IBM Master the Mainframe Contest Commemorates 50 Years of Big Iron

by Darryl K. Taft

IBM has announced the expansion of its Master the Mainframe Contest to include a first-ever IBM Master the Mainframe World Championship competition as part of its ongoing commitment to developing the skills of a new generation of mainframe experts.

As the business community advances enterprise computing to meet the challenges and opportunities associated with big data and analytics, cloud and mobile computing, new skills are required from the workforce. The IBM System z Academic Initiative enables students around the globe to learn enterprise computing skills and get ahead of the pack for job opportunities.

Since its 2005 inception, IBM’s Master the Mainframe Contest has enabled more than 68,000 students to take charge of world-class enterprise platforms and showcase their talents while learning sought-after computing skills.

IBM’s Master the Mainframe World Championship brings together the next generation of mainframe all-stars. Forty-three Master the Mainframe regional contest winners who have demonstrated superior programming skills on the mainframe have been selected to compete on the world stage.

Contestants will deploy Systems of Record mainframe business applications written with Java and COBOL using DB2 for z/OS APIs, demonstrating how the Systems of Engagement concept takes full advantage of the platform’s capabilities.

On April 7, 2014, this innovative group of students will showcase their applications in New York City, where a distinguished panel of judges—from Visa, MetLife, Syracuse University and Blue Cross Blue Shield, among others—will name a “Master the Mainframe World Champion.”

“IBM is committed to preparing ‘Generation z’ for the future of business,” said Pat Toole, GM of IBM System z. “Our ongoing collaboration with governments and academia in more than 70 countries to extend mainframe skills through our System z Academic Initiative helps ensure continuous mainframe innovations in areas such as cloud, mobile and big data for decades to come.”

IBM will be holding a special ceremony celebrating the 50th anniversary of the IBM mainframe on April 8 in New York City. IBM senior executives will be on hand for this milestone, discussing how the mainframe is powering future advancements in technology as well as the mainframe’s impact on industries such as banking, transportation, health care and government.