Hello BMC Community! 👋 

The 2025 BMC Mainframe Survey results are in, with 1,100+ voices contributing! Now in its 20th year of gathering insights from the mainframe community, the survey highlights how enterprises are modernizing their mainframes and embracing AI. Whether you’re a seasoned mainframe professional or exploring modernization trends, here’s a quick snapshot of the insights that matter most. 

🔍 Key Insights from the Survey 

 1. Perception of the Platform Is at an All-Time High 

Ninety-seven percent of survey respondents view the mainframe as a long-term platform or platform for new workloads, the highest percentage in the 20-year history of the BMC Mainframe Survey. 

2. AI & GenAI Adoption is Accelerating 

Organizations are already leveraging Generative AI (GenAI) on mainframes. AI is moving from just alerting teams to recommending and even automating tasks like backups and resource allocation. 

3. AIOps An Increasing Priority 

Compliance, security, and cost optimization remain important, but AIOps is emerging as a top focus. Survey respondents rank implementation of GenAI solutions as the most important AIOps capability. 

4. The Workforce is Evolving 

The mainframe world is seeing a generational shift. Gen Z and Millennials now make up more than half of mainframe professionals, bringing fresh perspectives, digital-native skills, and a strong push for modernization. 

5. The Value of Mainframe Modernization 

Modernizing mainframe environments isn’t just a strategy—it brings real benefits. Organizations that modernize see higher developer productivity, faster development cycles, and more reliable service. These improvements help teams work more efficiently, reduce project costs, and stay competitive in today’s digital world. 

🌟 Why This Matters to You 

The mainframe is no longer just a foundational platform—it is a modern hub for AI, automation, and innovation. For community members, this means opportunities to explore new tools, collaborate on modernization initiatives, and learn from peers driving AI-enabled operations in real-world environments. 

💬 Join the Conversation! 

• Are you already using AI or AIOps in your mainframe environment? 
• Which modernization strategies are you exploring? 
• Any challenges or success stories you want to share? 

Share it in the comments & let’s learn from each other’s experiences and celebrate 20 years of mainframe insights! 

Upgrading BMC Helix isn’t just about staying on the latest version, it’s an essential part of IT lifecycle management. Regular upgrades help organizations enhance security, adopt innovation, and maintain a seamless service management experience.

Why Upgrading BMC Helix Matters?

• Strengthened Security: Each upgrade delivers security patches and updates that safeguard your environment against evolving cyber threats.
• Access to Innovation: New features in every release bring advancements in service management, workflow automation, and AI-driven insights.
• Improved Performance: System optimizations provide faster response times, higher reliability, and smoother user experiences.
• Regulatory Compliance: Staying current ensures compliance with frameworks that mandate supported software versions.
• Continued Vendor Support: BMC supports only current and recent versions. Running outdated versions could leave you without help during critical incidents

What’s included in this BMC update?

BMC performs a service update to the following services so that you can access the latest features and fixes:

• IT Service Management
• IT Operations Management
• Common Services

Types of BMC Helix Releases

1) Major Version Releases (e.g., 25.1, 25.2)

• Frequency: 2–3 times per year (quarterly cadence).
• Scope: Significant new features, UI changes, and functionality.
• Customer Impact: Requires testing, validation, and sometimes user training.

2) Minor Version / Feature Updates (e.g., 25.1.1, 25.1.02)

• Frequency: Twice per quarter.
• Scope: Incremental improvements, bug fixes, and minor enhancements.
• Customer Impact: Minimal disruption; usually no reconfiguration is needed.

3) Hot Fixes / Security Patches (e.g., 25.1.1.001)

• Frequency: On demand, no fixed cadence.
• Scope: Critical fixes for specific customer issues or vulnerabilities.
• Customer Impact: Applied as needed with little to no end-user disruption.

Types of Service Updates

Upgrade

• A major change involving new features, significant performance improvements, or a redesign.
• Moves you from one major version to another (e.g., 2.0 → 3.0).
• May not be backward-compatible, requiring planning, testing, and resources.

Update

• A smaller, incremental change such as patches, bug fixes, or minor enhancements.
• Typically, backward-compatible and more frequent.
• Critical for stability, performance, and security.

 Within the upgrade category, BMC follows a Push Upgrade Model.

Push Upgrade Explained

A push upgrade means the new version is automatically delivered to your environment by BMC—no manual installation is required. Customers only need to validate and test their environments after the upgrade.

Upgrade Notifications

Upgrade notifications keep users informed about the latest system or application updates. They highlight new features, security enhancements, and performance improvements. Timely alerts ensure users can plan and adopt upgrades smoothly without service disruption.

Outlined below is BMC’s approach to scheduling upgrade notifications.

Pre-Upgrade Notifications

1. 30 Days in Advance – Initial notification with schedule details.
2. 10 Days in Advance – Reminder if no response is received.

In-Progress Notifications (5 stages)

• Start Notification
• Milestone 1: Platform Update Completed
• Milestone 2: ITSM Applications Completed
• Milestone 3: SmartApps Completed
• Final Completion Notification

Each notification includes the schedule, upgrade progress, and highlights of the release.

Customer Responsibilities

While BMC manages the entire upgrade process, customers are responsible for:

• Testing each environment after it has been upgraded.
• Raising a standard support ticket for any issues identified during testing.

We have put together a Handy Guide of resource links to support you. Sharing below some useful documents for reference 

• Service Update Subscriber docs
• FAQ Service Update
• Zero Downtime Limitations & Cautions
• Maintaining Customer Contact Lists.

For any questions or extra support, feel free to reach out to your Customer Success Manager ot email [email protected]

One of the things that makes the BMC Community so special is the way members come together to share knowledge, solve problems, and support one another. Every question answered helps someone move forward—and that’s the true power of community. 

Today, we’re excited to shine a spotlight on the Top 7 contributors who provided Best Answers recently! These members went above and beyond to share their expertise and guide others with clarity, detail, and accuracy. 👏 

🏅 Our Top 7 Best Answer Contributors 

1. GEORGE LAU

🔗 Why does an OS job not resolve Folder-level variables inside the Embedded Script, but the same variables get resolved correctly when used in the Command field ? - Discussion - BMC Community

2. Marek Ceizel

🔗 Can you add multiple attachments from seperate questions in the workflow to an Incident? - Discussion - BMC Community

3. Mahamadou Traore

🔗 How to check if Approval was Reassigned - Discussion - BMC Community

4. Patrick Halet

🔗 For Client Management Operational Rule error codes, is there a master list of errors and what they mean? - Discussion - BMC Community

5. Sudhakaran Krishnaprasad

🔗 I have a job that moves a file with the path "RPA\%%$ODATE.\". When there is no file on the day, the task ends with code 1 because the folder with the date was not created. How can I work around this so that the job doesn't end with an error in this case? - Discussion - BMC Community

6. Dnyaneshwar Nanaware

🔗 How to create Navigation Menu list? - Discussion - BMC Community

7. Melvin Abraham

🔗 Seeing changing values for Server Host Name when running ag_diag_comm - Discussion - BMC Community

🌟 Each of these members has demonstrated what the BMC Community spirit is all about—sharing knowledge, supporting peers, and helping everyone succeed. 

Let’s celebrate their contributions and keep the momentum going ! The more you participate, the more impact you create and who knows, you might be featured in our next Best Answers Spotlight! 

💬 Have a question or an insight to share? Jump into the discussions, and you might be our next community hero. 

At BMC, our community is more than just a space for questions and answers—it’s a place where knowledge is shared, connections are built, and innovation takes shape. None of this would be possible without the passion, dedication, and expertise of our active contributors.

🌟 Why this matters

Every blog post, discussion, solution, and idea shared moves us forward as a collective. Our contributors help peers troubleshoot, provide fresh perspectives, and make the BMC Community a trusted destination for learning and collaboration.

👏 Meet the Top 5 Contributors

Here are this month's champions who’ve been actively engaging, sharing insights, and helping others succeed:

• Abdul Moid Mohammed
• Feli Brachthäuser
• samy velu
• Ariel Manka
• Marek Ceizel

🗓️ Every month, we’ spotlight the contributors who go above and beyond in driving conversations and sharing knowledge across the community. Let’s keep the momentum going strong in October!

Together, we make BMC Community stronger. Join us in congratulating this month’s contributors in the comments below 👇

Automate your Service Management and Business Workflows with the HelixGPT-powered Service Collaborator Agent!

BMC HelixGPT 25.x: Fundamentals Using (WBT) course

Course Duration: 1 hour

Languages : English, French, French (CA), Italian, German, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Portuguese (BR), Spanish

Service agents, service desk managers, case agents, and case business analysts can find AI-generated answers to their queries in a conversational language from the Chat panel or Ask HelixGPT tab in the ticket or case console. It also facilitates agent assist, auto email responses, intelligent routing and categorization, smart resolution, and summarization to improve response times and reduce dependency. BMC HelixGPT powers the Service Collaborator and can be accessed on all devices, such as desktops, tablets, and mobile devices.

This course combines descriptions of various concepts, features, and multiple demonstrations to guide end users through the use cases of Service Collaborator in BMC Helix ITSM and BMC Helix Business Workflows. This course is now available in multiple languages, designed to make learning globally accessible!

Course Registration Link

Course Abstract

For any additional details, post a comment, or contact us at [email protected]. We will be happy to help you!

Customer expectations are evolving, and so are we. At BMC, our focus has always been on helping customers realize value faster, and with Succedo, our new AI assistant for Customer Success, we’re taking that commitment forward. 

Succedo is built to simplify the way we work together—removing complexity, accelerating outcomes, and ensuring that every step of your journey with us is clear and impactful. 

How Succedo Helps You Succeed:

• Value visibility: Generate summaries that highlight results delivered. 
• Personalized learning: Recommend resources tailored to your needs. 
• Smarter insights: Analyze sentiment to better understand customer priorities. 
• Efficiency: Faster search and backlog prioritization to keep progress on track. 

Helping You Achieve More 

By reducing manual effort and providing meaningful insights, Succedo makes interactions with BMC more seamless, transparent, and outcome driven. It’s about enabling faster decisions, sharper focus, and stronger results. 

This is just the beginning. With ongoing enhancements, Succedo will continue to evolve—making Customer Success more efficient and value-focused for every customer. 

Join the Conversation! 

How Has AI Helped You in Your Success Journey? 

We know AI is transforming the way we work, but every experience is unique. We’d love to hear from you. How has AI helped you achieve better outcomes, make decisions faster, or simplify your work? Share your insights, stories, or tips in comments so we can all learn from each other and grow together as a community.