TCM prepares; Modernization, DORA and much more!

When it comes to access to skilled staff, knowledgeable in major issues of the day, TCM can deliver

What do we mean by modernization today? Why is it that we are always looking for modern solutions? Has it to do with a generational transition in that what our forefathers did no longer fits with how we view the world? Are what they experienced no longer relevant? Or is it simply a natural response to the coming-of-age of a younger generation?

It has always proved challenging for IT whenever this topic is raised. Those in senior roles draw from their collective experiences even as the generation or two behind them have just come out of educational institutions promoting a whole new way to look at IT. Clashes inevitably happen, but over time what is new in turn becomes institutionalized and in relative short order, itself becomes legacy.

Whether we long for the return to the age of art deco simply because of its beauty or to mid-century modern because of its classical interpretation of design, there are advocates to be found around every corner. However, IT is unlike any other profession as there simply is no yearning for the past. A return to paper tape transmissions? To punch card decks and even acoustic couplers are the fodder for technology museums and nothing more.

For the NonStop community, 2024 was a year of celebration as NonStop turned fifty. At a number of events, rooms were set aside as museums with tables adorned with collectables spanning the five decades. While it was a reminder of where we came from even as it brought smiles to many faces, it didn’t hold the attention of the viewer for all that long. Attendees of these events were quickly turning their attention to sessions taking place on what NonStop had become and where it was headed. 2024 was a time for nostalgia but 2025, it’s going to be transformational year with new hardware, new software and operational options and even an acceleration in solution offerings for industry at large.

This year has seen further growth in regional NonStop community events. In the UK there was a successful BITUG program with both the BITUG Big SIG (June) and BITUG Little SIG (November) well attended. Canada and LATAM regions were once again actively engaging with the NonStop community as was Australia with events in Sydney and Melbourne. And of course, there was the big one, the NonStop TBC Conference 2024. TBCs have always proved to be the highlight of the year for many within the NonStop community.

But let’s take a closer look at the big one for TCM. This year’s eGTUG / IT Symposium held in Berlin may still be talked about however, it’s now time to look ahead to E-BITUG, Dublin 2024. Considered by everyone at TCM as being held on home turf if for no other reason than our shared passion for golf and whisky, Dublin as, indeed Edinburgh has demonstrated in the past, promises to be transformational in that all that was covered in 2024 (as far as what product roadmaps promise), will be entering early adoptions and advanced Beta-testing. “Nostalgia for the past fifty years of Tandem Computers is all well and good,” said Andy TCM’s Andy Vasey, “but seeing the continued modernization of NonStop is sure to galvanize the community in support of what TCM views as the major continental event of 2025.”

It at these events that TCM promotes its own path to modernization. A path that has evolved with time as experience continues to develop. Gaining this experience has been an investment that TCM has not shied away from funding and already results are beginning to appear. There is nothing better than to talk to those who have gone before and with the tools and services familiar to those just leaving educational institutions gaining momentum, not even the most jaded of NonStop professionals are prepared to ignore the contribution to productivity this modernization movement represents.

Helping to shine a brighter spotlight on the value TCM can bring to any NonStop customer has been the support we have received from the NonStop community for our InSight product. More than an initiative, it has proved to be a real product that provides a very broad-brush picture of what any given NonStop system is delivering. Operationally, there are many ways to improve the overall performance of a NonStop systems and with InSight, TCM can quickly identify possible problem areas and instigate corrective steps that can be taken.

Initially a tool for the TCM consultants, the acceptance of this tool as a product has gone a long way to helping these TCM consultants advise a large number of customers on how best hey can improve their NonStop systems. It’s only a matter of time before the simple traffic light indicators turning from green to yellow to red become a well-recognized way to comprehend the results of actions taken over time. Perhaps not so much an indication of legacy or worse, of antiquity, but rather a gentle reminder that any path to modernization needs to take that first step and with InSight, this is exactly the intention of productizing a tool TCM consultants have depended on for quite some time.

“When we look at application modernization, our own path here at TCM has led us to developing and testing a number of opensource tools that contribute to true modernization of NonStop applications developers. These have been central to the presentations given at events in 2024 where TCM’s Shiva Subramanian has been at the forefront in their promotion. And we expect to hear even more from Shiva in 2025,” said Andy Vasey.

“What is becoming more obvious and placing more urgency on modernization has been our observation that there is a growing shortage of experienced and knowledgeable people waiting in the ranks to step in to fill positions vacated by those entering retirement. It’s a real problem but we have witnessed some success as we show NonStop customers how they can now employ developers straight out of educational institutions and have them using the same tools on NonStop that have traditionally been the domain of Linux developers.”

Looming large is the January 17, 2025 deadline for European implementation of the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA). While this entered into force back on January 16, 2023 it will be applicable to all NonStop customers in the financial sector. This is a sizable market for NonStop and the presence of NonStop among the biggest financial institutions in Europe represent an opportunity for TCM. Working with HPE and the NonStop team, we have worked on solutions that both meet regulatory requirements and are meeting the needs of our NonStop customers.

What will be noticeable among NonStop community members will be our presence at events worldwide in 2025. You will of course see us at the major European events – E-BITUG, Dublin is already looming large, as noted and will be huge for TCM this year, as is NonStop TBC 2025, Houston, Texas. However, expect to see us at Australian, Canadian and LATAM events even as we will continue to support major US events in particular, the first such event of the year at SunTUG, Tampa, Florida. These are all in the planning stage so make sure you keep watching for updates on social media platforms as well as the Connect website.

Once again, should you be considering turning to TCM for your next project then at TCM, we can always be found providing the optimum balance between timeliness and functionality. We look forward to hearing from you if modernization is a topic you would like to discuss. And yes, we will be repeating this throughout the year; consider this your notice to come see us in Dublin and Houston in 2025.

nonstop@tcm.uk.com   www.tcm.uk.com