SHARE Academy at SHARE San Jose 2017 is jam-packed with learning, programming, and networking to further your understanding and career with IBM’s mainframe. The IMS Immersion Academy program is no exception. This full-day program will, quite literally, immerse you in programming that will focus on advanced topics in IBM’s Information Management Systems.
Kathy Gasset with The Kroger Co., and Byron Gandy with BMC Software attended IMS Immersion as part of SHARE in San Antonio 2016. To sum up their thoughts on the program, Gandy puts it quite simply: “The Immersion event exceeded my expectations.”
Essentially, the IMS Immersion program acts as a basic foundational learning seminar to understand how IMS works and what changes to look out for in the near future. Mid-level/lighter skilled DBAs, system programmers, application programmers, and architects will find this very beneficial to their day-to-day work.
“IMS has added some great functionality to help with administration and DBA work,” Gasset says of the program. “The session is a great introduction to these changes and will help anyone working with IMS gain a better understanding on how to implement these changes and what the impact will be to your organization.”
Attendees will learn from highly skilled instructors who are immersed in IMS in their careers, including:
- Kenneth Blackman, a Certified Consulting IMS Specialist
- Dennis Eichelberger, member of the IMS Support – Washington System Center
- Stephen Nathan, IMS Level 2 Support for IBM Corporation
- Nancy Stein, a Consulting I/T Specialist on the IMS Team of the Washington System Center
- Suzie Wendler, a Consulting I/T Specialist on the IMS Team of the Washington System Center
Each instructor is accessible for any IMS-related questions throughout and after the session. Getting involved and interacting with instructors and fellow attendees is key to a great session outcome, according to Gandy. “While attending and interacting with fellow customers, the knowledge gained further enhanced my knowledge regarding upcoming enhancements to the product. Meeting with IBM representatives and establishing contacts with them will greatly facilitate future interchange of information.”
Gasset’s review of the exceptional networking potential echoed Gandy’s praise. She said the resources she received in the class — both tangible take-home workbooks and personal connections with new contacts — were contributing factors as to why this session was worthwhile.
“If you have any outstanding issues or new functionality you are wanting to research, bring details of your questions,” she advises. “The resources that are available during the IMS Immersion will have an answer or they will know who can assist with your questions.”
Overall, attendees will walk away with a greater understanding of IMS and how to implement that knowledge into their workplace. “You get out of any conference what you put into it,” Gandy says. “Get involved. You will personally benefit, and your employer will gain based on your participation.”
To register for the IMS Immersion session at SHARE Academy, and to check out the full day’s agenda, head to the SHARE San Jose 2017 page here.