by Sonja Soderlund | Jan 13, 2026 | Trivia, Workforce Training
Happy 2026—and welcome to a whole new year of Planet Mainframe Trivia! As our January theme focuses on Workforce and Training, this quiz looks at mainframe pioneers and the early decisions that shaped how mainframe skills are learned and passed on. Mainframe expertise...
by Sonja Soderlund | Aug 25, 2025 | News
IBM and Arivonix Announce Deep watsonx.ai Integration at SHARE Cleveland YUPRO Placement and Franklin Skills Launch SKILLSFIT™ to Deliver Job-Ready IT Talent, Filling Urgent Gaps Hitachi Vantara Recognized by GigaOm for Innovation in Object Storage Royal Cyber Unveils...
by Penney Berryman | Mar 17, 2025 | careers, Training, Uncategorized, Workforce Development
After perusing blogs, surveys, and insights – and attending SHARE- DC, it’s clear that several big trends are emerging about what’s shaping mainframe careers and training. Here’s what’s standing out—and why it matters right now. 1. Hands-On Learning Is the...
by Penney Berryman | Jan 22, 2025 | careers, Workforce Development
The demand for skilled mainframe professionals continues to grow in a world with Big Iron powering critical industries and massive data operations. Yet traditional pathways into mainframe careers pose challenges for newcomers and mid-career transitions.Enter the Eli...
by Amanda Hendley | Jan 2, 2024 | Mainframe
As we turn the calendar to a new page, Planet Mainframe is thrilled to announce the commencement of Talent and Training Month—a special period dedicated to celebrating and exploring the individuals, programs, and opportunities within the world of mainframe computing. ...
by Colin Pearce | Mar 2, 2023 | Education
CICS is used on 80% of Mainframe Systems across the world. It is known as CICS Transaction Server. Application Programmers can write their programs using CICS Command Level interface. System programmers install CICS, and engage in Performance Tuning, and Debugging....
by Penney Berryman | Jan 14, 2026 | careers, Workforce & Training
Career resilience in the mainframe world sounds like jargon—until change hits. Reorgs, new technologies, leadership shifts, or surprise opportunities don’t reward the fastest scramblers. They reward the people who were already ready. That’s the core idea Darren Surch,...
by Derek Britton | Jan 9, 2026 | careers, Enterprise IT, Industry Insights, Mainframe Skills
Attendees at GS UK 2025 noticed a new track, WAVEZ 101, dedicated to early-career and undergraduate mainframers. I was delighted to be invited to speak on mainframe skills and what I see for the industry’s future employees. A Gloomy Skills Outlook The IT skills topic...
by Penney Berryman | Jan 7, 2026 | careers, DB2, Mainframe Skills, Workforce Development
Mainframe careers rarely follow a script. Rather, they grow through curiosity, mentorship, and a willingness to keep learning. This trifecta is especially necessary as tools, platforms, and expectations evolve. Planet Mainframe caught up with Chris Muncan, Lead DB2...
by Admin | Jan 5, 2026
CICS User Group | December 2025 AI and CICS In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, businesses demand seamless, efficient, and secure transaction processing to keep up with evolving customer expectations and market dynamics. On IBM Z, a platform renowned for its...
by Penney Berryman | Dec 30, 2025 | careers, Industry Insights, Mainframe Skills, Planet Mainframe, Skill Building
In 2025, Planet Mainframe celebrated a decade of amplifying the world’s mainframe voices. What began 10 years ago as a part-time blog evolved into a trusted hub for industry news, deep technical insight, and highlighting the people shaping enterprise IT. Fittingly,...
by Greg DeBo | Dec 18, 2025 | Customer Story, data management, DB2, Query
It’s always the right time to talk about my absolute favorite mainframe technology, the IBM Db2 Analytics Accelerator (we users like to call it IDAA). As you finalize your wish list for your CFO or Santa, don’t forget this! What’s Not in a Name If you’ve ever heard me...
by Amanda Hendley | Dec 17, 2025 | Community & Careers, Industry Perspectives, Leadership
Careers in enterprise technology are rarely linear, and mainframe careers are no exception. At the GS UK Conference, a panel of industry leaders came together to share personal reflections on leadership, career growth, and what it takes to build a meaningful,...
by Derek Britton | Dec 16, 2025 | Digital Transformation, Enterprise IT, Hybrid IT, IT Strategy
As I reflect on yet another year of tectonic adjustment across the technology sector, I see little evidence that things are about to calm down. If anything, the forces reshaping enterprise IT feel more entrenched, more demanding, and more consequential than ever....
by Niall Ashley | Dec 5, 2025 | Compliance & Governance, Security, z/OS
My career has, over the nearly four years of working in this field, predominantly been comprised of RACF Administration and Engineering, interspersed with other opportunities that I foolishly volunteered myself for. Such opportunities have included writing articles,...
