Imagine a place where technologists come together and learn about the latest advancements in mainframe technology, IBM platforms, and software. It is also where connections and lifelong friendships are made and nurtured. This is SHARE, an organization that predates the IBM 360 by nine years.
Its members have made SHARE the success it continues to be, and its events are where members come together to not only learn from experts, but also one another. They discuss workplace issues, put their heads together to find possible solutions, and lean into new tools and software to make their jobs more efficient and effective. Many attendees will get visually creative to illustrate mainframe-related concerns, like these attendees from 2022’s SHARE Dallas in their data jail outfits:
Some members have more than 50 conferences under their belt. Barry Schrager, ACF2 specialist at CPT Global and member of the Mainframe Hall of Fame, has attended SHARE events since 1969. His first SHARE event was in Los Angeles, which also happened to be his first experience on an airplane. “At my first meeting, I was nervous and remember sticking close to other mainframers from universities,” he says.
“Security was becoming an issue for universities because students were hacking for fun. At the time, no others were talking about security, unless it was a large company or government agency, such as the Central Intelligence Agency,” he says. “Before that, no one really worried about security. The mainframe had used punch cards, and the operator took care of everything.” He added, “During one SHARE event, Mary Lasky asked me to lead the security project after we talked about security concerns.” In “The Beginning of Data Security,” author Julie-Ann Williams and Schrager recount the early days of SHARE and the start of the Security and Compliance Project, which he began leading in 1972. (Listen for more with Schrager on mainframe security on the podcast, zMinds.)
One of his fondest memories was the interactive meetings, large and small, that SHARE held in the early days. “These interactive meetings played a crucial role in information exchange and career development,” he says. According to Schrager, “SHARE got me involved in data security and gave me the ability to form and run a project on data security. SHARE is where information is exchanged, and connections are made.”
SHARE continued to grow and reach new members through its events, bringing together subject matter experts in security, software, applications, and more. At the 2025 SHARE Washington, D.C. event, one attendee recalled receiving Windows 3.1 as a gift because Bill Gates was the keynote speaker.
Even when the world seemed to stop during the pandemic, SHARE and its members’ dedication continued. Another D.C. survey respondent says, “I’ve been downloading and using SHARE sessions when I was overseas even before I got a chance to attend these conferences.”
Carla Flores, global cybersecurity solution advisor at Broadcom and SHARE liaison for Broadcom, says, “One of my all-time favorite memories from SHARE is when someone came up to me and said, ‘I got into mainframe security after attending one of your sessions at SHARE.’ I was truly humbled by the impact I had on an individual. This is why I love SHARE. It gives me the opportunity to give back to the platform that has served me so well over my career.” Others say they’ve attended SHARE once or twice and walked away with an internship or a job.
But that doesn’t mean these subject matter experts are only focused on work. SHARE archivist Anne Caluori recalls 2015’s SHARE Orlando event: “One session I led for SHARE’s 60th anniversary led to singing. I also just happened to have a keyboard with me.” (You can visit the SHARE Archives Project online and learn more about the project here.)
As Reg Harbeck from Mainframe Analytics pointed out in a recent SHARE’d Intelligence article, songs have been an integral part of SHARE’s culture, with many informal gatherings breaking into one of 25 songs in the original songbook.
Caption: Full-size IBM mainframe on exhibition floor at SHARE Washington, D.C.
Caption: Model of IBM z16 in Lego at SHARE New Orleans in 2023.
SHARE events often include elements of fun for members, including late-night karaoke, learning how to build z/OS from scratch, or viewing the full-scale machine in the exhibit hall. Many attendees rave about the high level of interaction they get with session speakers, the opportunities to talk with their “mainframe heroes,” and networking with other mainframers who work in different aspects of the platform. One SHARE Washington, D.C. attendee recalls, “Broadcom’s lunch-and-learn at SHARE Columbus was memorable for the ‘Top Gun’ spoof song,” while another says, “I’ll always remember that in 1995 in Boston, we had a networking boats tour.”
Caption: From 2018's SHARE Sacramento, members tested their knowledge on SHARE Jeopardy.
Caption: Mainframe Family Feud at SHARE New Orleans in 2023.
SHARE has had numerous events in its 70-year history, and some of the most memorable have been in cities from the South like Orlando, Florida, and New Orleans, Louisiana, to the Midwest like Kansas and Columbus, Ohio. But what makes each one memorable and worth coming back for year after year is the subject matter experts in mainframe and mission critical systems who are dedicated to improving business outcomes through technology advancement.
70 years is just the beginning — SHARE and its members continue to push the envelope and explore how technology can exceed enterprise expectations. How will you contribute to the community over the next decades?
See the innovation happening in enterprise IT at SHARE Cleveland, happening Aug. 17-21, and learn more about SHARE’s milestones on SHARE’d Intelligence.
Serena Agusto-Cox has more than 20 years of editorial experience and six years of experience writing about mainframe and information technology. She interviews and crafts forward-looking and engaging technical updates related to the mainframe ecosystem, highlights the experiences of thought-leaders in the community, and shares important updates to technical education and training.