Lunch & Learns

Join us for our sponsored Lunch & Learns (LNLs), brought to you by our esteemed SHARE partners. These educational sessions offer attendees the opportunity to enjoy a complimentary lunch, courtesy of our sponsors, while gaining insights into the latest updates and innovations from the companies.

Reminder: LNLs will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis with no pre-registration required.

Monday, Aug. 18 | Noon - 1 p.m.

Broadcom Mainframe Software 

• Title: MSD 99.9 FM: All Mainframe. All Modern. All Week.
• Speakers: Greg Lotko
• Abstract: Tune in to MSD 99.9 and join your host Greg Lotko as he kicks off the week with a setlist that turns up the volume on platform value. Greg and special guests will break down what’s driving business now and “what’s next.” You’ll get the real story on AI for mainframe — no hype, just business. The needle will drop on a few brand-new tracks: how hybrid developers are jammin’ with Z and Ops teams are moving to full enterprise visibility — never missing a beat. So, plug in, play it loud and join the crew that keeps you rockin' — all week long.
• Room: Hope Ballroom E

IBM 

• Title: A New z17 Spin on the Wheel of Cybersecurity Gameshow
• Speakers: Bryan Childs and David Rossi
• Abstract: Join the fun with our new AI-powered-security z17 edition of our Wheel of Cybersecurity Gameshow! Inspired by the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, our game will feature more AI, more Crypto and more chances to spin that NIST wheel. Can you guess the security function that best mitigates the risk? You can’t buy a vowel, but perhaps you’ll buy a Z! Everyone can play! Only one side will win! Who will earn their not-so-digital certificate of Z cybersecurity prowess? 
• Room: Hope Ballroom B

Rocket Software 

• Title: Db213 for z/OS – From GA to Today
• Speaker: Paul Bartak
• Abstract: Generally available for over three years, Db2 13 for z/OS continues to deliver new capabilities, with 73% (and growing) of the capabilities being delivered in the continuous delivery stream. Meanwhile, Db2 12 for z/OS end-of-support is announced and only a few months away. If you have not started your migration to Db2 13, now is the time to begin. We will review the key components of that planning. If you already use Db2 13, chances are there is even more value to gain from this version.
• Room: Center Street Room A

Amazon Web Services Inc.

• Title: Mainframe Application Modernization With Agentic AI – AWS Transform 
• Speakers: Saikat Chatterjee and Tim Gray
• Abstract: As organizations navigate the digital transformation landscape, the modernization of mainframe applications remains a critical challenge. This session presents Amazon Web Services' (AWS) perspective on bridging the gap between traditional enterprise systems and modern cloud infrastructure. We explore AWS's strategic approach to mainframe modernization, highlighting strategies that enable seamless integration, cost-effective migration and performance optimization. Whether you’re just starting to consider modernization, or looking to optimize existing efforts, this session will offer valuable insights into leveraging AWS's capabilities to transform your legacy systems into agile, cloud-powered assets.
• Room: Hope Ballroom A

BMC Software 

• Title: The Opening Act: Rock-Solid Resilience – GenAI Knowledge and Cyber Protection for the Modern Mainframe 
• Speakers: Ken Chism, Anothony DiStauro and Lisa Sokolov
• Abstract: Every great show needs an unforgettable opening act — and when it comes to your mainframe, GenAI intelligence and cyber resilience keep the spotlight bright and the encores coming. Join this BMC Software Lunch & Learn, hosted by Steven Dickens, president and practice leader at HyperFRAME Research, as we kick off our Rock the Mainframe experience with two essentials: intelligence and cyber resilience. First, see why organizations need more than just dashboards — they need a generative AI knowledge expert that interprets raw data, explains what’s happening, and guides next steps across every layer of the mainframe stack. It’s not about seeing — it’s about understanding and acting faster than ever. Next, we’ll turn up the volume on the mainframe’s top priority: security and cyber resilience. Learn how modern approaches to data protection create secure, immutable copies and store them off-platform in the cloud — strengthening your defense against ransomware, insider threats and operational risks. When the stakes are high, your critical data stays safeguarded, your business stays resilient, and your mainframe stays ready for one more encore. Join us for practical insights, real-world examples and a dose of rock and roll energy — because your mainframe should always be ready for an encore.
• Room: Center Street Room B

Hitachi Vantara 

• Title: You Have a Friend in Me! Exploring the Impacts of AI and Security on the Future of Mainframe Storage and Networking.
• Speaker: Alain Beauregard
• Abstract: The hype around AI is feverish and, at times, downright scary! At the same time, quantum-resistance security regulations are staring us in the face and the pressures surrounding security deployments is mounting. Having a partner to navigate the impacts and timing of both the influences of AI and the demands of quantum-safe security is critical. In this session, experts from Brocade and Hitachi will explore these questions and discuss how to navigate their impacts.
• Room: Center Street Room D

Fischer International Software 

• Title: What is new in IOF for z/OS V3R2
• Speakers: Edouard Gillet, James Hall and Paolo Roberti
• Abstract: Come to this session to learn about changes made within IOF to accommodate the new JES2 functionality included with z/OS 3.2. In the process of making all necessary JES2 interface changes, other IOF interfaces were ported from legacy JES2 control-block mappings to more recent and more general JES2 SubSystem Interfaces.
• Room: Center Street Room C

Tuesday, Aug. 19 | 11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.

Broadcom Mainframe Software 

• Title: Mainframe Hits: Rockin’ Innovation with Broadcom
• Abstract: Calling all Mainframe Rock Stars! Get ready to turn up the volume on your mainframe strategy. This is your backstage pass to see how Broadcom is helping customers optimize their mainframes. Come for the food, stay for the mainframe hits!
• Room: Superior Ballroom CD

Thursday, Aug. 21 | 11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.

Broadcom Mainframe Software 

• Title: The Future’s So Bright, Developers Gotta Wear Shades
• Speakers: Idival Amaro, Deb Carbo, Nicole Fagen, Stuart McIrvine and Rav Patil
• Abstract: The future of mainframe development is here — and it keeps getting better. With Code4z, developers are embracing modern tools like Visual Studio Code and Git alongside broader CI/CD pipeline automation, unlocking major gains in productivity. But the evolution doesn’t stop there. As DevAI and Platform Engineering reshape the software landscape, traditional development workflows are being reimagined. Join us to see how we’re enabling mainframe developers to amaze their business leaders and peers like never before. 
• Room: Hope Ballroom E

IBM 

Rocket Software 

• Title: Simplify Mainframe Operation: OMEGAMON and Grafana 
• Speaker: Kevin Hosozawa and Todd Lipp
• Abstract: IBM has introduced a significant enhancement to the IBM OMEGAMON family. Designed to modernize, streamline and integrate mainframe performance monitoring powered by Grafana. This session provides a technical dive into the new UI architecture. We will show how Grafana dashboards deliver high-level enterprise views with seamless drill-down capabilities into subsystem metrics — z/OS, CICS, Db2 and more. Attendees will learn how to leverage this unified observability layer to identify performance anomalies faster, correlate data across domains and reduce mean time to resolution (MTTR). Discover how this evolution aligns mainframe monitoring with open standards and modern IT workflows, enhancing the efficiency and accessibility of operational insights across both traditional and hybrid cloud environments.
• Room: Center Street Room A