MQ for z/OS or z/OS Connect EE?
May 1, 2019
When should I use MQ for z/OS or z/OS Connect EE to interact with my mainframe assets? For the last 25 years, MQ for z/OS* has been the communication mechanism of choice for clients who want to reliably and securely interact with their mainframe applications. More recently, z/OS Connect Enterprise Edition (zCEE) was introduced to […]
ArticlesPower Through Diversity
May 1, 2019
Addressing diversity on the mainframe and increasing the platform’s relevance is top of mind for many organizations, and VirtualZ Computing is no exception. VirtualZ is the first Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC)-certified mainframe ISV. Jeanne Glass founded the company with the help of several co-founders, including Lisa Wood. Both Glass and Wood are dedicated […]
ArticlesRetired IBMer Josh Knight Is Captivated by Astronomy
March 1, 2019
Science has always been important in Josh Knight’s family. His father taught him science in eighth grade, his aunt taught him biology in ninth grade and his mother taught him chemistry in 10th grade. Knight grew up on a farm in northern Missouri, where he observed the constellations often with his father. Knight’s family background […]
ArticlesMusic, Meaning and the Mainframe
January 1, 2019
Since watching the Beatles debut on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” Jeffrey Frey has been captivated by music. He paid his way through college as a drummer in various bands, where his musical interests expanded even further. “My interest in music was always expanding, not just in terms of playing the music and the artistry itself, […]
ArticlesGary Mikos, Senior Programmer/Analyst, Conestoga Wood Specialties Corp.
September 1, 2018
Name: Gary Mikos Title: Senior programmer/analyst Company Name: Conestoga Wood Specialties Corporation Company’s Function: Cabinet manufacturer HQ: East Earl, Pennsylvania Years in IT: 34 What’s the biggest challenge facing your company today? Staying on top of new technologies and determining which could be utilized to achieve company goals or drive innovation. What do you […]
Retired IBMer Carl Parris Studies How Societies Maximize the Use of Their Land
September 1, 2018
Carl Parris—a recently retired IBM Z* performance analyst—began traveling early with his family. “The first significant trip in my life was when my father was doing research for a dissertation, and we ended up living in England for a year. That gave us access to Europe, so we traveled through Europe whenever we had time […]
ArticlesMeet 18 of the 2018 IBM Z Champions
July 1, 2018
Business leaders, IT professionals and university professors continue to find new, creative uses for the IBM Z* platform. For the first time this year, IBM named 46 of these innovators as Z Champions. The designation is based on the ways they’re using the platform within their industries or classrooms and how they’re using Z attributes […]
ArticlesWhat’s New With AIX Certifications
July 1, 2018
I fondly remember one of my first certifications when I was certified as an AIX administrator, way back during the days of AIX 4.3. I carried the laminated card in my pocket—a pretty geeky act, when being a geek was far from popular. If you wanted training, you had to go to an on-site training […]
ArticlesReg Harbeck Loves Talking to and About the Mainframe Community and its Technology
March 1, 2018
Many mainframers have interacted with, attended a presentation by or are familiar with Reg Harbeck. The chief strategist at Mainframe Analytics is an experienced systems programmer and an active participant of mainframe culture and events. In an industry where introversion is a typical trait, he stands out as an extrovert ready to talk with anyone. […]
ArticlesOpen Source is Changing Businesses
January 2, 2018
Some revolutions begin with a bang. But not the open-source revolution. In 1991, Finnish inventor Linus Torvalds was working on a computer project with the sole purpose of providing a challenge for himself. Liking what he saw, Torvalds showed the software that was to become Linux* to other programmers. Soon, many programmers began to contribute, […]