IBM Redbooks - A meaningful chapter

Where It Began

In 1997, I had the incredible opportunity to be invited to the home of IBM and the location of the International Technical Support Centre in Poughkeepsie, New York. My mission was to join a collaborative team tasked with installing, configuring, testing, and documenting a pioneering piece of IBM software called OpenEdition. This software, a UNIX-based web server, was designed to run on IBM’s flagship mainframe operating system OS/390 - an ambitious leap at the time.

My specific role on the team was to get the latest version of OpenEdition operational on the mainframe, laying the groundwork for the Database and Applications specialists to develop what we now refer to as Web Apps. The results of our work would eventually be published in one of the renowned IBM Redbooks, serving as a technical guide for professionals around the world. I felt incredibly honoured and proud to be part of what I considered an elite group of tech experts.

What are Redbooks?

IBM Redbooks are authoritative publications that have served as a crucial resource for IBM technical professionals, clients, and business partners for nearly five decades. These publications have played a key role in developing and disseminating technical skills, knowledge, and best practices across the IBM ecosystem.

At their core, IBM Redbooks provide in-depth content that includes positioning and value guidance, installation and implementation experiences, typical solution scenarios, and detailed step-by-step “how-to” guidelines. In addition to the comprehensive manuals, shorter Redbooks content such as papers and guides often takes a more business-oriented approach. These documents focus on the application of technology to solve business challenges, deliver value, and create competitive advantages.

Residency Program

Most IBM Redbooks content is developed through a unique residency program that brings together IBM technical professionals, IBM Business Partners, clients, and product development staff. The residency team is carefully selected through a competitive nomination process.

For me, this residency program was an entirely new world, not just geographically, as it marked my first trip to the United States, but also professionally. As a systems programmer specialising in centralised high-end IBM operating systems, the concept of the Internet was brand new to me. For context, this was the era when IBM had just coined the term "e-Business," and everything “internet” was a brave new frontier.

During the residency, I gained invaluable experience, particularly in web-enabling mainframes and making specific applications accessible over the Internet. This knowledge would prove transformative in my career. From that point forward, I became a specialist in web enablement, helping large financial services companies get online during the late 1990s. This expertise not only took me to companies around the globe but ultimately led me to start my own web development business in the year 2000.