Tony Anter is a familiar face and voice in the modern mainframe community. With decades of experience and a streak of dry humor, he’s one of the platform’s most vocal champions for automation, DevOps, and developer experience.
Anthony (Tony) Anter
Technology Director and DevOps Evangelist, BMC Software
Arizona, USA
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At BMC Software, Tony works directly with enterprise clients to modernize mainframe environments without treating them like legacy relics. “It’s just another box in the data center,” he says. “It can—and should—be automated and enhanced like everything else.” He’s led teams through some of the earliest DevOps transformations on the platform and continues to shape conversations around AI, observability, and software delivery on z/OS.
Tony is also a tireless community advocate. He campaigned and won a position in 2024 as a Director-at-Large on the SHARE Board, he’s a regular speaker at industry events, and a recipient of the 2024 DevOps Dozen “Vendor Evangelist of the Year” award. His sessions cover everything from AI-generated code comments to turning the “black box” of the mainframe into a transparent, developer-friendly environment.
But for Tony, the real priority is the next generation. Whether speaking on IBM’s New to Z webinar or mentoring students at the University of North Florida, he pushes to make mainframe careers more accessible—and exciting—for young engineers. “There’s nothing more important than preparing the people who will take this further than we ever did,” he says.
An attendee at one of his sessions summed it up: “This is a man who clearly knows his stuff. He had the room laughing and learning.” You can hear more from Tony on the Modern Mainframe podcast or read his latest blogs on BMC.
Influential Mainframer
Mainframe technology continues to evolve because of the dedicated professionals, educators, mentors, and innovators who drive it forward. We’re shining a spotlight on the individuals who are making waves—whether they’re advancing technology, mentoring new talent, sharing knowledge, championing modernization, or quietly keeping mission-critical systems running every day. These are the people shaping the future of mainframe. They come from all backgrounds and experience levels, but they all have one thing in common: they’re making a difference.
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