I guess it's been quite busy lately or perhaps I should admit I just didn't feel like blogging much lately. But from time to time I come across something of which I think it might be worth blogging about. So when I took a look at my bookmarks, I really saved up some nice stuff. So I think I'm going to share it with you during the next couple of weeks. Some, you might've seen passing by already, but I know not every one is constantly scanning the internet for valuable information. So, here I go : one post a day until Christmas, followed by my year review.
Let's start with the Arcati Mainframe User Survey. You still have two days to fill it out. So go over here and just do it. I see there's always a large discrepancy between the number of downloads (20.000) and the numbers of respondents (100 in 2013). So, do yourself a favour and make this survey as representative as possible. The survey is "asking users to give some details about their installation and technical challenges, as well as their plans for the mainframe within the broader IT infrastructure".
If you've never heard about the Arcati Yearbook, the current edition is still available at www.arcati.com/newyearbook13. Each year it contains this annual user survey, an up-to-date directory of vendors and consultants, a media guide, a strategy section with papers on mainframe trends and directions, a glossary of terminology, and a technical specification section.
As I always say, do check it out !
And see you tomorrow for more !
Showing posts with label Arcati. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Arcati. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Monday, January 21, 2013
The Arcati Yearbook 2013
Last Friday the new Arcati yearbook was published. We have the usual vendor directory listing vendors, consultants and service providers in the mainframe environment. The media guide points out some newsletters, magazines, blogs, user groups and information resources. Do take a look at it, it contains some good references also listing quite a lot of interesting twitter accounts. The yearbook closes with some technical information, time tables and the mips tables for the zEC12 are also already there.
Next to that there are also three articles : 'Where is the COBOL in your SOA?', 'Lost without a trace?' and 'Challenging times lead to new tools for z/OS control and network management'.
But of course there's also the annual User Survey providing a snapshot of the System z user community’s existing hardware and software configuration, and also their plans and concerns for 2013. There's special attention on how mainframe applications participate in Web services/SOA. There's also a question on how fast System z-related expenditure is increasing, in terms of the technology itself and the people needed to support it. And on how mainframe costs relate to the entire IT budget and how mainframe costs are growing in relation to the growth in the distributed environment.
You can download the Yearbook for free over here.
As I always say, just check it out !
Next to that there are also three articles : 'Where is the COBOL in your SOA?', 'Lost without a trace?' and 'Challenging times lead to new tools for z/OS control and network management'.
But of course there's also the annual User Survey providing a snapshot of the System z user community’s existing hardware and software configuration, and also their plans and concerns for 2013. There's special attention on how mainframe applications participate in Web services/SOA. There's also a question on how fast System z-related expenditure is increasing, in terms of the technology itself and the people needed to support it. And on how mainframe costs relate to the entire IT budget and how mainframe costs are growing in relation to the growth in the distributed environment.
You can download the Yearbook for free over here.
As I always say, just check it out !
Friday, January 13, 2012
The Arcati Mainframe Yearbook 2012
Le nouveau Arcati Yearbook est arrivé and you can download it over here. It has every ingredient the previous issues had too : some articles, the usual vendor directory listing vendors, consultants and service providers in the mainframe world. The media guide points out some newsletters, magazines, blogs, user groups, twitter accounts and information resources. And the mips tables for the z114 are also already included along with some other technical information. And of course we have the annual User Survey too.
The articles I particulary liked (it's a personal choice, I know) were the ones by Simon Cooper (William Data Systems) on Network Management (ZEN), by Jeff Westerhaver (Serena) on application release management and by Tim Full (Software Diversified Services) on Secure FTP. I know (and Simon Cooper even points it out) that they are of course partial advertisements for their products. But still, I find they nevertheless contain quite some useful, informative content.
And if you don't bother about the annual survey, let me just give you two small fragments to tease you into reading it anyway. The first is a comment on the growth of cost of mainframe vs. the cost of distributed systems.
And here's the second fragment about the customer comments.
As I always say, just check them out !
The articles I particulary liked (it's a personal choice, I know) were the ones by Simon Cooper (William Data Systems) on Network Management (ZEN), by Jeff Westerhaver (Serena) on application release management and by Tim Full (Software Diversified Services) on Secure FTP. I know (and Simon Cooper even points it out) that they are of course partial advertisements for their products. But still, I find they nevertheless contain quite some useful, informative content.
And if you don't bother about the annual survey, let me just give you two small fragments to tease you into reading it anyway. The first is a comment on the growth of cost of mainframe vs. the cost of distributed systems.
"Again this year, a substantial number of respondents felt that their Unix, Linux, and Windows user-support costs were increasing faster than the mainframe for an equivalent amount of capacity or support. Similarly, and particularly marked for Windows environments, their anticipated acquisition and maintenance costs were increasing faster than for the mainframe".Read it in its context of course, because there's more about this in the text.
And here's the second fragment about the customer comments.
"No-one is ever happy about costs, but, usually, as long as they stay within the expected range, nobody gets too exercised about it. That doesn’t seem to have been the case this year, though".You can read all the comments in the Yearbook itself, of course.
As I always say, just check them out !
Monday, February 14, 2011
Arcati Mainframe Yearbook 2011
It's been out for a couple of weeks but I still want to mention it as it always contains valuable information for all mainframers. We have the usual vendor directory listing vendors, consultants and service providers in the mainframe environment. The media guide points out some newsletters, magazines, blogs, user groups and information resources. Do take a look at it, it contains some good references. The yearbook closes with some technical information, time tables and the mips tables for the z196 are already included too.
But of course there's also the annual User Survey providing a snapshot of the System z user community’s existing hardware and software configuration, and also their plans and concerns for 2011. it also tracks "the growth of mainframe integration with Web services, cloud computing, and other areas of new development".
You can download the Yearbook for free over here.
As I always say, do check it out !
But of course there's also the annual User Survey providing a snapshot of the System z user community’s existing hardware and software configuration, and also their plans and concerns for 2011. it also tracks "the growth of mainframe integration with Web services, cloud computing, and other areas of new development".
You can download the Yearbook for free over here.
As I always say, do check it out !
Monday, February 1, 2010
The Arcati Mainframe Yearbook 2010
Just received a mail announcing that the new Arcati Yearbook for 2010 is out. It has every ingredient the previous issues had too. There are some strategic articles on 'Mainframe continuity planning 2.0', 'Leveraging existing mainframe investments in modernization projects', 'Lowering mainframe TCO through zIIP expoitation', 'Software migrations' and 'TurboHercules and Disaster Recovery'.
We have the usual vendor directory listing vendors, consultants and service providers in the mainframe environment. The media guide points out some newsletters, magazines, blogs, user groups and information resources. It closes with some technical information, time tables and the mips tables for the z10 EC and z10 BC are also included.
And of course we also have the annual User Survey : 'The 2010 Mainframe User Survey - An analysis of the profile, plans, and priorities of mainframe users'.
We have the usual vendor directory listing vendors, consultants and service providers in the mainframe environment. The media guide points out some newsletters, magazines, blogs, user groups and information resources. It closes with some technical information, time tables and the mips tables for the z10 EC and z10 BC are also included.
And of course we also have the annual User Survey : 'The 2010 Mainframe User Survey - An analysis of the profile, plans, and priorities of mainframe users'.
Friday, November 20, 2009
The Arcati Mainframe User Survey 2010
No need to introduce the Arcati Yearbook I suppose ? If you haven't picked up your 2009 edition, you can still find it over here. People reading this blog know I like this yearbook . . . a lot. That's why I would like to invite you to fill out the Mainframe User Survey for the 2010 edition.
That's it ? No, not exactly. I must admit that last year I was a bit disappointed by the number of participants : only 76, while the document gets downloaded by at least 10,000 people. As Trevor Eddolls also indicated on his blog : "The more users who fill it in, the more accurate and therefore useful the survey report will be". So, just don't think the others will fill it out. If you've seen the Series Lost, you should know by now how hard it is to track down the others, so you'd better do it yourselves.
That's it ? No, not exactly. I must admit that last year I was a bit disappointed by the number of participants : only 76, while the document gets downloaded by at least 10,000 people. As Trevor Eddolls also indicated on his blog : "The more users who fill it in, the more accurate and therefore useful the survey report will be". So, just don't think the others will fill it out. If you've seen the Series Lost, you should know by now how hard it is to track down the others, so you'd better do it yourselves.
Monday, January 26, 2009
The Arcati Mainframe Yearbook 2009
I just saw on Mainframe Update that the new Arcati Yearbook for 2009 is out. It has every ingredient the previous issues had too. There are some strategic articles on 'IBM z/OS VWLC software pricing optimization', 'The credit crunch: the impact on System z (aka mainframes)' and 'Staying on top of Enterprise Extender'.
We have the usual vendor directory listing vendors, consultants and service providers in the mainframe environment. The media guide points out some newsletters, magazines, user groups and information resources. I'm glad to see my blog is mentioned once again. It closes with some technical information, time tables and allthough no one should ever refer to them again the mips tables are also included.
And surely don't forget their pièce de résistance, the annual User Survey : 'The 2009 Mainframe User Survey - An analysis of the profile, plans, and priorities of mainframe users'.
As I always say : just check it out !
We have the usual vendor directory listing vendors, consultants and service providers in the mainframe environment. The media guide points out some newsletters, magazines, user groups and information resources. I'm glad to see my blog is mentioned once again. It closes with some technical information, time tables and allthough no one should ever refer to them again the mips tables are also included.
And surely don't forget their pièce de résistance, the annual User Survey : 'The 2009 Mainframe User Survey - An analysis of the profile, plans, and priorities of mainframe users'.
As I always say : just check it out !
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Arcati Mainframe Yearbook 2009 Survey
I've already mentioned the Arcati Yearbook a couple of times, just because it's a great source of information for us, mainframers. The one item I'm always looking at first is the annual survey of the worldwide mainframe landscape.
To make this survey possible, Arcati needs to have as many input as possible from mainframe users. That's why they're asking you to fill out the user survey at the Arcati site. All company information is treated as confidential and is not shared with any third party. So why not fill it out ?
You'll then receive a copy of the Arcati Yearbook as soon as it gets out.
By the way, you can still download the Arcati 2008 yearbook over here.
If you want more information on the survey, you can go to the Arcati Survey page or look at the info on Trevor Eddoll's Mainframe Update blog.
To make this survey possible, Arcati needs to have as many input as possible from mainframe users. That's why they're asking you to fill out the user survey at the Arcati site. All company information is treated as confidential and is not shared with any third party. So why not fill it out ?
You'll then receive a copy of the Arcati Yearbook as soon as it gets out.
By the way, you can still download the Arcati 2008 yearbook over here.
If you want more information on the survey, you can go to the Arcati Survey page or look at the info on Trevor Eddoll's Mainframe Update blog.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
The Arcati Mainframe Yearbook 2008
When I first came across the Arcati yearbook, I was surprised to find so many information in one document. There’s the center piece with the annual user survey, but of course you can find a lot more in this Yearbook. There are some articles on various subjects, such as (obviously) ‘Driving energy efficiency : the big green dinosaur’, ' Modernizing mainframe systems: Extend versus Migrate' and ' Integrating WebSphere Service Registry and Repository with WebSphere Enterprise Service Bus'.
The vendor directory listing vendors, consultants and service providers in the mainframe environment is a compact guide to a lot of companies. There's also a media guide for IBM mainframers listing useful links and information sources, even a few blogs and what do you know I’m getting a reference too. Thanks, guys !
It concludes with a glossary, the history of the operating systems, a 1952-2007 mainframe timeline and z9 tables including MSUs, MIPS and MSU/MIPS ratio.
Costs for legacy software seems to be a recurring issue in the user survey for sub-500 MIPS companies. As Mark Lillycrop puts it : “This is a particular problem at the lower end of the scale, where competition from other platforms is very intense and users lack the clout to negotiate the discounts that larger sites enjoy”. As George Orwell would say "All animals are equal, but . . ."
As usual : another great effort by Arcati and a great reference for 2008.
Small note : There seems to be a little problem with the publication of the yearbook on the Arcati website. So for the moment, I'm taking over the links of yearbook editor Trevor Eddolls from his Mainframe Update blog.
The vendor directory listing vendors, consultants and service providers in the mainframe environment is a compact guide to a lot of companies. There's also a media guide for IBM mainframers listing useful links and information sources, even a few blogs and what do you know I’m getting a reference too. Thanks, guys !
It concludes with a glossary, the history of the operating systems, a 1952-2007 mainframe timeline and z9 tables including MSUs, MIPS and MSU/MIPS ratio.
Costs for legacy software seems to be a recurring issue in the user survey for sub-500 MIPS companies. As Mark Lillycrop puts it : “This is a particular problem at the lower end of the scale, where competition from other platforms is very intense and users lack the clout to negotiate the discounts that larger sites enjoy”. As George Orwell would say "All animals are equal, but . . ."
As usual : another great effort by Arcati and a great reference for 2008.
Small note : There seems to be a little problem with the publication of the yearbook on the Arcati website. So for the moment, I'm taking over the links of yearbook editor Trevor Eddolls from his Mainframe Update blog.
Friday, December 7, 2007
Arcati Mainframe Yearbook Annual Survey
I've mentioned the Arcati Yearbook already several times in the Dolmen Newsletter and in this blog as a valuable resource for the mainframe community. One of the most interesting items is always the annual survey based on the input of mainframe customers. Those surveys give a clear view of evolutions taking place in the mainframe world. Some examples : main operating system, annual MIPS growth, mainframe processors installed (z9EC+BC represented 26% in Januari 2007), use of middleware, SOA . . .
Now, you can fill in this survey yourself at the Arcati site. The more mainframers who fill it in, the more accurate and therefore useful the survey report will be. You have time until the end of the year.
So, my advice this time is not 'just check it out', but 'just fill it out'.
Now, you can fill in this survey yourself at the Arcati site. The more mainframers who fill it in, the more accurate and therefore useful the survey report will be. You have time until the end of the year.
So, my advice this time is not 'just check it out', but 'just fill it out'.
Monday, March 12, 2007
The Arcati Mainframe Yearbook 2007
As a picture tells more than a thousand words, here's a chart from the annual survey Arcati does among mainframe customers :
In fact I added the 2005 chart to compare with the current situation. I know there is some delay between survey and publication, but still, it suprises me that still 33% of the respondents is on z/OS 1.4 (59% in 2005, 48% in 2006), keeping in mind z/OS 1.4 is End of Support by the end of the month.
This is just one of the many charts of the user survey Arcati publishes in its 'Arcati Mainframe yearbook 2007'. There're others on annual MIPS growth, mainframe processors installed (z9EC+BC represent 26%), use of middleware, SOA . . .
But there's a lot more in this 147 page free download than just this survey. There are some 10 articles on various subjects, such as 'Problems with worldwide pricing variations', 'Harnessing the power of legacy systems' and 'Modernize you systems with XML'.
There's a vendor directory listing vendors, consultants and service providers in the z/OS and OS/390 environment. There's a media guide for IBM mainframers listing lots of useful links and information sources, even a few blogs - no not mine ... yet ;-).
It concludes with a glossary, some historical data and technical hardware tables of the z9 (including MSUs, MIPS and MSU/MIPS ratio).
In fact I added the 2005 chart to compare with the current situation. I know there is some delay between survey and publication, but still, it suprises me that still 33% of the respondents is on z/OS 1.4 (59% in 2005, 48% in 2006), keeping in mind z/OS 1.4 is End of Support by the end of the month.
This is just one of the many charts of the user survey Arcati publishes in its 'Arcati Mainframe yearbook 2007'. There're others on annual MIPS growth, mainframe processors installed (z9EC+BC represent 26%), use of middleware, SOA . . .
But there's a lot more in this 147 page free download than just this survey. There are some 10 articles on various subjects, such as 'Problems with worldwide pricing variations', 'Harnessing the power of legacy systems' and 'Modernize you systems with XML'.
There's a vendor directory listing vendors, consultants and service providers in the z/OS and OS/390 environment. There's a media guide for IBM mainframers listing lots of useful links and information sources, even a few blogs - no not mine ... yet ;-).
It concludes with a glossary, some historical data and technical hardware tables of the z9 (including MSUs, MIPS and MSU/MIPS ratio).
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