Session Evaluation

Today’s developers want speed, feedback, and modern tooling—but mainframes often seem out of reach. In this session, I’ll walk you through my team's experience with z/OS and how we made mainframes more attractive and practical for newcomers. Let’s explore how you can modernize not just your systems, but your approach to talent.

Session Evaluation

As the demand for modernization grows across z/OS environments, system developers face a critical choice between continuing with traditional HLASM and embracing newer tools like Metal C. This session presents a practical comparison between development in Metal C and HLASM, showcasing how Metal C enables faster development, better maintainability, and comparable — often superior — performance. Attendees will see real-world code samples and benchmarks illustrating how Metal C simplifies system-level programming without compromising control or efficiency. We'll also cover how Metal C reduces the skill barrier: new developers can be onboarded faster, with less reliance on highly specialized assembler knowledge. This session is ideal for z/OS architects, application developers, and systems programmers who are considering transitioning from assembler to more modern, C-based approaches in their low-level codebases.