Reg Harbeck
Contributor
Reg Harbeck is a mainframe enthusiast who has been working in IT and mainframes for over three decades. During that time, he has worked with operating systems, networks, computing security, middleware, applications and platforms ranging from Apple II Plus and MS-DOS PCs to leading edge IBM Z Mainframes. Reg has written, presented and consulted on mainframe-related matters around the world, visiting every continent but Antarctica (so far…), and is very involved in the mainframe culture and ecosystem, especially including SHARE and numerous articles and podcasts about the mainframe (such as zTalk). Reg is the chief strategist at Mainframe Analytics ltd.
A note from Reg:
“Two of my favorite things to do are reading and being with my kids—so I especially love reading to them. I read the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy among many other things to my two oldest kids as they grew up, and I now have a grandson and son who are both under five years old, to whom I can start reading more and more complex literature as they grow up. That truly makes me happy.”
Darren Surch on the Future of IBM Z, and His Unique Path to Becoming an IBM Champion
April 1, 2021
Reg Harbeck: Hi, this is Reg Harbeck and today I'm here with my friend and colleague, Darren Surch, with whom I have worked as business partners for, I’m sure it’s gotta be over 20 years now. Darren works for the Interskill online training company and he has been really active in the mainframe ecosystem including […]
ArticlesCOBOL: What’s XML Got to Do With IT?
March 24, 2021
When I first encountered the works of Thomas Aquinas, which I’m embarrassed to say wasn’t until the beginning of my Master’s degree, commenced 29 years after I completed my bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, the first thing I thought was, “This could be put into XML!” Little did I know that XML was a direct […]
ArticlesOld COBOL Dog, New JSON, XML and Mobile Workload Tricks
March 3, 2021
What is an old dog? What is a new trick? If COBOL were a human, its 61 years might make it seem eligible for early retirement. But something strange has been happening in the world of established business technology, beginning with the non-retirement of highly-experienced technologists. Yes, there are plenty of people who have followed […]
PodcastsAlixander Joel Laffredo-Dietrich on Joining the Tech Industry and Looking to the Future
February 25, 2021
Reg Harbeck: Hi, I’m Reg Harbeck and today I’m here with Alixander Joel Laffredo-Dietrich, or Alix, and he is now the person in charge, among other things, of the mainframe or IBM Z or Zed portion of the IBM Champions program and a whole lot of other really interesting stuff that he’s up to. Well, […]
PodcastsSkip Robinson on SHARE, JES2 and Programming Over the Years
February 3, 2021
Reg Harbeck: Hi, this is Reg Harbeck and today I'm here with my friend and colleague Skip Robinson who is a major contributor at SHARE and a really experienced mainframer. Well rather than tell you all about it myself, Skip, welcome. Tell us. How did you end up at the mainframe and SHARE? Skip […]
ArticlesHow COBOL REDEFINES the Way You Think About Business Programming
February 1, 2021
“I got it started. It should build itself now.” So a local builder advised a cousin-in-law of mine in rural Poland who was building a house, and had requested assistance with putting the roof in place. Being more of an academic than a builder, my cousin was baffled—all he saw was a mostly unfinished roof […]
PodcastsEd Jaffe on SHARE, JES3, FORTRAN and More
January 11, 2021
Reg Harbeck: Hi, this is Reg Harbeck and I’m here today with my friend and colleague Ed Jaffe, who is really a mover and shaker in the world of mainframe, really active at SHARE and a major aficionado of JES3 and also of bourbon. Well before giving everything away, Ed, tell us about yourself. How […]
ArticlesSubhasish Sarkar on Being Active as a Mainframer
December 1, 2020
Reg Harbeck: Hi, this is Reg Harbeck and today I'm here with my fellow IBM mainframe Champion, Subhasish Sarkar. Subhasish is based in India and he is a very, very, very active mainframer. I just, my mind boggles at how much stuff this guy does, and so I'm just really delighted to be interviewing him […]
ArticlesJeanne Glass on Starting Her Own Mainframe Organization
November 2, 2020
Reg Harbeck: Hi, this is Reg Harbeck and I'm here with my friend Jeanne Glass, who is a colleague of mine. We worked together at the same company and after we both left that company, we each continued on our mainframe careers. She has done all kinds of mainframe stuff, including being a cofounder of […]
ArticlesJanet Sun on Her 25 Years of SHARE
October 1, 2020
Reg Harbeck: Hi, this is Reg Harbeck and today I’m here with my friend, Janet Sun. Janet is, in my opinion, an amazing person. She has been a mainframe volunteer at SHARE, a volunteer, in fact, a past SHARE president. She has been involved in various aspects of the mainframe her whole career and she’s […]