders, Controllers, And Chiefs". www.itjungle.com. Retrieved 2016-06-30.
  9. ^ "The Four Hundred--Executive Reality: You're Not The Lone Ranger". www.itjungle.com. Retrieved 2016-06-30.
  10. ^ "2015 Fall Conference & Expo Schedule". 2015fallconferenceexpo.sched.org. Retrieved 2016-06-30.
  11. ^ "The Four Hundred--Learning From Experience". www.itjungle.com. Retrieved 2016-06-30.
  12. ^ "The Four Hundred--COMMON And Academic Initiative Polish Partnership". www.itjungle.com. Retrieved 2016-06-30.
  13. ^ "The Four Hundred--COMMON Prepares Business Computing Certification for Orlando Show". www.itjungle.com. Retrieved 2016-06-30.
  14. ^ "The Four Hundred--COMMON Reactivates RPG Certification". www.itjungle.com. Retrieved 2016-06-30.
  15. ^ "The Four Hundred--RPG Certification And Coursework Nears Completion". www.itjungle.com. Retrieved 2016-06-30.
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