The Mainframe's Secret Society: Attracting the Next Generation

Northern Illinois University Professor Geoffrey Decker joins Mark Schettenhelm and The Modern Mainframe to discuss the importance of engaging students, the skills they bring to organizations, and the evolving landscape of mainframe technology. They emphasize the need for companies to recognize and hire these students, as well as the importance of building relationships between educational institutions and employers. Links: Podcast: How Today’s Students Are Choosing a Career in Mainframe Development - https://soundcloud.com/modernmainframe/choosing-a-career-in-mainframe-development Blog: 5 Reasons I’ve Decided to Pursue a Mainframe Career: A College Student’s Perspective, by Chase Richards - blog.share.org/Article/5-reasons…dents-perspective Podcast: Next-Gen Mainframers Discuss Their Experiences on the Platform - soundcloud.com/modernmainframe/next-gen-mainframe-discuss-experiences Podcast: A Discussion of Modern Mainframe Development with Tom Taulli - soundcloud.com/modernmainframe/a-discussion-of-modern-mainframe-development-with-tom-taulli Podcast: The Mainframe on Campus with Dr. Cameron Seay - soundcloud.com/modernmainframe/the-mainframe-on-campus-with-dr-cameron-seay

BMC’s Glenn Everitt and Jeremy Hamilton share insights on managing rising costs, improving visibility, and making data-driven decisions. Glenn and Jeremy discuss mainframe cost optimization, how to identify drivers of consumption, and how AI/ML can be leveraged for capacity planning. Links: Tour / Demo - https://www.bmc.com/demos/manage-mainframe-cost-capacity.html Webinar: BMC AMI Tech Talk: Optimize Mainframe Cost and Capacity with BMC AMI Ops - https://events.bmc.com/bmc-ami-tech-talk-optimize-mainframe-cost-and-capacity-with-bmc-ami-ops BMC Community Post - Mainframe Cost Optimization Needs a New Operating Mindset - https://community.bmc.com/s/news/aA3cx000000Do73CAC/mainframe-cost-optimization-needs-a-new-operating-mindset Solution Brief : Mainframe operational excellence with BMC AMI Solutions - https://www.bmc.com/documents/solution-briefs/mainframe-operational-excellence-bmc-ami-solutions.html BMC AMI Capacity and Cost Webpage - https://www.bmc.com/it-solutions/bmc-ami-cost.html BMC AMI Capacity and Cost Datasheet - https://www.bmc.com/documents/datasheets/bmc-ami-capacity-and-cost.html

In this episode, host Matt DeLaere is joined by two promising students from Northern Illinois University, Xander Nadas and Chase Richards, along with BMC Principal Product Manager Mark Schettenhelm. Together, they delve into the generational shift in mainframe demographics, the importance of recruiting new talent, and the unique perspectives that young professionals bring to the industry. Tune in to discover how the next generation is shaping the future of mainframes and why this technology remains vital in today's digital world. Links: Blog: 5 Reasons I’ve Decided to Pursue a Mainframe Career: A College Student’s Perspective, by Chase Richards - https://blog.share.org/Article/5-reasons-ive-decided-to-pursue-a-mainframe-career-a-college-students-perspective Blog: Two Generations of COBOL: My Grandma and Me, by Devin Berchtold - https://www.bmc.com/blogs/two-generations-of-cobol-my-grandma-and-me/ Podcast: Two Generations of COBOL: My Grandma and Me - https://soundcloud.com/modernmainframe/two-generations-of-cobol-my-grandma-and-me Podcast: Next-Gen Mainframers Discuss Their Experiences on the Platform - https://soundcloud.com/modernmainframe/next-gen-mainframe-discuss-experiences Podcast: A Discussion of Modern Mainframe Development with Tom Taulli - https://soundcloud.com/modernmainframe/a-discussion-of-modern-mainframe-development-with-tom-taulli Podcast: The Mainframe on Campus with Dr. Cameron Seay - https://soundcloud.com/modernmainframe/the-mainframe-on-campus-with-dr-cameron-seay

BMC DevOps experts Tony Anter and Mark Schettenhelm discuss DevOps insights from the 2025 BMC Mainframe Survey, including growing implementation, the impact of AI, the generational shift in talent, and the increasing use of Java. Links: Blog: DevOps Insights From the 2025 BMC Mainframe Survey, by Tony Anter and Mark Schettenhelm - https://www.bmc.com/blogs/mainframe-survey-devops-insights/ The 2025 BMC Mainframe Survey: A Modern Platform, Positioned for the Age of AI - https://www.bmc.com/info/mainframe-survey.html Blog: State of the Mainframe in 2025, by John McKenny - https://www.bmc.com/blogs/state-of-mainframe/ Blog: Cracking the Code for Java on the Mainframe, by Jason Bloomberg - https://www.bmc.com/blogs/java-on-mainframe-cracking-the-code/

BMC Technology Solutions Director Jeremy Hamilton, Lead Product Manager Manoj Jadwani, and Product Development Architect Richard Nikula delve into the complexities of modern data flows, discussing the challenges of maintaining visibility across various platforms and the importance of an enterprise-wide observability approach that includes mainframe systems. Links: December 10 BMC AMI Tech Talk: Extend Mainframe Observability with OpenTelemetry to Splunk and Other Enterprise Platforms - https://events.bmc.com/open-telemetry-mainframe-observability-tech-talk BMC AMI Datastream for Ops: https://www.bmc.com/it-solutions/bmc-ami-datastream-for-ops.html Blog: New Features Improve Mainframe Observability, Understanding, Resilience - https://www.bmc.com/blogs/mainframe-open-telemetry-metrics-code-transformation/

Intellyx analysts Jason Bloomberg and Jason English join BMC's Anthony DiStauro and Mark Schettenhelm to delve into the evolving landscape of intelligent autonomy, focusing on the role of AI agents and agentic workflows in automating tasks within mainframe environments. The panel discusses the current trends driving the adoption of intelligent autonomy, the challenges faced in achieving true autonomy, and the evolution from traditional chatbots to more sophisticated AI agents. Links: Blog: When AI Lets the Mainframe Talk Back - https://www.bmc.com/blogs/mainframe-artificial-intelligence-ai-agents/ Blog: The Rise of AI Agents: A New Era for Mainframe Transformation -https://www.bmc.com/blogs/ai-agents-mainframe-transformation/

GigaOm Field CTO Darrel Kent, BMC Technology Solutions Director Jeremy Hamilton, and BMC Principal Solution Marketing Manager for AIOps Nick Mears discuss the evolution of mainframe operations towards modernization, focusing on the integration of AIOps and generative AI as well as the drivers behind this shift, including business needs and technical complexities. Links: GigaOm CxO Decision Brief: Resilient by Design, Modernizing Mainframe Ops Without Disruption - https://portal.gigaom.com/report/cxo-decision-brief-resilient-by-design-modernizing-mainframe-ops-without On-demand webinar: Modernizing Mainframe Ops for Experts and Next-Gen Teams Case Study: Dillard’s satisfies retail customers with fast, efficient transactions

Intellyx Director and Principal Analyst Jason English, BMC Senior Manager of Product Management Liat Sokolov, and BMC Distinguished Engineer Anthony DiStauro explore the challenges organizations face in managing scattered institutional knowledge and how generative AI, specialized language models, and AI agents can bridge knowledge gaps, improve operational efficiency, and enhance decision-making. Links: Blog: Taking a Ride on the Modern Mainframe Trip With Your AI Best Friend, by Jason English – https://www.bmc.com/blogs/taking-a-ride-on-modern-mainframe-trip-with-ai/ Blog: How Conversational and Contextual AI Power Mainframe Transformation, by Liat Sokolov - https://www.bmc.com/blogs/mainframe-transformation-conversational-contextual-ai/ Blog: Choose the Right LLM: Why AI Flexibility Matters for Mainframe Transformation, by Priya Doty – https://www.bmc.com/blogs/mainframe-ai-llm-flexibility/ Blog: The Rise of AI Agents: A New Era for Mainframe Transformation, by Anthony DiStauro - https://www.bmc.com/blogs/ai-agents-mainframe-transformation/ Podcast: Podcast: The Role of Generative AI in Mainframe Transformation - https://soundcloud.com/modernmainframe/role-generative-ai-mainframe-transformation

BMC Senior Solution Engineer Steven Dzikowski, Senior Principal Solution Engineer Gilles Robert, and Principal Product Manager Paul Spicer discuss the critical role of automation in modern mainframe operations, addressing workforce challenges, the integration of automation with IT practices, and the future of automation with AI and machine learning. Links: BMC AMI Ops Monitoring - https://www.bmc.com/it-solutions/bmc-ami-ops-monitoring.html The Total Economic Impact™ Of BMC AMI Ops Monitoring - www.bmc.com/documents/analyst-r…ops-monitoring.html Blog: Equipping SysProgs with AI/ML, Intelligent Automation, and a Modern UX - https://www.bmc.com/blogs/aiops-equipping-sysprogs-with-ai-mi-intelligent-automation/ Podcast: BMC AMI Ops Monitoring: The Total Economic Impact™ - https://soundcloud.com/modernmainframe/bmc-ami-ops-monitoring-the-total-economic-impact Podcast: AI, Intelligent Automation & A Future-Proof Interface for Mainframe Ops - https://soundcloud.com/modernmainframe/ai-intelligent-automation-mainframe-aiops Podcast: The Game-Changing Benefits of AIOps for Modern Mainframe Operations - https://soundcloud.com/modernmainframe/mainframe-aiops-game-changing-benefits

Intellyx Principal Analyst and CTO Eric Newcomer leads a discussion with BMC Area Director Duncan Ash, BMC Sales Director Ted Bakon, and BMC Vice President of Solution Marketing Management Priya Doty, exploring the current trends, challenges, and transformations within the banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI) industries. Key topics include the impact of emerging technologies like AI and cloud computing, the importance of regulatory compliance and security, and strategies for aligning mainframe operations with modern demands. Links: Blog: Top Mainframe Priorities for Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance Firms, by Priya Doty - https://www.bmc.com/blogs/mainframe-priorities-banking-financial-services-insurance/ Blog: Last Minute Checklist for DORA Compliance: Critical Considerations for Your Mainframe, by Duncan Ash - https://www.bmc.com/blogs/last-minute-dora-mainframe-checklist/ BMC Mainframe Education and Certification - https://www.bmc.com/education/mainframe-training-and-certification.html