Reflections from COMMON NAViGATE 2025 & New Friends Made
I first understood the genius of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood not as a child, but as a parent growing up in the technology age. Born in the 1970s, I grew up on comic books, black-and-white television reruns, and face-to-face conversations. And of course, his airy, gentle, 30-minute episodes, where I felt like Mr. Rogers was talking directly to my son on his public television show. Did you grow up watching his show, too? Fred Rogers never talked down to his young audience and treated his viewers with the same patience, listening, and respect any adult would deserve. He taught us so many critical lessons, most of all: change doesn’t have to be scary. Growth happens with patience, care, and acceptance of who you are.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was where Mr. Rogers’ actual neighborhood was (Latrobe), and where the show was filmed way back in the 20th century. My inspiration for this article comes from having just returned from the Fall NAViGATE 2025 conference held by the COMMON organization, which took place in Pittsburgh. I had the pleasure of meeting nearly 200 other technology “friends and neighbors” there, all gathered to learn and connect. The parallels between these two worlds struck me throughout the week!
Mr. Rogers would have loved the NAViGATE 2025 conference. Both have quietly served their communities for decades. Both have been reliable as the sunrise, providing education and guidance in a world full of change. Year after year, new friends and new technologies have met, with an open heart, listening, understanding, and finding ways to work together. NAViGATE 2025, and its sister events all over the world, are special, just like you.
Visiting Our Neighborhood
My Expo Hall and hallway conversations at NAViGATE centered around how my team at Eradani, our software, people, and knowledge, helped IBM i users build bridges to modern IT capabilities. Just as the COMMON 2030 Initiative was announced in May (a complete transition in the average age of the user community) and the globalization of the organization expands (multi-lingual, multi-country events), the core technology continues to evolve. Events like NAViGATE embody what COMMON has always been about – helping our community grow together, respecting our foundations while embracing innovation.
The beauty of the IBM i platform was evident throughout the conference – its proven reliability doesn’t need replacing, it needs friends. Just as Mr. Rogers showed us that being special doesn’t mean being alone, the IBM i systems showcased at the conference maintained their core strengths while making new connections in the modern IT neighborhood.
The C-level executives, Sales and Accounting VPs, and Board of Directors representatives I met weren’t there just to hear about the latest database feature; they were seeking real business value from IT.
The conversations were fascinating – from companies implementing real-time geolocation updates on 10,000 vehicles to those using bi-directional texting with Twilio that incorporates AI to translate responses into action items. The urgency was palpable, especially with the free email-to-text option from AT&T now gone.
I loved hearing success stories where IBM i systems became the reliable backbone of modern architectures – processing millions of transactions while seamlessly connecting to cloud services and mobile apps. The conversations about helping old-school COBOL and RPG developers adopt Git for IBM i version control were particularly enlightening. Many were amazed to learn how Eradani solved the speed of EDI partner onboarding problem in a 100% new (AI) way.
The energy in those hallways proved that end-users’ wildest imaginative ways to improve their business were becoming reality in 2025.
Looking for the Helpers
Mr. Rogers says, “Look for the helpers during difficult times”. What amazed me throughout the conference was how more presentations than ever before were NOT just about the IBM i platform, but about integrating it with the rest of the technology in IT Departments. Aaron Magid from Eradani spoke about using AI JavaScript technology to generate next-generation standalone applications loosely coupled with APIs. His workshop on enterprise standard logging and monitoring for the platform, using tools like Grafana and DataDog, was equally well-received. Whether attendees were just starting their modernization journey or deep into transformation, NAViGATE delivered something for everyone – from RPG enhancement sessions to API design workshops.
Like Mr. Rogers’ trolley connecting neighborhoods, IBM i systems demonstrated their ability to visit modern IT while maintaining their home base. “It’s normal to be scared, everyone gets scared sometimes, even adults,” Mr. Rogers taught us. The world of modern IT integration proved full of excellent, exciting possibilities that complement IBM i’s strengths with open standards! “Sharing fears with trusted people makes them less powerful,” and that, my friends, is why the face-to-face interactions at NAViGATE mattered so much.
Thanks For Being My Neighbor
Thank you to everyone who joined me at NAViGATE 2025 in Pittsburgh this past week. Being part of this larger neighborhood where OG expertise is valued and where friends help each other adopt modern technology safely was truly special.
The conference reinforced that IBM i systems deserve modern friends while keeping their trusted capabilities. Fred Rogers knew that every person has value just as they are, and is full of infinite potential to grow. The IBM i systems showcased throughout the week demonstrated the same principle – maintaining reliability while building connections throughout IT ecosystems.
Fred Rogers taught us that the best neighborhoods are diverse – where everyone brings their unique strengths. In our IT neighborhood, the combination of IBM i’s reliability paired with modern innovation created something stronger than either could achieve alone.
Until we meet again in the neighborhood!
Mitch Hoffman, VP of Worldwide Sales, Eradani
Mitch Hoffman is the VP of Worldwide Sales and a co-founder of Eradani. With over 30 years in IT and 15 years of IBM i experience, he serves on the board of the Nashville IBM i Regional User Group and is a COMMON volunteer, demonstrating his commitment to the technology community. Reach out to us today to learn more!