From Core to Catalyst: How IBM i Teams Can Lead the Next Wave of AI-Ready Modernization

IBM i has been the backbone of enterprise stability, but shifting expectations now demand more. IT modernization has become a strategic priority, driving efficiency, innovation, and enhanced customer experiences. In the next two years, 25–30% of IT budgets will focus on AI readiness, cybersecurity, automation, and data optimization. For IBM i teams, this is both a challenge and an opportunity to turn barriers like legacy complexity and siloed data into catalysts for growth and innovation. In this keynote, Rashmi Agrawal, VP of Engineering at Rocket Software, will reframe IBM i not as a legacy constraint but as a strategic advantage. With the right modernization roadmap—spanning applications, data, infrastructure, and security—IBM i teams can accelerate digital transformation, enable AI initiatives, and deliver measurable business outcomes that resonate with the C-suite.

In this session, you’ll discover:

How AI enhances human-driven decision-making in workload modernization. With 54% of enterprises expecting AI-assisted migration and optimization, IBM i teams can leverage AI to augment—not replace—human expertise.
Why modernization maturity drives business performance. Modernization leaders report significantly higher gains in efficiency, innovation, and customer satisfaction, proving the direct correlation between IT transformation and business success.
What RPG, COBOL, and CL developers need to prepare for. From data quality and integration to AI-augmented coding and secure-by-design practices, developers must evolve their skills to meet new demands. AI-assisted development, testing, and infrastructure readiness will be critical.
How technical leaders can overcome modernization blockers. Learn strategies to address data silos, compliance complexity, and talent gaps while preserving the resilience and reliability that make IBM i indispensable.

Join us to discover how to transform your IBM i environment into an AI-ready, modernization-driven foundation for the next decade of innovation.

Rashmi Agrawal

Vice President – Engineering, App Mod Vice President – Engineering, App Mod

Rocket Software

Rashmi is a highly accomplished Global R&D leader with 26 years of experience driving product innovation and execution at enterprise-grade companies like IBM, Dell/EMC, and Rocket Software. Her expertise spans a wide range of products, including datacenter, cloud, AI, storage, developer efficiency, supply management, and application solutions.

While at IBM, she led areas of IBM SONAS and System Director products (For System X and Power) and IBM Dynix/ptx Operating Systems. She moved on to work on Isilon OneFS solution at Dell EMC responsible for cloud enablement. At Rocket Software, she is responsible for Rocket iCluster (HA/DR), Rocket DevOps, Rocket MXWeb (Modernization of Web), Rocket API and Rocket Process Insights along with some other non-IBM i products. As we are building these products, we are infusing various aspects of Security, Cloud and AI into our products along with other performance and feature related development.

Adept at taking next-generation products from concept to go-to-market, Rashmi has a proven track record of building and leading world-class, geographically dispersed teams (US, China, Netherlands, Germany, UK, India). She is passionate about building strong teams through hiring, coaching, and mentorship, empowering individuals to reach their full potential.

Jeroen van Dun

Senior Manager, Product Management

Rocket Software

Jeroen van Dun is a Senior Manager, Product Management at Rocket Software. Jeroen has more than 20 years of experience in product management and software development. He has lead R&D teams developing SOA, APIs, and mobile, with a focus on IBM i. In his current role, Jeroen leads the team responsible for research of new technologies and product design and development for Rocket Software’s IBM i Solutions. Jeroen has a Computer Science degree from Avans Hogeschool Breda in The Netherlands.