IBM Commits $100 Million to Make Mainframes Easier to Use
by Timothy Prickett Morgan

General purpose computers are, by their very nature, complex machines, but some are more complex than others. With over four decades of creeping featurism and some of the most complicated workloads in the world running on them, mainframes can be a bit of a pain in the neck to keep humming. With the z/OS Version 1.8 operating system that IBM started shipping this week, Big Blue is claiming that is has made its flagship mainframe platform a lot easier to use. And IBM has also committed $100 million to make the whole mainframe stack more manageable. READ MORE >

Top Mainframe Stories and Vendor Announcements

(Advisor) The System z folks at IBM would like to see that platform become the hub of service-oriented architecture infrastructure as far as the eye can see. In an attempt to make that happen, there will be several new software applications rolling off the assembly lines in the second half of 2006. Expect to hear a lot about simplified integration and cost reduction. READ MORE >

(Enterprise Systems) Are you a hot commodity? IT professionals with hard-to-find skill sets and specialized expertise are the objects of affection when it comes to the recruitment and retention efforts of many organizations. If you have the skills, you have the power in this job market. READ MORE >

(atsec) How much is system security worth? Most IT pros would say it's worth a lot. That's what IBM is banking on. And that's why the certification of logical partitions running z/VM, z/OS, or Linux is worth a lot. Isolating one logical partition from another prevents knowledge about available I/O resources or performed operations from seeping through the cracks, which is just the kind of confidentiality that many organizations require. READ MORE >

Chats, Webinars, Seminars, Shows, and Other Happenings

October 9-13 -- Orlando, Florida - The IBM System z9 and zSeries Expo features z/OS, z/VM, z/VSE, and Linux on System z. The conference is set up to provide insight into System z mainframes and how they provide the foundation for integrating and managing mixed IT environments. Sessions will spotlight such topics as virtualization, business continuity, intelligent workload management, autonomic functionality, and the capability to process highly secure transactions. 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 >

December 3-8 -- Reno, Nevada - Performance and capacity management for enterprise computing systems is the focus for CMG2006 hosted by the Association of Systems Management Professionals. Session topics include software performance engineering, stress/load testing, benchmarking, BPM, BAM, and new technologies such as service-oriented architecture, and Web services. Specialized content is also provided for operating systems that include z/OS, Linux, Unix, and Windows. LEARN MORE >