Subject: CM First Group November 2025 Newsletter

Modernization news fit to print

November 2025

In this issue...

  • Featured: When AI Slows Down Your Best Legacy Developers (And How to Fix It) - CM First Group

  • CA Communities: Fourth Quarter Dec 2025 Update: Save the Date

  • Article: Predictions 2026: Software Development Goes From Jamming To A Full Orchestra - Forrester

  • Watch: CM First Video Series

  • Intelligence: Further Reading on the Web

Heads Up

When AI Makes Your Best Developers Slower


AI was supposed to supercharge development, but new evidence shows it’s actually slowing down seasoned engineers, sometimes by nearly 20%. Today’s AI tools demand constant context switching, churn out unreliable code, and stumble over the unwritten rules hiding in complex legacy systems.


Junior developers may crank out more lines with AI, but those speed gains often fall on senior engineers to clean up, quietly inflating technical debt. The fix isn’t ditching AI, it’s using it smarter: limit it to low-risk tasks, enforce automated quality checks, and let senior developers focus on review, guidance, and oversight.


Done intentionally, AI becomes a multiplier; done blindly, it becomes drag. Learn more about how leading teams are turning AI from a headache into a productivity powerhouse.


Read our recent article for a full breakdown  →

Announcing CM evolveIT 11.7


Available for Streaming: Join us for informative, hands-on sessions focused on the new CM evolveIT 11.7 release. 


Tailored for future-minded developers, these sessions showcase groundbreaking enhancements aimed at revolutionizing your code analysis and transformation workflows. Expect hands-on demonstrations that you can take to your development workflows right away.

Watch a webinar now...

Mainframe COBOL

Latest Advances in Mainframe COBOL Code Analysis and Transformation

Learn about cutting-edge artificial intelligence tools that promise streamlined analysis and transformation processes, automated tools that convert legacy COBOL code to Java, and advanced code slicing.


Watch Now

IBM i

Latest Advances in IBM i Code Analysis and Transformation

Learn how to cut your analysis costs by up to 80% with new capabilities. We'll demo new CA 2E (Synon) and CA Plex superpowers, AI and Code slicing innovations, and improved support for DB2 and COBOL and more.


Watch Now

Heads Up

Predictions 2026: Software Development Goes From Jamming To A Full Orchestra


Forrester’s 2026 outlook says software development is about to shift from solo jams to a full AI-conducted orchestra. What began as isolated AI-assisted coding is evolving into full-cycle, AI-driven software creation: agents will handle planning, testing, orchestration, and delivery, while human developers shift toward strategy, architecture, and innovation.


Routine developer tasks will shrink, computer science enrollments may dip, and companies will compete harder for systems thinkers who can direct AI-driven pipelines.


The message is clear: leaders who rethink talent, training, and development processes now will be the ones turning this new AI ensemble into an advantag. Everyone else will be playing catch-up.


Read the article at Forrester  →

Video Vault

Next-Gen Pair Programming: AI Collaboration on IBM i and IBM z Systems


Join us for a cutting-edge webinar that merges the art of pair programming with the innovation of AI for both IBM i and IBM z systems. This session is dedicated to COBOL developers working on IBM's midrange and mainframe platforms, offering a deep dive into how AI can amplify coding collaboration and efficiency.


In this webinar:

  • Discuss the integration of AI-driven pair programming in IBM i and IBM z COBOL development.

  • Address the unique challenges of maintaining and evolving COBOL applications with AI support.

  • Showcase a live demonstration of AI tools tailored to IBM i and IBM z developers.

  • Share actionable strategies for embedding AI into the pair programming workflow on both platforms.

Whether you're involved in IBM i or IBM z development, this webinar will equip you with the knowledge to leverage AI for better code quality, faster problem-solving, and more productive pair programming sessions. Engage with our experts and take the first step towards a smarter, AI-assisted development future.


Watch the video now →

Are you tired of time-consuming manual testing software applications? Fortra's Automate Plus RPA is here to help. Join us for a webinar where we review the features of this powerful tool and show you how it can revolutionize your software testing processes, making it better, more accurate, and quicker to get results.


Watch the Webinar →

Frightened about the prospect of your legacy IBM i and z application developers leaving? We have a solution that can put your fears to rest. In this webinar, we demonstrate how you can “refactor” your legacy app developed in COBOL, RPG, or CA 2E (Synon) directly to maintainable runtime-free Java and JS.


Watch the Webinar →

 Broadcom Support 


Many enterprises struggle with obtaining Broadcom support for their CA 2E (Synon, COOL:2E) or CA Plex systems


If you're working with an older unsupported release, upgrading your IBM OS, or otherwise under the shadow of lapsed maintenance, we can get you back on Broadcom support based on your unique situation. We specialize in all sizes of customers.


Fill out our 2 minute form and schedule a no-commitment fifteen minute conversation with a CM First Group technical rep.

Get rock solid Broadcom support

CM First Support

Current CM First Group customers can access tutorials and submit support tickets at support.cmfirstgroup.com.

Current Releases


CM WebClient 1.8.8 (with nightly builds) For details, go here.

CM Matchpoint ALM 7.0 Build 004. For details, go here.

CM evolveIT 11.7, last supported 10.6
CM M3 2024 Edition
CA Plex 7.3, last supported 7.2.1 (as of October 31, 2024)
→ Details can be found here at Broadcom (login required)
CA 2E 8.7.4, last supported 8.7 (as of October 31, 2024)
→ Details can be found here at Broadcom (login required)
Contact CM First to learn more: info@cmfirstgroup.com

Intelligence

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