Mainframe Coven: Conjuring a Safe Space in Tech

Join host Steven Dickens in this episode of I am a Mainframer featuring Niall from Vitality, a mainframe security consultant building his career across RACF administration, security engineering, ESM migrations, and system programming.Niall shares how he entered the mainframe industry through BMC Software’s Mainframe in Training program before joining Vitality, where he supports major retailers, insurance companies, and banks. He discusses his journey from discovering the mainframe to developing a broad range of skills across security, consulting, documentation, and system programming.The conversation covers RACF, ACF2, Top Secret, ESM migrations, security assessments, runbooks, and the importance of hands-on experience in mission-critical environments. Niall explains why mainframe professionals should continue expanding their knowledge instead of limiting themselves to a single speciality.Niall also offers a thoughtful perspective on AI. While he is cautious about relying on AI for learning and technical answers, he recognises its value for everyday tasks and programming support. He highlights the need for more visual mainframe education that shows how tools such as RACF and zSecure work in practice.Looking ahead, Niall discusses the future of mainframe computing, the growing power of modern systems, the possible convergence of mainframes and supercomputers, quantum computing, and how hardware limitations can inspire creative innovation.Subscribe for more conversations from Mainframe Connect and the I am a Mainframer series.#IAmAMainframer #MainframeConnect #OpenMainframeProject #MainframeSecurity #RACF #zOS #Vitality #AI #TechCareers #MainframeModernization

Join host Steven Dickens in this episode of I Am a Mainframer featuring Jakub from Broadcom, chair of the Zowe Technical Steering Committee and an active contributor to the open-source mainframe community.Jakub explains how Zowe helps integrate z/OS with modern enterprise tools and workflows through components such as Zowe Explorer for VS Code and IntelliJ, the Zowe CLI, the API Mediation Layer, virtual desktop capabilities, and the Zowe MCP Server.The conversation explores Zowe’s evolution from a vendor-supported project into a growing open-source community, with customers and service providers increasingly contributing code. Jakub also discusses how AI and MCP-based tools could change mainframe development, while highlighting the importance of secure integration and human review in open source projects.He shares his unexpected journey from software engineering and the space industry into the mainframe ecosystem, offers advice to early-career professionals about staying curious and building lasting relationships, and discusses the importance of giving developers hands-on access to z/OS.Looking ahead, Jakub envisions the mainframe as an optimised and critical part of enterprise infrastructure, supporting core transaction processing while its data helps power AI-driven innovation.Subscribe for more conversations from Mainframe Connect and the I Am a Mainframer series.#IAmAMainframer #MainframeConnect #OpenMainframeProject #Zowe #Broadcom #OpenSource #zOS #AI #MCP #MainframeModernization

In this special episode of Mainframe Voices, we explore a timely question: AI is acting as a 24/7 mentor for the next generation of mainframers, but what part of the mainframe can only be learned from a human?Our guests share where AI can help with learning, documentation, and practice, and where human judgment, context, and lived experience remain essential. From navigating complex production issues to understanding organisational culture and making judgment calls, hear how people continue to shape the next generation of mainframe professionals.Rishi Misra - Advisory Software Developer at IBM CanadaNiall Ashley - Technical consultant at vertaliGermanas Šamrickis - Senior Software Engineer at Rocket SoftwareBruno Laurent - MVS Production Engineer at EuroclearThe Mainframe Connect podcast includes the I Am a Mainframer series, Mainframe Voices, and other content exploring relevant topics with mainframe professionals, sponsored by the Open Mainframe Project, a Linux Foundation initiative.#MainframeVoices #MainframeConnect #OpenMainframeProject #LinuxFoundation #Mainframe #AI #Mentorship

Join host Steven Dickens in this August episode of I Am a Mainframer featuring Geoffrey Decker, instructor at Northern Illinois University, as he shares how he has spent more than 24 years teaching assembler, COBOL, and foundational mainframe skills to thousands of students.With back-to-school season in full swing, Geoffrey discusses why teaching mainframe fundamentals matters, how students react when they first encounter assembler and 3270-style environments, and why hands-on learning with tools like ISPF, VS Code, IntelliJ, and Zowe helps prepare them for real careers.He also explores the ongoing debate around the mainframe skills gap, the strong career outcomes his students are seeing, and why he believes employers should do more to recognize the talent already coming out of universities and training programs.From student success stories and curriculum challenges to AI’s role in documenting legacy systems, this episode highlights the value of a proven academic pipeline and the importance of keeping mainframe education relevant for the future.If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe for more conversations from Mainframe Connect and the I Am a Mainframer series.#IAmAMainframer #MainframeConnect #OpenMainframeProject #BackToSchool #MainframeEducation #Assembler #COBOL #NIU #TechCareers

Join host Steven Dickens in this episode of I Am a Mainframer featuring Bruno Laurent, who shares how he started his mainframe journey in 1998 and how that path led him to modernise mainframe development at Euroclear.Bruno discusses why cloud development environments matter for attracting new talent, how moving beyond traditional 3270 workflows makes mainframe work more accessible, and how tools like Visual Studio Code, Zowe, and AI are helping reshape the developer experience.He also reflects on the importance of keeping mainframe skills current, supporting the next generation of developers, and why the platform continues to evolve with modern technology and business needs.If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe for more conversations from Mainframe Connect and the I Am a Mainframer series.#IAmAMainframer #MainframeConnect #OpenMainframeProject #MainframeModernization #CloudDevelopment #Zowe #AI #Euroclear #TechCareers

Join host Steven Dickens in this episode of *I Am a Mainframer* featuring Brahadambal Srinivasan, Technical Architect at IBM, as she shares her journey from Linux and open source to leading teams working on Linux on Z.Brahadambal talks about how her team helps maintain and port open source packages, why Linux on Z is still Linux, and what it takes to support applications on the s390x architecture. She also explains how IBM works with the Open Mainframe Project and the open source community to keep changes upstream and improve access through repositories and GitHub Actions runners.The conversation also covers her experience leading a global Gen Z team, the importance of patience in building a career, and her view of the mainframe’s future as a platform that will continue to grow alongside AI and modern innovation.If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe for more conversations from *Mainframe Connect* and the *I Am a Mainframer* series.#IAmAMainframer #MainframeConnect #OpenMainframeProject #IBM #LinuxOnZ #s390x #OpenSource #TechCareers

In this special episode of Mainframe Voices, we explore the signals and trends the mainframe community should be watching closely right now, from AI and modernisation to talent and skills. Our guests share what stands out to them most, and how these shifts may shape the future of the platform and the people working in it.We are delighted to have our guests:Geoffrey Decker – IBM Z Champion 2022–2026 | Instructor, Northern Illinois University Jakub Balhar – Engineer at Broadcom Inc. | Zowe TSC Chair | IBM Champion 2025, 2026 Brahadambal Srinivasan – Technical Architect at IBM | Open Source & Linux on Z Erin Joel Moore – IBM Z Student Ambassador The Mainframe Connect podcast includes the I Am a Mainframer series, Mainframe Voices, and other content exploring relevant topics with mainframe professionals, sponsored by the Open Mainframe Project, a Linux Foundation initiative.#MainframeVoices #MainframeConnect #OpenMainframeProject #LinuxFoundation #Mainframe #AI #Modernization #OpenSource

In this episode of the Mainframe Connect podcast's I Am a Mainframer series, J.J. Lovett, Lead for Education and Customer Engagement at Broadcom Mainframe Division, shares his journey from CA Technologies customer advocacy to leading Mainframe Open Education, Vitality programs, and practitioner engagement at events like SHARE and IDUG.J.J. tackles the mainframe skills gap head-on, explaining why it's both a navigation challenge (knowing where to find talent) and a time gap (2-4 years to master sysprog/admin roles). He highlights shifting demographics—millennials and Gen Z now dominate BMC surveys—and how Broadcom addresses this through student user groups, mentorship, and open source integration with projects like Zowe and COBOL."The mainframe isn't a job, it's a career" – J.J. advises college grads: start with z/OS Explore, embrace risks, and recognise mainframe's extensibility through APIs. He shares his vision for proactive succession planning and a future where mainframe experience makes technologists more versatile across IT.Celebrating Military Appreciation Month – J.J. represents military veterans bringing discipline and leadership to mainframe education and customer success during May's Military Appreciation Month.#mainframe #IamaMainframer #OpenSource #Broadcom #MainframeSkills #MilitaryAppreciationMonth #podcast #openmainframeproject #LinuxFoundation #StevenDickens #MainframeConnect #Careers #Zowe

In this episode of the Mainframe Connect podcast’s *I Am a Mainframer* series, **Marcus Davage**, Lead Product Developer at BMC Software and an OMP ambassador, shares how a childhood fascination with early home computers in South Wales grew into a decades-long career centred on Db2 across multiple platforms. From his first encounter with a 3270 terminal during a year-out placement at British Steel in 1988, through roles at Lloyds and into his current work in R&D at BMC, Marcus tells the story of how “tinkering” and curiosity became the backbone of his professional journey.Marcus explains how Db2 followed him everywhere—from mainframe to OS/2, Windows, Linux and AS/400—and how building deep domain expertise in one core technology opened doors across organisations and roles. He talks about being “paid to tinker” with AI and AI agents for mainframe customers today, the impact of in-transaction AI on zSystems, and why he believes the next frontier lies at the intersection of mainframe, AI, and quantum-safe computing.He also discusses his work as an Open Mainframe Project Ambassador, his Db2 Table Talk podcast for IDUG, and his outreach to universities in Wales to show students that the mainframe is a modern enterprise platform—not “your daddy’s S/360.” Along the way, Marcus shares career advice for younger professionals: stay curious, keep tinkering, and don’t be afraid to build a long-term career around a technology you love.#mainframe #IamaMainframer #Db2 #opensource #BMCSoftware #OpenMainframeProject #LinuxFoundation #StevenDickens #MainframeConnect #AI #quantum #careers

In this episode of Mainframe Coven, Jessielaine Punongbayan (Product Manager, Dynatrace) and Richelle Anne Craw (Software Engineer, Beta Systems Software) talked about the importance of conjuring a safe space for women in tech.Full Transcript here: https://openmainframeproject.org/mainframe-coven/mainframe-coven-conjuring-a-safe-space/