Tech Field Day Session Recap: #2 – PopUp Mainframe
IBM unveiled PopUp Mainframe at SHARE, addressing mainframe delivery challenges with two editions: Z Edition for Linux on Z and X Edition for x86/cloud. It offers a virtualized mainframe environment with z/OS functionality, development tools, and enhanced data compliance support. Read more in this LinkedIn article by Derek Britton following SHARE Cleveland 2025.
Tech Field Day Session Recap: #1 – Broadcom
Broadcom presented WatchTower, an observability product that provides actionable insights from data across hybrid IT environments. WatchTower integrates with SRE tools and offers features like topology, alert insights, machine learning, and application profiling. Read more in this LinkedIn article by Derek Britton following SHARE Cleveland 2025.
Re-Imagining the Mainframe for the AI Era at SHARE
As Tech Field Day heads to SHARE in Cleveland, we are considering the many ways the mainframe has been re-imagined and re-built for the AI era. This episode of the Tech Field Day podcast features Cynthia Overby of Rocket Software and SHARE, Derek Britton, and Jeffrey Powers discussing the modern mainframe with Stephen Foskett. Walk around the SHARE conference and you’ll see the same concepts and technologies that you would find at any other conference: AI, security, data management, software development, and connectivity. Although the mainframe platform is radically different from the so-called open systems used in the cloud and elsewhere, IBM has re-engineered the new z17 mainframe for the AI age. The mainframe hosts the most valuable data in the world, and if AI is going to be used it has to run locally. That’s why IBM added a second-generation AI accelerator to the latest Telum II processor, the Spyre Accelerator, and z/OS itself. We’re excited to be bringing Tech Field Day to SHARE to learn more about the modern mainframe and share the state of the art with our audience.
What’s Causing a Skills Shortage in Mainframe?
Sulagna Saha of Gestalt IT discusses a growing skills gap in the mainframe IT sector that risks impacting businesses depending on this technology. Factors contributing to the shortage include the sector’s outdated image, insufficient training programs, and the allure of newer technologies for tech talents. She emphasizes the need for increased training investments and educational reforms to attract and prepare new candidates for crucial mainframe roles, underscoring the importance of modernizing perceptions of mainframe technology. Read more and watch the delegate discussion from SHARE Kansas City 2024!
Tech Field Day Session Recap: #3 Broadcom
Derek Britton recaps Broadcom’s Tech Field Day session at the SHARE conference in Kansas City, focusing on their observability solution, WatchTower. This tool is designed to simplify the identification and resolution of critical incidents in mainframe environments by leveraging machine learning and automation. WatchTower aims to consolidate various tasks and tools into a single platform, tailored to the needs of different user roles, and integrates with other enterprise IT tools like ServiceNow and DataDog. The session highlighted Broadcom’s attention to user personas and their efforts to unify observability across hybrid infrastructures. Read more in this LinkedIn Pulse article!
TechFieldDay Session Recap #2: PopUp Mainframe
At the Tech Field Day event at the SHARE conference, PopUp Mainframe showcased its innovative solution for on-demand mainframe environments, allowing organizations to create and deploy mainframes quickly and flexibly, both on-premises and in the cloud. By addressing bottlenecks in mainframe development and testing, PopUp enables agile project delivery, reduces hardware costs, and integrates seamlessly with standard DevOps toolchains. CEO Gary Thornhill highlighted the ability to set up fully functional mainframe environments in just minutes, making it a game-changer for organizations needing to accelerate their mainframe delivery cycles. Read more in this LinkedIn Pulse article by Derek Britton.