Software and services company Macro 4 is hosting an open day for the UK’s IBM mainframe users to discuss plans for the next generation of users.
The open day will be held on 26 September, 2013, for mainframe customers looking to plan strategies around the next generation of mainframe development and support staff.
Panel sessions, demonstrations, workshops, and an IBM keynote are all planned, with Peter Siddell, IBM UK Technical Specialist for CICS Tools on z/OS CICS Tools Development and Dr. Herbert Daly, Senior Lecturer in Computer Science University of Bedfordshire both speaking.
In particular, the event will focus on alternatives to the 3270 green screen interfaces – with a view to making accessing the mainframe platform easier and more intuitive, especially considering how many were brought up on Microsoft and Apple GUIs.
Macro 4 plans to show off mainframe interfaces running on Eclipse IDE, especially looking at how Eclipse can feel more ‘modern’ to the latest crop of developers and support staff, as well as providing gains in productivity and usability compared to the conventional alternatives – for existing and new mainframe users.
The event will be held at Macro 4’s Crawley HQ, a short trip from Gatwick.
Macro 4’s commercial and technical director, Jim Allum, said a key focus for development over the last few years has been providing flexible access to mainframe products, and “in general to the mainframe environment in which they operate”.
