Mainframe Modernization Meets AI at SHARE Orlando 2024

Introduction

Heading to SHARE Orlando next week? If you’re unfamiliar with the conference, the biannual IT mainframe technology and education event draws crowds of professionals eager to hear what’s new in the world of IBM Z. Beginning March 3^rd, the renowned event promises to deliver even more educational, networking, and partnership opportunities than prior years and venues.

As mainframe modernization continues to gain momentum within the ecosystem, the team here at AveriSource is looking forward to examining the new opportunities available for this year’s attendees to explore this growth in greater detail—including how AI is enabling a new journey for mainframe application transformation.

Before we jump into where we are with mainframe advances, let’s take a look back at where we’ve been, particularly as it relates to SHARE, the first-ever enterprise IT user group dating back to 1955(!).

SHARE: An IT Tradition

For over 60 years, SHARE has been a legendary IT institution, bringing together the industry’s most influential thought leaders and subject matter experts, aligned to the future of the mainframe ecosystem and IBM Z technology. For IT leaders with core business applications running in COBOL, PL/I, and Assembler on the mainframe, SHARE offers new insights and opportunities for educational growth, skill building, and networking. This time-honored learning event also brings together a unique ecosystem of technology partners, software vendors and systems integrators, aligned to the sustained success, growth, and expansion of the mainframe. If you’re actively working in the IT industry, looking for employment or simply wish to stay connected to a diverse and dynamic technology community, SHARE is your go-to destination.  

SHARE Technical Education

This year’s SHARE offers a great destination for those living in colder climates—sunny Orlando, Florida. Although central Florida’s weather forecast is alluring, the SHARE technical agenda promises to keep you busy throughout the week with hundreds of sessions designed for IT leaders, practitioners, and newbies interested in IBM mainframe technology. Before you touch down, don’t forget to download the SHARE mobile app and start building your agenda for the week. There’s significant technical content to explore, so start planning your SHARE week today. To ignite your interest, here are a few examples of what SHARE Orlando has to offer next week.

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AI-Powered Mainframe Modernization

Mainframe Modernization

Among many technical themes at SHARE, mainframe modernization is back again. Its return isn’t surprising given the industry’s fresh excitement in transforming mainframe business applications. Hybrid Cloud, Machine Learning and AI, DevOps, and Cybersecurity are just a few of the mainframe themes featured at this year’s SHARE Orlando event. The mainframe modernization market, however, has seen continual change over the last year, creating new conversations and debate for the mainframe community, as evidenced by industry thought leader Derek Britton in his latest blog for AveriSource.

Reinvestment by industry incumbents, market consolidation, and the emergence of new players are just a few of the recent movements with the mainframe ecosystem. Despite the market change, industry investment in the mainframe continues to grow with new application development, workload deployment and integration with technology such as artificial intelligence. SHARE Orlando offers many sessions featuring mainframe modernization, including this educational session by AveriSource on Tuesday, March 5^th at 1 p.m. titled, AI-Powered Mainframe Modernization.

For those seeking to leverage the automation and efficiency gains of AI, this session offers new insights into application intelligence, business rules extraction, and legacy code transformation. The audience will learn how to analyze and understand your core business applications, document, and discover deep relationships, dependencies, and data lineage. Additionally, attendees will gain knowledge on identifying, isolating, and extracting business rules while leaving behind technical debt. Beyond that, we’ll explore accelerating application re-write from COBOL to Java with deployment to IBM Z, containers, and the cloud. To tie it all together, guests will see how mainframe modernization—powered by AI—delivers new opportunities. And what better forum than SHARE to understand how to embark on that new journey.

Join AveriSource at SHARE

So, if you haven’t stamped your ticket to SHARE, there’s still plenty of time. Register for SHARE Orlando here and start planning your full week of education, networking, and engagement. Don’t forget about the SHARE Technology Expo, taking place Monday through Wednesday that week. This is a fantastic opportunity to network with fellow peers, see what’s new in the world of mainframe technology, and visit fellow technology partners and mainframe software vendors.

As a Signature Partner at SHARE Orlando, AveriSource is proud to be a participating partner and sponsor. Follow us on LinkedIn during SHARE week for the latest mainframe insights, and swing by our booth (#320) to learn how to accelerate your mainframe modernization journey using the power of AI.  

👇 Last but not least, we’d love to see you at the AveriSource Happy Hour on Tuesday, March 5^th at Half Barrel Beer Project just minutes from the Rosen Centre for light appetizers, award-winning beer, wine and cider, and great conversation. Tickets for the complimentary networking event are going fast, so RSVP here or click the banner below to grab a spot at our ‘60s-themed blast from the past. 👇

Safe travels and we’ll see everyone next week in sunny Florida at #SHAREOrl2024!