The world’s attention shifted to Washington D.C. recently – I mean the mainframe world, of course, as the US capital played host city to the latest SHARE.org conference. I had the pleasure of attending this excellent, well-run event, which brought together industry leaders, experts, and innovators to discuss the future of enterprise IT. So, what did I enjoy most?
My first time
While I’ve been to SHARE events many times over the years, this was the first event I’ve attended since becoming the new editor of Cheryl Watson’s Tuning Letter, which Planet Mainframe now owns. Indeed, one of my highlights of the conference was co-presenting, with Frank Kyne, the “Planet Mainframe zRoadshow Winter 2025”. This session included Function and HIPER APARs for z/OS, and lots more besides. It was great fun. (More of the Tuning Letter in a moment.)
As you’d expect from SHARE, the conference dealt with many of today’s key trends:
- The Acceleration of AI and Automation
- Mainframe Modernization and Hybrid Cloud Strategies
- Cybersecurity in a Connected World
- Workforce Development
- Skills for the Future
That’s pretty much all the most important bases covered.
Speakers and sessions
I’m consistently impressed by the quality of presenters at SHARE, particularly by the depth of information and experience they offer—fantastic for a well-seasoned techie like me.
For proof, head over to SHARE.ORG and look at the Technical Agenda—many sessions can be downloaded by Share members (after login). I was able to attend multiple conversations on topics including:
- z/OS Containers
- What’s New in z/OS?
- GDPS Updates
- RACF, ACF2 and TSS Updates
- Several performance sessions on things such as WLM, zPCR, and z/OS Performance Hot Topics, to name but a few
- … and one of my SHARE personal favourites, the Bit Bucket x’45’!
Exhibitors, Trivia, and the Tuning Letter
In addition to presentations and the technical agenda, SHARE is an industry exhibition, another way to catch up with your industry peers and partners.
Wearing my Planet Mainframe/Tuning Letter hat, we enjoyed a great deal of fun and interaction with attendees. My favourite part of the vendor expo was the ‘Beat the Buzzer’ trivia quiz we ran on the booth. Frank Kyne and I competed against attendees in a mainframe general knowledge contest. Winners received Amazon gift cards—and bragging rights. We also took Polaroid pictures and ran a couple of competitions, won by:
- Christopher Kibodeaux, Navy Credit Union, who won the Polaroid NOW+
- Ivan Ramos, EverTec Inc., who won the GoPro
- Perry Shindle, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, who won a year’s subscription to Cheryl Watson’s Tuning Letter
It’s good to SHARE: looking ahead
My main takeaway from D.C. was the continued role of innovation, adaptability, and collaboration across enterprise IT. As businesses and industries evolve, staying informed and engaging with these ongoing discussions are key to long-term success. We are one community, after all, and we all need to be part of the conversation.
Did you attend SHARE Washington D.C? Please share your own thoughts and takeaways in the comments below.
I’m very much looking forward to August 2025, when the SHARE conference will pitch its tent in Cleveland, Ohio – the “Buckeye State”. See you there?
Mark Wilson is a globally recognized thought leader and international speaker in mainframe security and technology, as well as a passionate advocate for all things Z. He has more than 40 years’ of experience across numerous industries and diverse mainframe environments. Mark serves as the Chief Editor and Producer of Cheryl Watson's Tuning Letter and the Technical Director at Vertali. Mark is also the Region Manager for Guide Share Europe (GSE) UK and has been awarded IBM Champion status for multiple years.
For more information email:info@vertali.com