Dear fellow mainframer,

I had a childhood dream to organize a cool mainframe conference.

Mainframes are powerful, reliable, and versatile machines that have been the backbone of many industries for decades. However, mainframe content is often presented in a conventional and unexciting way, which does not reflect the true potential and appeal of mainframes. I believe that mainframes deserve more attention and appreciation and that they can be as cool and exciting as any other technology.

As a co-founder of CROZ, I was lucky to be part of the team that has been hosting the QED conference for years. QED is a renowned event that brings together business and technology experts and offers high-quality content, a unique atmosphere, and great networking opportunities.

Not another Mainframe Conference

Recently we sensed the passion and new energy in the mainframe community, and we decided to organize Mighty Mainframe as a conference-within-a-conference at QED. Mighty Mainframe will feature dedicated sessions, workshops, and panels that cover various aspects of mainframe development, management, and integration. It will also provide a platform for mainframe enthusiasts to exchange ideas, experiences, and insights with each other and with the broader QED community.

QED 2024 will be held from the 5th to the 7th of May in Petrcane near Zadar, with the Mighty Mainframe conference running from the 6th to the 7th of May.

We’ve gathered industry experts with years of experience to share their insights and network with you in a relaxed and unique atmosphere. You’ll hear various topics and opinions from both IBM and CROZ aficionados, like Rosalind Radcliffe, Tobias Leicher and Tim McKeoun, alongside Armin Kramer from DATEV and Joachim Gucker from CROZ DACH.

We’ll be exploring some burning topics, with mainframe modernization and the skills gap gaining quite a bit of traction in recent times, it only makes sense that we shine a spotlight on them, so save your spot at the conference today.

Mainframe modernization means different things to different people. It has long been synonymous with gradual, evolutionary progress. However, the concept of modernization has broadened and gained momentum. Most of today’s enterprises have opted for in-place modernization with a hybrid cloud strategy. It usually includes enhancing mainframe applications and optimizing infrastructure, adding integration capabilities, and adopting common enterprise DevOps processes and tools, while preserving existing applications and data.

The skills gap is something we’ve also touched on as part of our Mighty Mainframe series. New generations have difficulties with older tools which makes bridging the skills gap even more of a challenge for both the organisation, as well as the employees.

Register by clicking here →

Registrations are already open and by applying to this conference you have access to the QED Conference, as well for those days you are attending the Mighty Mainframe Conference, since CROZ is the organiser of both. If you have trouble convincing your boss that this would be a good opportunity for you and your team – here is a letter that explains all the benefits of coming to this conference.

Podcasts are quite popular these days, you can find your favourite one no matter which subject. Mainframe is not left out of podcast frenzy. Here are two podcasts I was listening to lately:

I Am A Mainframer
This podcast series delves into the professional journeys of individuals working in the mainframe environment. Hosted by mainframe expert Steven Dickens, Vice President and Practice Leader at the Futurum Group and a key figure in launching the Open Mainframe Project in 2015, the podcast aims to uncover the diverse career paths and insights of mainframe professionals.

Skyward Data
In this episode of Skyward Data, host Mark Potts discusses about evolving world of mainframe computing alongside esteemed mainframe experts Steven Perva and Vince Re. Their discussion spans the historical trajectory of mainframes and the urgent need for ongoing innovation and talent development in this domain.