DEV Community: El Retro

💬 IBM Z: Community, Collaboration & Growth

El Retro — Tue, 19 Aug 2025 18:45:00 +0000

This Monday, I joined one of the most enriching sessions of the IBM Z Student Ambassador Program, hosted by Sena in collaboration with IBM and Your Big Year®. More than just a networking event, it was a clear example of how a well-structured community can drive both technical and personal growth for its members.

Sena opened the session by sharing strategies for building genuine connections, emphasizing that networking isn’t just about exchanging contacts — it’s about creating relationships that deliver long-term value. She highlighted preparation, curiosity, and active participation as essential pillars for integrating into any professional environment, whether in person or online.

Then, Ramana Sree, IBM Champion 2025, offered an inspiring perspective on the role communities like IBM Z play in shaping talent. She stressed the importance of Student Ambassadors not only engaging in the sharing of technical knowledge, but also fostering inclusion and organizing activities that strengthen connections among students, professionals, and mainframe enthusiasts. Thank you, Ramana, for your inspiration and for being such a shining example of how leadership, technical expertise, and community spirit can come together to create real impact. 💗

This blend of technical learning, event organization, and active social engagement is what makes IBM Z more than just a program — it’s a living network where every member can contribute, learn, and lead.

For me, this session was a reminder that true visibility in tech doesn’t just come from what you know, but from how you share it and how you connect others so they can grow with you.

💡 If you’re curious about this ecosystem, Z Xplore is an excellent first step: https://ibm.biz/refer-zxp

🚀 Turning Cybersecurity Into a Career Opportunity 🚀

El Retro — Sun, 17 Aug 2025 18:36:00 +0000

In the world of business computing, few areas are as critical — and yet as overlooked — as mainframe security. Platforms like IBM zSystems still power banking, retail, logistics, and countless industries… but the talent pool to protect them is far too small.
As an IBM Z Student Ambassador Program and part of Your Big Year®, I’m passionate about turning learning into career-shaping opportunities. That’s why I’m excited to share the hashtag#IBM Z Xplore Security Challenges — a free, hands-on learning path from IBM where you can build real skills in securing the systems that keep the global economy running.
Here’s what makes it unique:
💻 Access to a real z/OS mainframe environment (no simulators)
🛡 Practical security labs covering RACF, JCL, encryption, and system hardening
🌍 A global IBM Z learner community with discussion forums and mentoring
📚 Digital IBM badges to showcase your expertise to employers
And the best part? IBM Z Xplore is open to students, professionals, and career changers alike — no prior mainframe experience required. It’s a direct path to IBM-recognized credentials that can launch or accelerate your career in mainframe cybersecurity.
If you’re passionate about tech, cybersecurity, or computing for business, this is your chance to gain skills that connect security expertise with the critical systems powering the world.
With Your Big Year and IBM, we’re on a mission to ensure the next generation of talent can learn, grow, and thrive in industries where expertise is needed now.
💡 Mainframes aren’t a thing of the past — they’re the invisible backbone of the digital economy. And you could be the one to protect them.

🚀 Thrilled to kick off my SECOND year as an IBM Z Student Ambassador!

El Retro — Sat, 16 Aug 2025 06:40:00 +0000

💡 During my first year in the program, I worked passionately to spread the power of mainframe technology: hosting workshops, watch parties, promoting hashtag#IBM Z Xplore, and inspiring fellow students to get involved. It was an incredible journey filled with learning, networking, and true leadership.
🌍 This global program led by IBM Z Student Ambassador Program and Your Big Year®, is all about empowering students who are passionate about technology, leadership, and enterprise computing. Through it, I earned IBM Z digital badges, gained access to exclusive technical training, connected with inspiring mentors, and even launched a mainframe-focused community on my campus.
🔐 As a computer engineering student, I’ve seen firsthand how IBM Z powers the world every day, from ATM transactions to airline bookings and online shopping. My first year confirmed there’s a whole universe of possibilities in mission critical computing.
👨‍💻 Now, stepping into my second year, I’m ready to lead new initiatives: running semesterly workshops, amplifying the program online, engaging more students in IBM Z Xplore, and continuing to grow our campus mainframe community.
🙌 Huge thanks to IBM, IBM Z Student Ambassador Program and Your Big Year® for believing in me and giving me the chance to keep being a voice for IBM Z among my peers. Here’s to another year of innovation, impact, and tech for good!

⚡ Faster Than Light From Idea to Impact with AI in Z Xplore ⚡

El Retro — Thu, 14 Aug 2025 17:33:29 +0000

IBM watsonx.ai has just added gpt-oss to its ecosystem… and with Z Xplore, the opportunity to test, adapt, and deploy it arrived at record speed.
Imagine being able to experiment, customize, and launch world-class AI models… in your own environment, with full control and no creative limits.

👨‍💻 As an ambassador and member of the Your Big Year program, I am committed to sharing and amplifying these advancements connecting people, ideas, and opportunities to inspire global innovation in AI.

With Z Xplore, I’ve experienced exactly that
💡 Run open models like gpt-oss-120B on enterprise-grade infrastructure.
⚡ Tailor them for industries like healthcare, finance, legal, or customer service.
🔄 Integrate them into real workflows, accelerating the journey from idea to business value.
This is not just technology.
It’s the freedom to experiment, the agility of a lab, and the strength of enterprise computing in one place.
Hybrid AI (open + closed) is no longer a trend — it’s the new normal. And Z Xplore is the bridge that connects limitless innovation with the security and performance enterprises demand.
🚀 Test. Tune. Launch. The future of AI is being built here… and now, faster than ever.

Learn more at the announcement Read more about this wonderful announcement here: https://lnkd.in/dFJ_qKhQ

Más que una Tendencia, una Revolución

El Retro — Sun, 03 Aug 2025 21:23:53 +0000

a inteligencia artificial (IA) ha dejado de ser una promesa futurista para convertirse en una realidad cotidiana. Desde asistentes virtuales hasta algoritmos de recomendación, modelos de visión computacional y agentes generativos como ChatGPT o Claude, la IA está transformando industrias enteras y redefiniendo cómo interactuamos con la tecnología.

🧠 ¿Qué es exactamente la IA?
A grandes rasgos, la inteligencia artificial es la capacidad de una máquina para imitar funciones cognitivas humanas como el aprendizaje, el razonamiento, la percepción y la toma de decisiones. Existen diversas ramas dentro de este campo, como:

Machine Learning (ML): Enseñar a una máquina a partir de datos.

Deep Learning: Redes neuronales profundas que pueden reconocer patrones complejos.

Procesamiento de Lenguaje Natural (NLP): Entender y generar lenguaje humano.

Visión por Computadora: Interpretar imágenes o video en tiempo real.

IA Generativa: Crear contenido como texto, imágenes, música o código.

🔍 ¿Por qué importa tanto?
Lo impresionante de la IA no es solo lo que puede hacer hoy, sino su capacidad de aprender, escalar y adaptarse. Por ejemplo:

En salud, ayuda en diagnósticos tempranos.

En educación, personaliza el aprendizaje.

En desarrollo, acelera la escritura de código y pruebas automatizadas.

En arte, colabora con creadores para generar nuevas formas de expresión.

💡 Reflexión personal
Como estudiante investigador, he podido explorar aplicaciones de IA tanto en robótica como en visión computacional, y puedo decir que estamos apenas rascando la superficie. Hoy más que nunca, aprender sobre inteligencia artificial no es una opción, es una ventaja estratégica para cualquier persona involucrada en tecnología.

✨ ¿Y tú?
¿Estás trabajando con IA? ¿Te gustaría aprender más o colaborar en proyectos? ¡Comenta abajo o mándame un mensaje! La comunidad crece compartiendo