IBM Readies Quad-Core z6 Chip for Mainframe Iron
by Timothy Prickett Morgan

Word has leaked out about IBM's future mainframe processors, which are going to be called the z6 processors to match the nomenclature of the Power6 family of Power-based processors that Big Blue is weaving into the System i and System p machines. The System z mainframes are going to get a lot more processing oomph and other goodies pulled over from the Power6 processors, as it turns out. Information about the future z6 processors might be one of the reasons why mainframe sales took a hit in the third quarter. READ MORE >

Top Mainframe Stories from Around the Web

(eWeek) Among the boatload of storage products announced by IBM last week are z/OS Global Mirror Multiple Reader, which was designed to improve throughput for remote mirroring for System z and System Storage N series Virtual File Manager for the existing Virtualization Engine TS7520 tape units. READ MORE >

(Australian IT) After a "near death" experience, software vendor BMC is doing much better thanks to a new business philosophy that emphasizes business service management. In this interview with BMC's chief executive Bob Beauchamp, the danger of upgrade addiction is put into perspective. Is this just marketing hype or will it develop into a policy that actually changes the IT industry? READ MORE >

(Palm Beach Post) You be the judge. After a Florida court system junked its mainframe for a supposedly more efficient system, things have not turned out well. Costs are higher, staff has increased, data is unreliable, and now other options are being sought. I wonder if anyone will swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. READ MORE >

(CA) If you are rethinking your security policies (or, heaven forbid, just thinking about them for the first time) several new products from security software vendor CA might be just what you need to get rid of that legal and regulatory headache you've been suffering with for as long as you can remember. They can help automate auditing tasks that are often performed manually. READ MORE >

Chats, Webinars, Seminars, Shows, and Other Happenings

See our full calendar of events at
http://www.itjungle.com/big/big-calendar.html

December 2-7 -- San Diego, California - The 33rd annual Computer Measurement Group conference, CMG2007, brings together data processing professionals interested in system evaluation to maximize performance measured in terms of response time, throughput, and through capacity management. Sessions are geared toward making enhancements to existing systems or designing new systems with the aim of providing adequate performance at a reasonable cost. The courses are divided into two groups. One group consists of platform agnostic sessions and provides attendees with basic knowledge that is independent of any specific hardware or operating system. The second group is platform specific specializing in operating systems such as z/OS, Windows, Unix, and Linux. LEARN MORE >

December 2-4 -- Amelia Island, Florida - The second annual Gartner CIO Summit kicks off, with James Popkin, a research group vice president and author of a new book called IT and the East, will be delivering the keynote address to the CIOs in attendance, explaining how China and India will fundamentally change the IT environment. (Like they haven't already, right?) The event has lots of time to hob-nob and network with fellow CIOs. There's almost certainly some time to play a few rounds of golf, too. LEARN MORE >

February 24-29, 2008 -- Orlando, Florida - The SHARE mainframe user group will be hosting its spring event in sunny Florida, and will be focusing on two areas that are affecting mainframe shops in a big way these days: Services Oriented Architecture (SOA) application software design and server virtualization and consolidation. As usual, SHARE will also include the Technology Exchange Expo, where vendors can hawk their mainframe wares and attendees can try to find the tools to solve their IT woes. LEARN MORE >