VSE Shops at an Inflexion Point
by Hesh Wiener

"Six months ago, I cut back Dobbin's oats by a third," Farmer Jones explained. "I used sawdust to bulk up his feed. Then three months ago, I got him used to eating two-thirds sawdust. I was training him to live on pure sawdust when he up and died. Now I'm going to have to start all over." IBM generally advises VSE shops to use zLinux for new applications and wants them to stop asking when it will let them harness 64-bit mainframe technology for their legacy workloads. It's no wonder VSE users feel like a dying breed. READ MORE >

Top Mainframe Stories and Vendor Announcements

(IT Jungle) Cybermation, a job-scheduling software company familiar to many mainframe shops, has been fully integrated into Computer Associates. In other words, CA has bought them lock, stock, and barrel. CA officials say it will bolster the company's system management software, but that it will also continue to sell the Cybermation tools as stand alone products. READ MORE >

(zJournal) You should be feeling a little insecure about your security. Chances are you either don't realize how exploitable your software is or you do know it, but you haven't done anything about it. Better tools, better coding practices, and better auditing all begin with better decision-making by buyers. READ MORE >

(Techworld) What good is encryption data if your partners can't read it and write it? Ah, good question. Here's a strategy for selecting encryption software that involves numerous business partners that may work for you, too. READ MORE >

(IBM) From the IBM Rebook library comes this guide to implementing the Communications Server (CS) for z/OS TCP/IP. It examines the most commonly used and important functions of CS and includes scenarios and configuration recommendations. READ MORE >

Chats, Webinars, Seminars, Shows, and Other Happenings

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 >

July 8-12 -- San Diego, California - The 2006 Enterprise Security Solutions & RACF Users Training Conference emphasizes technical education for current and future data security challenges in business and government. The event features more than 140 classes taught by leading security practitioners, professional instructors and experts. It includes a vendor expo and offers the opportunity to network with industry experts and peers. Continuing education credits can also be garnered throughout the conference. LEARN MORE >

August 13-18 -- Baltimore, Maryland - The SHARE User Events feature IBM technical training tailored for enterprise-class IT professionals. Educational sessions focus on real-world solutions that meet business challenges and influence future IT product development. In addition to the first-class training, SHARE presents a great opportunity for networking with other professionals who work at some of the world's leading organizations and have insights into the technology and products that companies and jobs are depending on. All SHARE User Event sessions and events will take place in the Baltimore Convention Center. LEARN MORE >

October 20 & 21 -- Chicago, Illinois - The Network and Systems Professionals Association annual conference, NaSTEC, features educational tracks on large systems/mainframes, distributed systems, and professional development and includes 24 total sessions. Topics include IT compliance, TCP/IP network health checks, and security, as well as others. LEARN MORE >