IBM are one of the great manufacturers of computers. Early this month, I have read about IBM’s Roadrunner, judged to be the world’s fastest computer…

which provides more than 1 quadrillion calculations a second for nuclear security and scientific research at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. The supercomputer also was found to be one of the most energy-efficient systems. - www.informationweek.com

IBM’s Roadrunner is a hybrid computer, but z Series system is also a powerful line of machine which introduced 64-bit computing into the mainframe world. IBM’s z Series which uses the newly-designed z/Architecture have a performance more than twice of the previous models.

If you would like to know more on IBM System z there’s an upcoming expo which features z/OS, z/VM, z/VSE, Linux on System z and more. The conference offers a wealth of knowledge and resources for any IT professional like Systems administrators and programmers, Application programmers, IT architects and managers, and other IT professionals.

The expo is geared towards learning how an IBM System z10 Enterprise Class server provides lower total cost of ownership, reduced energy consumption, improved security and more. The following details for the IBM System z Expo 2008 are as follows:

IBM System z Expo 2008
October 13-17, Las Vegas, Nevada

Topics covered in more than 300 sessions include:
• IBM System z10 Enterprise Class server
• IBM z/OS® V1.10 preview, z/OS V1.9 migration and new features
• IBM z/VM® V5.3 enhancements
• IBM z/VSE™ V4 refinements
• Linux on System z developments
• IBM WebSphere® Application Server for z/OS implementations
• IBM WebSphere® MQ, DB2, CICS® and IMS support
• The latest functions in IBM GDPS® and IBM Parallel Sysplex® support
• Service oriented architecture (SOA) and the System z platform
• Specialty engines including zIIP, zAAP and IFL
• IBM System z security
• System z technology and the green data center

source: http://ibm.com/training/us/conf/systemz

The expo is a five day event and if you’re coming from a distant city maybe you could move around during the week after the conference or extend your stay for a couple of days for some Las Vegas vacations. A mix of learning and relaxation.