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January Survey: IT Trends - Z
TechPulse is TechChannel’s new sponsored monthly micro-survey program designed to capture real-time
sentiment and trends from IBM i and IBM Z professionals.
1.
Regarding the future of the mainframe, which of the following trends gives you the most encouragement? (select one)
The increasing adoption of AI and machine learning
The move toward hybrid cloud architectures
The maturation of DevOps as standard practice
A stronger focus on security, moving past the "security by obscurity” mindset
The increased presence of open source
The increasing popularity of modern interfaces and development languages
An enhanced hardware focus on AI inferencing on premises
Other (please specify)
2.
What trend/condition is the biggest threat to the mainframe ecosystem and those who work in it? (select one)
The increasing adoption of AI and machine learning
The move toward hybrid cloud architectures
Loose AI and data privacy regulations
Overly stringent AI and data privacy regulations
Skills gaps and imminent retirements
Perception of the platform as a “legacy” technology
Other (please specify)
3.
How do you stay knowledgeable of industry trends? (select all that apply)
Conferences
Conversations with peers
Vendor content (webinars, newsletters, articles)
Industry news websites
Industry newsletters
Online professional networks and forums
Internal company communications
Podcasts and YouTube videos
4.
How do you keep your skills current with industry trends? (z) (Check all that apply)
External training or certification programs
Internal mentoring/training programs and on-the-job learning
In-person discussions with peers and colleagues
Industry conferences, events and user group meetings
Technical blogs and white papers
Trade publications
Key influencers, vendors or communities on social platforms and websites
Open-source mainframe projects or collaboration forums
Podcasts, video tutorials and webinars
Generative AI tools
*
5.
Of the following technologies, which do you think will be the most important to understand in the next five to 10 years? (pick up to three)
(Required.)
Agentic AI architecture
AI code assistants and AI-powered integrated development environments (IDEs)
AIOps (for management and security)
Hybrid cloud automation
Quantum computing
Containerization and Kubernetes
Edge computing and IoT (internet of things)
Open source
Other (please specify)