A global event for those moving in the twin worlds of digitalization and the mainframe, IBM Think 2019 hosted 30,000 visitors in San Francisco, CA. Que Mangus, Product Marketing Manager, found genuine synergy between the event content and the Micro Focus modernization story. Here’s the first of two blogs …
There was so much to take in with content about AI, IBM Z, mainframe, Watson, supercomputing, application modernization, and more.
The solutions we showcased included IBM mainframe application modernization, delivery processes, access and infrastructure, build and modernize business applications for COBOL, and modernization of host access.
Some of my personal highlights included the Chairman’s address on The Journey of Digital Reinvention, and the sessions discussing the growth of the mainframe.
My hot takes
“Modernizing the infrastructure does not mean rip and replace”
“The mainframe is not in decline”
“Security is key to the mainframe”
“Organizations can innovate, even with traditional systems”
IBM Think was an impactful event that spoke to the heart of the challenges organizations deal with every day – namely how to modernize applications and systems with minimal disruption.
And of course, this event gave us the opportunity to show how Micro Focus can help them with their modernization, through our application modernization and connectivity solutions.
Journey of Digital Reinvention
In Building Smarter Business, Chairman Ginni Rometty discussed the “Journey of Digital Reinvention”. Her point was that there are five lessons to be learned from reinventing and implementing AI.
1/ Change must be made “from the outside in”; that organizations should evolve the customer experience, and provide them with new services they need.
2/ Change also needs to be inside out; organizations need to change processes and systems from the inside to meet the demands of customers.
3/ Organizations will need a business platform that supports the changes. 4/ AI must be part of an organization’s plan, and (5) without a good information architecture, organizations cannot have good AI[i].
This address got me thinking about our own customers’ challenges, as they face the need to innovate while protecting their core systems. We believe, in addition to what IBM said, that organizations need to follow a plan when transforming and modernizing their infrastructure.
They can take a platform they are already using, like the mainframe, and build or modernize the applications that interact with it. They can choose where, and how to build and deploy applications. They can access host systems, with modern applications.
In other words, an organization can create a modern experience for users, customers, and business without having to replace what they currently have. There are solutions to help organizations modernize, without causing major disruption, and Micro Focus can help.
Mainframe Solutions
Micro Focus enables customers to enhance the value of their mainframe systems, to help transform their organization, to become more agile, and to optimize the cost of IT.
With Micro Focus, organizations can:
– Modernize mainframe application delivery process with practices and tools for implementing Agile and DevOps.
– Choose where and how to build and deploy applications.
– Unlock and modernize access to mainframe applications and data.
– Build next-generation services for integrating business processes and systems.
In my second blog from Think 2019, I will pass on what I learned about accelerating digital transformation with the mainframe. In the meantime, you can learn more about how our mainframe solutions can help you today.
[1] Chairman’s Address, Building Smarter Business, Ginni Rometty, CEO IBM, IBM Think 2019
2 IBM Z: Accelerating Digital Transformation for Your Business, Barry Baker, VP, IBM Z Software, IBM Think Session 2019
3 IBM Z: Accelerating Digital Transformation for Your Business, Barry Baker, VP, IBM Z Software, IBM Think Session 2019
[i]Chairman’s Address, Building Smarter Business, Ginni Rometty, CEO IBM, IBM Think 2019
