Open Mainframe Project Announces Zowe’s LTS V3 Release Designed for Mission-Critical Applications and Data Processing

Zowe increases product durability, stability and security with the support of a large

open source community and a Conformance Program

SAN FRANCISCO – October 3, 2024 – The Open Mainframe Project, an open source initiative that enables collaboration across the mainframe community to develop shared tool sets and resources, announced the launch of Zowe’s Long Term Support (LTS) V3 Release. Zowe, an open source software framework for the mainframe that strengthens integration with modern enterprise processes & tools, offers vendors and customers the ability to execute on modernization initiatives with stability, security, interoperability as well as easy installation and a continuous delivery model for receiving upgraded features.

According to the Arcati Mainframe Yearbook 2024, the independent annual guide for users of mainframe systems, 85% of mainframe organizations will be adopting Zowe by the end of the year or have already adopted it into their modern enterprise solutions.

“The continued success of Zowe as a community-driven project highlights the importance of the mainframe as an open platform supporting hybrid cloud architectures,” said George Decandio, chief technology officer, Mainframe Software Division, Broadcom. “The latest V3 release introduces new components that expand capabilities to client SDKs and additional IDEs, reflecting Zowe’s ongoing evolution to meet the needs of the mainframe ecosystem. Notably, this update enhances the Zowe API Mediation Layer, a key component our customers view as essential in transforming the role of the mainframe in their multi-platform environments.”

“Zowe’s progress underscores a broader commitment to open, interoperable standards, enabling organizations to maximize the value of their mainframe and IT infrastructure investments,” said Decandio. “Broadcom is proud to be a leading contributor to this community and is committed to supporting the project's continued growth.”

Zowe, the integrated and extensible open source framework for z/OS, comes with a core set of applications out of the box in combination with the APIs and OS capabilities future applications will depend on. It offers modern interfaces to interact with z/OS and allows you to work with z/OS in a way that is similar to what you experience on cloud platforms today. Developers can use these interfaces as delivered or through plug-ins and extensions that are created by clients or third-party vendors. For example, Zowe V3 offers new support for the IntelliJ Zowe Explorer plugin as well as the simplified install wizard.

Some of the benefits of the LTS V3 include:

• Durability: A refreshed number of core components that make up the software stack to give a secure stable shelf life, which ensures years of use with continued updates and support.
• Stability: The installation and configuration have been stabilized through V3. Organizations can confidently adopt the technology for enterprise use and upgrade when appropriate for their environment, minimizing the risk of disruption.
• Enhanced Security: An enhanced security posture by actively monitoring dependencies and upgrading them proactively. This helps mitigate risks associated with outdated or vulnerable dependencies, offering more robust security features compared to earlier versions​. 

“Zowe V3 is the culmination of five years of work by volunteers from around the world,” said Bruce Armstrong, IBM Z Principal Product Manager at IBM and member of the Zowe Advisory Council (ZAC). “I am particularly proud of the fact that Zowe has revolutionized access to z/OS-based services for thousands of next-generation developers and system programmers that will continue the platform’s success for decades to come.”

“Rocket Software is a proud founding contributor of Zowe,” said Tim Willging, Fellow and VP of Software Engineering at Rocket Software. “It’s been incredible to see the success and passion of the open source community in supporting hybrid cloud initiatives. The expanded capabilities in the V3 release will help accelerate an organization's modernization journey and provide them with enhanced security, maintainability, and scalability needed to match their customers' needs—now and in the future.”

Community Leadership

Zowe is a contributor-led community with participating vendors such as, but are not limited to, Broadcom, IBM, Phoenix Software, Rocket Software, and Vicom Infinity. As a result of their extensive collaboration, the following Zowe extensions have been transformed in Zowe V3:

• Explorer for Intellij provides the developers within the IntelliJ IDEs with the capability to work with the z/OS platform.
• Kotlin and Java SDKs are Generally Available Extensions simplifying interaction with z/OS from the Java and Kotlin applications.
• The IMS service and the current CLI extensions are archived. IBM is working on replacements. 

The Zowe Conformance Program is Updated with LTS V3 Guidelines

Aimed to build a vendor-neutral ecosystem around Zowe, Open Mainframe Project’s Zowe Conformance Program launched in 2019. The program has helped Open Mainframe Project members incorporate Zowe with new and existing products that enable integration of mainframe applications and data across the enterprise.

To date, 77 products have implemented extensions based on the Zowe framework and earned these members conformance badges.

Zowe will also be featured in several sessions at Community Day at IBM’s TechXchange on Monday, October 21. Check out Open Mainframe Project’s complete schedule here.

Additional Resources:

• Zowe GitHub Repository
• Zowe Community Website
• Getting Started documentation site
• Open Mainframe Project’s I am a Mainframer Podcast

About the Open Mainframe Project

The Open Mainframe Project is intended to serve as a focal point for deployment and use of Linux and Open Source in a mainframe computing environment. With a vision of Open Source on the Mainframe as the standard for enterprise class systems and applications, the project’s mission is to Build community and adoption of Open Source on the mainframe by eliminating barriers to Open Source adoption on the mainframe, demonstrating value of the mainframe on technical and business levels, and strengthening collaboration points and resources for the community to thrive. Learn more about the project at https://www.openmainframeproject.org.