A New Mainframe Deal or Pollux as Usual?
by Hesh Wiener

On April 26, if the yentas are to be taken seriously, IBM will announce the last mainframe that will use unique zSeries chip technology, a system bearing the code name "Pollux." This system, based on the System z9, will be more than a successor to the z890. It will represent IBM's last chance to consolidate the low end of its mainframe base before launching mainframes based on Power chips. Pollox will also give IBM one more chance to push back the barbarians that have been invading the glass house with systems running Unix, Windows, Linux, and OS/400. READ MORE >

Top Mainframe Stories and Vendor Announcements

(Enterprise Systems) If you are looking for opinions on the mainframe, there are many people you could turn to. One option is an IBM partner. It seems that might lead to some close to the subject insights that you probably wouldn't hear on the street. Andre den Haan, CIO of Seagull Software is as good as any insider to turn to. In this interview he opines on topics such as new workloads, MIPS escalation, and partnering with IBM. READ MORE >

(ComputerWorld) Jim Stallings, general manager of IBM's System z, is relatively new to the top job in Big Blue's mainframe division. What are some of his top topics? Securuty and central management on big iron, the challenge of Academic Initiative Program as it pertains to mainframe skills, and what might lie ahead in terms of autonomic computing are near the top of the list. READ MORE >

(IBM) More than 700 students from 85 colleges went head to head in a competion staged by IBM to spark interest in large-systems computing. Mike Bliss, director of IBM System z technical marketing and strategy, describes this contest as an example of how the mainframe can become a versatile and highly rewarding skill for IT students. READ MORE >

Chats, Webinars, Seminars, Shows, and Other Happenings

March 27-29 -- Orlando, Florida - The Service Oriented Architecture and Web Services Best Practices conference is designed for organizations looking for ways to create an architecture for interoperability across disparate systems. It will focus on the key steps for implementation, the role of Web services, new models for building applications, and return on investment. Discounts on registration costs are in effect until January 27. LEARN MORE >

April 7-11 -- Chattanooga, Tennessee - The WAVV user group annual conference offers more than 100 educational sessions focusing on the use of VSE, VM, and Linux on IBM mainframe computers. The event also includes a vendor exposition. LEARN MORE >

May 7-11 -- Tampa, Florida - The IDUG 2006 North American Conference is an educational forum for database users across all platforms. The educational program consists of 11 technical tracks, each focused on a particular facet of DB2 usage. IDUG, the International DB2 Users Group, manages several DB2 technology conferences each year. The North American conference is the largest. A vendor expo is included in the event. LEARN MORE >

May 23-25 -- Secaucus, New Jersey - The Enterprise Information World conference will feature educational sessions on topics such as building and managing enterprise information management teams, increasing return on investment by cost effectively meeting regulatory compliance requirements, collaboration technologies and efficiencies, and the intersection of records management and security. LEARN MORE >

June 12-16 -- Atlanta, Georgia - The Transaction & Messaging Technical Conference features the most current information on the CICS TS V3.1 and WebSphere MQ family of products including tips, techniques, and business integration solutions. The agenda includes hundreds of sessions, a product expo, and certification testing. LEARN MORE >