Subject: CM evolveIT June 2025 Newsletter

The modern state of static analysis, refactoring, and digital transformation

June 2025

In this issue...

  • Featured: Agile vs. Waterfall: Choosing the Right Development Methodology for Your Project - CM First Group

  • Watch: Discover the Latest Advances in Code Analysis and Transformation with our Latest Release of CM evolveIT 11.7

  • Article: Beyond speed: Measuring engineering success by impact, not velocity - Stack Overflow Blog

  • Listen: Iteration or Target State Planning - Developer Tea

  • Video Vault: Next-Gen Pair Programming: AI Collaboration on IBM i and IBM z Systems - CM First

  • Intelligence: News to think about...

Featured

Agile vs. Waterfall: Choosing the Right Development Methodology for Your Project


Choosing the right development method can make or break your IT project. For many organizations, Agile is the only way to go. Others have options, including more classic frameworks like Waterfall. This month, we explore the debate between the two practices to see if Waterfall might be a good choice when the stars align a specific way.


We look at how these methods differ in flexibility, engagement with stakeholders, and how they adapt to changing needs. For organizations with legacy systems like IBM i or mainframes, knowing these differences is crucial for planning modernization.


Read the full article to learn about the strengths and weaknesses of both methods, plus tips for hybrid approaches that may suit your project better.


Read now →

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 one of these two webinars now...

Mainframe

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

Beyond Speed: Measuring Engineering Success by Impact, Not Velocity


While velocity metrics have long been the standard for measuring developer productivity, Stack Overflow challenges engineering teams to look beyond simple speed measurements. The author argues that story points and sprint completions fail to capture what truly matters: the actual business impact of engineering work.


Instead of asking "How fast are we moving?", the article suggests teams should focus on questions like "Are we solving real user problems?" and "Is our work delivering measurable business value?" 


This perspective shift can help engineering teams better align with organizational goals and demonstrate their true contribution to company success.


For engineering leaders looking to evolve their performance metrics, this piece offers practical alternatives to traditional velocity measurements that better reflect the meaningful impact of their teams' work.


Read the full article at the Stack Overflow blog →

Listen

Iteration or Target State Planning


In software development, choosing between iterative planning and target state planning can significantly impact project outcomes. This insightful episode of Developer Tea explores this fundamental dichotomy that every development team faces.


Iterative planning embraces flexibility and adaptation, allowing teams to respond to changing requirements and feedback loops. In contrast, target state planning provides a clear vision of the end goal, helping teams align their efforts toward a specific outcome. Both approaches offer distinct advantages, but which is right for your project?


The podcast breaks down decision factors that can help you determine the most appropriate method based on your specific context, including project complexity, timeline constraints, and stakeholder expectations. Whether you're a seasoned architect or a project manager navigating uncertain waters, this episode offers valuable perspectives on balancing these complementary approaches.


Listen to gain practical insights that could transform how you approach your next development initiative.


Listen to the Developer Tea podcast →

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, we will:

  • 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 video →

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 video →

 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-committment fifteen minute conversation with CM First Group tech.

Get rock solid Broadcom support

CM First Support

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

CM evolveIT current version is 11.7.

You can read more about CM evolveIT in our white paper CM evolveIT Data Lineage, or get in touch with us directly to learn about these new features and more.

We upgrade CM evolveIT customers to the newest versions continuously. If you have any questions just send us a note to info@cmfirstgroup.com.


Other CM First 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 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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