Mainframe Googlers Present a Mixed Picture
by Hesh Wiener

If you want to know how many people have been searching Google using the term "IBM mainframe," all you have to do is ask Google Trends. And if you happen to make this request, you'll find out that the number of searches has drifted downward for the past couple years. But that's not all you'll discover. READ MORE >

Top Mainframe Stories and Vendor Announcements

(InformationWeek) Opinions are like (fill in the blank). Everybody has one. However, some are more worthy than others. That brings us to an article titled "What's the Greatest Software Ever Written." Agree or disagree, be entertained or infuriated, but have a look. READ MORE >

(Mainframe) Even if you are not a Weblog person, take the time to read this posting. This is what happens when people who don't know what they're talking about provide uninformed opinions about the mainframe. When misinformation gets turned on its head, you have sort of a good conquers evil storyline that is engaging, enlightening, and funny like a first-round knockout. READ MORE >

(StoneSoft) IBM has provided System z users with a set of Linux utilities that provide infrastructure functions that are quick to deploy, easy to install and offer a shorter time to deployment without the need for additional z/OS skills and resources. One of those utilities, the StoneGate firewall, plays an important role in the security of virtual servers within the mainframe. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Seagull Software is ready to release the latest version of its legacy application modernization software, which should catch the attention of organizations moving in the direction of service oriented architecture. The development framework is based on Eclipse and it is platform agnostic, which explains its acceptance with not only users of zSeries, but also iSeries, pSeries, xSeries, and others. READ MORE >

Chats, Webinars, Seminars, Shows, and Other Happenings

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 >

August 28 & 29 -- San Francisco - BMC UserWorld puts the focus on BMC products that are primarily designed for service management and database management. In addition to a variety of learning tracks, the conference also provides access to BMC executives, customer support representatives, and R&D gurus. An emphasis is placed on product tips and techniques, as well as the proven strategies that enable IT to proactively address business requirements such as lowering costs, driving revenue, and mitigating risk. LEARN MORE >

September 11-14 -- Baltimore, Maryland - The WebSphere Portal Technical Conference is set up to provide IBM's technically oriented product details and hands-on training, along with presentations of customer case studies and best practices from Big Blue's product architects and developers, IBM Business Partners, and customers. Sessions will be organized according to the following tracks: new features in WebSphere Portal, Portal basics, Portal development, and Portal administration. LEARN MORE >

September 12 -- Ottawa, Canada - IBM is hosting a WebSphere seminar designed for System z technical professionals, including application development management, application developers, and application architects. These seminars provide in-depth knowledge of WebSphere and the tools to implement a service oriented architecture. Topics include defining business models that reduce inefficiencies, integrating core application assets for reuse, running mixed application types and workload patterns, and generating advanced user interfaces for core applications. LEARN MORE >

September 14 -- Columbus, Ohio - IBM is hosting a WebSphere seminar designed for System z technical professionals, including application development management, application developers, and application architects. These seminars provide in-depth knowledge of WebSphere and the tools to implement a service oriented architecture. Topics include defining business models that reduce inefficiencies, integrating core application assets for reuse, running mixed application types and workload patterns, and generating advanced user interfaces for core applications. LEARN MORE >

September 19 -- Dallas - IBM is hosting a WebSphere seminar designed for System z technical professionals, including application development management, application developers, and application architects. These seminars provide in-depth knowledge of WebSphere and the tools to implement a service oriented architecture. Topics include defining business models that reduce inefficiencies, integrating core application assets for reuse, running mixed application types and workload patterns, and generating advanced user interfaces for core applications. LEARN MORE >

September 21 -- Chicago - IBM is hosting a WebSphere seminar designed for System z technical professionals, including application development management, application developers, and application architects. These seminars provide in-depth knowledge of WebSphere and the tools to implement a service oriented architecture. Topics include defining business models that reduce inefficiencies, integrating core application assets for reuse, running mixed application types and workload patterns, and generating advanced user interfaces for core applications. LEARN MORE >

September 26 -- Atlanta - IBM is hosting a WebSphere seminar designed for System z technical professionals, including application development management, application developers, and application architects. These seminars provide in-depth knowledge of WebSphere and the tools to implement a service oriented architecture. Topics include defining business models that reduce inefficiencies, integrating core application assets for reuse, running mixed application types and workload patterns, and generating advanced user interfaces for core applications. LEARN MORE >

October 10 -- Webinar - Putting CICS in the heart of your SOA implementation means assessing applications and optimizing performance. This session will cover CICS TS 3.1 migration considerations and tools featuring products such as CICS Configuration Manager, CICS Interdependency Analyzer , CICS Performance Analyzer and CICS VSAM Transparency. The presentation begins at 11 a.m. EDT. 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 >