Latest Articles
The Real Opportunity for AI on the Mainframe Isn’t Code
AI for the Mainframe: Turning System Data Into Answers For the past year, nearly every conversation about artificial intelligence and the mainframe has centered on one question: What will AI do to COBOL? Will it modernize legacy applications? Generate new programs?...
Hybrid by Design: The Next-Gen Mainframe Quiz
If you’ve been in the mainframe ecosystem for any time at all, you’ll know that the mainframe has long been associated with stability and staying power. But today’s conversation increasingly centers on the evolution of the next-gen mainframe, and how it fits into...
An Undocumented CICS Fix That Boosts Throughput and Cuts CPU
IBM has an undocumented fix to the CICS WEB interface that can optimize throughput and response time while also saving CPU. This article explains how to make it work for you. In the course of my current project, I had the pleasure of working with Ole Olsen at JN Data...
Reducing Training Downtime – Why Cloud Monitoring Is Critical for Workforce Enablement
Training Downtime Is Costly. Cloud Monitoring Prevents It. Workforce training remains a significant topic in the mainframe ecosystem. The trend has shifted from workforce training as a nice-to-have support function to a necessity for operational infrastructure....
CICS. Db2. IPL. The Latest Cheryl Watson’s Tuning Letter
The Latest Tuning Letter issue is out now! Subscribers to Cheryl Watson’s Tuning Letter will find the newest issue, 2026 No.1, on our Tuning Letter website. If you are not a current subscriber yet, sign up today! This subscription-only resource is available to both...
New Survey Findings, New FlashSystem Portfolio, and more
New Rocket Software Survey Finds 69% of IT Leaders Report Data Security Keeps Them Up at Night Kyndryl Named a Leader in 2025–2026 IDC MarketScape for Mainframe Modernization IBM Introduces Autonomous Storage with New FlashSystem Portfolio Powered by Agentic AI...
2026 Arcati Survey Results Trivia
Welcome to this week’s Planet Mainframe trivia quiz! On the heels of the 2026 Arcati Survey Results release, this round of trivia focuses on changes underway. Workforce demographics are shifting, new generations are entering mainframe computing fields (and through...
Learn and Grow at Broadcom’s 2026 Mainframe Technical Exchanges
What do you get when you bring together hands-on workshops, SME-led technical demos, networking events, and a gathering of mainframers driving to strengthen the community? You get the 2026 Mainframe Technical Exchanges. April 21 - 23, 2026: European in-person event,...
Planet Mainframe at SHARE Orlando 2026: Booth 505, Sessions, and Superhero Surprises
SHARE Orlando 2026 goes superhero mode, and Planet Mainframe is ready. Find us at Booth 505 for trivia and prizes, then join our sessions for 2026 Arcati Survey insights and what’s next for enterprise mainframes.Visit Booth 505 Swing by booth 505 and say hello! We’ll...
The 2026 Arcati Mainframe User Survey Results Are Now Available
In an era defined by AI hype and cloud-first declarations, the mainframe environment, in contrast, appears quiet and refined. Organizations running IBM Z continue to anchor revenue, enforce governance, and modernize on their own timetable. Nothing is happening...
