Another year, another SHARE conference – and this time, Micro Focus is really thinking big. Because it is a word we’re hearing a lot in our industry: big challenges – another big year for big iron –and so on. But this year, there is some big news to celebrate.
So – what’s the big idea?
Technology is changing the business landscape faster than ever, compelling the modern CIO to demand more from his or her enterprise technology. Delivering ‘business as usual’ and ‘lights on’ stability isn’t enough to create or maintain a business edge. Efficiency improvements and business innovation are just as important as reliability.
That is why the rollout of the z13 is the big story of the year. The latest generation mainframe –coupled with our dedicated development environment – will be the enabler to deliver the new services and exceptional customer experience that IT organizations are looking for. And SHARE is where it all comes together.
In January, Micro Focus commented on the z13 launch: “As a long term IBM partner, Micro Focus has provided innovative enterprise development and test software for the IBM mainframe environment over many years. IBM z13 is the industry leading business execution environment for enterprise application workload where scalability, performance and extensibility are core requirements for successful IT service delivery. Micro Focus is delighted to support the latest generation of IBM mainframe technology innovation, the z13”.
Micro Focus products and solutions have complemented IBM systems for more than 30 years. We have been helping our customers extract maximum value from their mainframes for as long as we’ve been coming to SHARE.
And that commitment hasn’t gone unnoticed. In April 2013, Greg Lotko, former VP and business line executive, IBM, said, “We are continually working with our technology partners to help our clients maximise the value in their IBM mainframes and this latest innovation from Micro Focus is a great example of that commitment.”
And with the launch of the z13, this could be the year when class-leading enterprise hardware and software combine to enable the drive to a new breed of innovation, covering mobile, cloud and big data – and deliver all that potential.
This year we will be maximising our floor-time to meet more people than ever. So we’ve swapped standing and waiting for meeting and greeting. We will be seeing old friends and sharing new ideas.
We’re particularly looking forward to hooking up with Bob Thomas of Enterprise Systems, Mark Wilson at RSM Partners , Cloud and Linux expert Steven Dickens, superheroes such as Jim Warnock, aka the Mainframe Man and Captain COBOL himself, Tom Ross. Elsewhere in the auditorium, we’ll be looking to buy the good people of Systems Magazine and Destination Z a coffee. When in Seattle…
So if you’re in Seattle on Friday, March 6th and want to hear our big ideas, then check out my presentation ‘The next 50 years of value: Micro Focus COBOL and the IBM Mainframe’ at 8:30am PT in the University meeting room at the Sheraton Seattle hotel. If you want to arrange time with us, contact @EdAirey and @DerekBrittonUK via Twitter. If you can’t make SHARE, then look out for news of our forthcoming webinar, Think Big – into the future with the IBM mainframe.