The Open Mainframe

In today's episode, hosts Alan Shimel and John Mertic are joined by Zowe ZAC and TSC leaders Billie Jean Simmons (IBM), Jakub Balhar (Broadcom) and Leanid Astrakou (Rocket Software) to discuss the Open Mainframe Project Zowe and its recent release of LongTerm Support V3. It offers users the ability to execute on modernization initiatives with stability, security, interoperability, as well as easy installation and a continuous delivery model for receiving upgraded features. The latest V3 release introduces new components that expand capabilities to client SDKs and additional IDEs, reflecting Zowe’s ongoing evolution to meet the needs of the mainframe ecosystem. Notably, this update enhances the Zowe API Mediation Layer, a key component our customers view as essential in transforming the role of the mainframe in their multi-platform environments. 

Mentorship programs serve as a valuable tool in narrowing the technology talent gap by equipping individuals with the skills, knowledge, and support needed to thrive in technology careers. They foster a culture of learning, collaboration and professional development that benefits both mentees and the industry as a whole. Since its launch, Open Mainframe Project's Mentorship Program has helped provide more than 150 students with hands-on learning experiences in Linux, open source and mainframes that they can carry with them throughout their career path. Many mentees even continue to contribute to the project and become core technical members. Hosts Alan Shimel and John Mertic are joined by Divya Goswami (Student), Tiiso Senosha (IBM),Yarille Ortiz (Linux Foundation) and Len Santalucia (Vicom Infinity) for this lively and important discussion.

Amidst the rapid evolution and adoption of generative AI, highlighted by tools such as ChatGPT and advanced visual AI generators, the mainframe industry stands at a pivotal juncture, poised to harness AI to revolutionize its capabilities. As mainframe decision-makers face mounting pressures from the surge in demand for faster and more innovative digital services, AI offers promising solutions to enhance efficiency, predict system needs, and manage escalating data volumes and fluctuating workloads. Hosts Alan Shimel and John Mertic are joined by Michael Curry (Rocket Software), Keelia Estrada-Moeller (Broadcom) and Andrew Sica (IBM) to discuss how this integration could dramatically increase the responsiveness and agility of mainframes. They discuss how it helps to meet heightened customer expectations and the fast-paced deployment of new services. They also share how the key to success lies in formulating a strategic, goal-oriented approach that utilizes AI, not merely as a technological upgrade, but as a transformative tool to reshape mainframe operations and sustain their crucial role in the digital age.

Mainframes still form the foundation of many critical industries today: Banking, finance, travel and government, to name just a few. There are billions of lines code currently running on mainframes that, in one way or another, need to be maintained or modernized as the pool of developers skilled in mainframe technology shrinks. But how can you foster a culture of learning and innovation and ensure this valuable knowledge and these educational resources are handed down to the next generation of mainframe developers? The answer is simple -- Mainframe Open Education (MOE).

The Open Mainframe Project’s Zowe is marking a major milestone next month: The fifth anniversary of its launch. Zowe is an integrated and extensible open source framework for z/OS that combines the past and present to build the future of mainframes. Zowe offers modern interfaces to interact with z/OS and allows you to work with z/OS in a way that is similar to what you experience on cloud platforms today. You can use these interfaces as delivered or through third-party plugins and extensions.

Open Mainframe Summit aims to connect and inform all those interested in growing the use of mainframes and related technology in dynamic technical and educational sessions. It is open to students, developers, corporate leaders, users and contributors of projects from around the globe looking to learn, network and collaborate. It will feature content tracks that tackle both business and technical strategies for enterprise development and deployment. This year, the premier mainframe event will be co-located with two industry conferences - IBM TechXchange Conference 2023, hosted in Las Vegas on September 11-14; and Open Source in Finance Forum, hosted in New York City on November 1. In today's episode hosts Alan Shimel and John Mertic are joined by panelists that include speakers, sponsors and Open Mainframe Project Leaders who can discuss what we're looking forward to for this year's event. Len Sentalucia, (Chair, Open Mainframe Project Governing Board and CTO Viacom Infinity), Rick Perret (member, Open Mainframe Project Marketing Committee, Open Mainframe Summit sponsor and Head of Analyst Relations and Open Source Marketing at Broadcom), Donna Hudi (member, Open Mainframe Summit Program Committee and CMO at Phoenix Software) and Elizabeth Joseph (Open Mainframe Summit Speaker and Global Head of the OSPO for IBM zSystems)

What does it take to develop successful, scalable and sustainable open source project? John Mertic, executive directop ar of The Open Mainframe Project, Linux Foundation, joins as an author and guest rather than in his regular co-host role with Alan. John shares how his journey in open source led him to write his book, Open Source Projects - Beyond Code. In the book, John explores what it takes to develop a successful, scalable and sustainable open source project. He'll also cover licensing, governance, community building, ecosystem management and how to grow the number of maintainers and contributors to a project. John’s book is available at https://www.amazon.com/Open-Source-Projects-blueprint-sustainable-ebook/dp/B0BY97937R

The financial services industry has been a long-time consumer of open source software, using it to power innovation and deliver seamless, delightful customer experiences on the front end. Behind the scenes, the mainframe has been the traditional workhorse, providing the processing power necessary to handle workloads for the world’s largest banks and Fortune 500 organizations. As financial institutions face new pressures from market entrants, regulations and dynamics, the industry will continue to evolve, both in front of the curtain and behind the scenes. Hosts Alan Shimel and John Mertic are joined by Rune Christensen (Bankdata), Tracy Ragan (DeployHub), Lee Santalucia (Vicom Infinity) and Gabriele Columbro (FINOS) for a discussion on all aspects of fintech, open source, COBOL and mainframe modernization.

During the pandemic, there was an increase in contributors and momentum across almost all open source communities. But with that, challenges also increased including risks and vulnerabilities with third-party software, tools and processes. These challenges have many people asking the same question - can open source be secure?

While you might think of the mainframe as a relic from an earlier computing era, these mega machines still play a role inside large institutions running intensive workloads. The Linux Foundation's Open Mainframe project currently has more than 20 projects and working groups, and over the last few years has successfully built many open source tools and technologies for Linux mainframes. The community has been an integral part of introducing a new generation of developers to mainframes and helping users overcome common development issues. Open Mainframe continues to be an innovative pipeline that enables companies to gain the most from their mainframe, to drive new mainframe innovations and make mainframe technology and use more accessible for everyone. In this episode, our panel of experts will discuss the milestones met by the project last year and what to expect in 2023, including increased security and hands-on training. You'll hear from leaders of a few of Open Mainframe’s most popular projects including the COBOL Programming Course, Mentorship Program and Zowe.