TechChannel Looks Back on a Jam-Packed 2025
The year brought a pair of major hardware releases as the IBM Z and IBM Power ecosystems continued to embrace AI and hybrid cloud while preparing for new challenges in cybersecurity
2025 brought two major IBM hardware releases, new frontiers in cybersecurity and advances in AI that promise to help enterprises modernize their IT infrastructure. As we reflect on all the changes brought by the year in tech that was 2025, we are resurfacing a few of the most essential and popular articles published in TechChannel last year.
Here are those highlights, in order of publication date:
How Mainframe Architecture Makes All the Difference: Then and Now
The year began with the introduction of “z/OS and Friends,” a series that would run the entire year, as longtime mainframer Dr. Joe Gulla dissected z/OS and explained how the mainframe evolved to be the system it is today.
The Business of AI: A Look at the Different Types of AI and Their Value
In a year where AI would dominate the headlines, sales and marketing leader Brian Silverman examined the impacts the technology would have on the bottom with his series, “The Business of AI.”
Women Driving Tech
In an industry hungry for talent, we examined an area of opportunity, the untapped talent pool that is women technologists. In this special package, we consider the progress that has been made to close the gender gap, the challenges that remain and the women who are driving tech forward.
IBM Unleashes the z17
IBM announced its newest mainframe system, the z17, in April. The new hardware shipped in June, with a heavy emphasis on AI inferencing, increasing data security challenges and energy efficiency.
IBM Power11 to Launch With Full Range of Servers, Cloud Availability on Day 1
IBM followed up the launch of the z17 by introducing the newest member of the IBM Power line, Power11. The new server also brought an emphasis on AI processing, with IBM also emphasizing the hardware’s zero planned downtime capabilities and hybrid cloud compatibility.
COMMON Expands Its Focus to Meet Members’ Modern IT Needs
Reflecting that fact that the world of IT is becoming increasingly integrated as on-premises computing, cloud and AI technologies merge, COMMON announced an expanded emphasis on these adjacent technologies.
Project Bob Supercharges IBM i’s Plans for an AI Code Assistant
IBM’s plans for an AI code assistant for IBM i got a boost with the announcement of Project Bob, an AI-powered integrated development environment that promised to do everything IBM was planning for with its IBM i-specific project, and then some. Project Bob is expected to launch publicly in 2026.
AI Agents for IBM i: A Comprehensive Introduction
The people at IBM i started keeping technologists informed on the platform’s latest AI capabilities when they introduced the “AI With IBM i” blog, providing a look at uses you may not have considered and detailed instructions on developing and deploying your own AI agents.
ISVs Push Back Against zPDT Sunsetting
Members of the ISV community voiced their displeasure regarding IBM’s announcement that the popular System z Personal Development Tool (zPDT) would be no longer be supported at the end of 2026. Those protesting the change said it would be costly to vendors who relied on the tool to test their products without the expense of owning and operating a mainframe.