Rick Tetstall:
IBM Mainframe Competition 2nd stage winner
The winner of IBM Mainframe '2nd. stage' Competition
Rick Tetstall, one of our second year students, recently won the second round of the IBM Student Mainframe Competition.
The competition introduces students to the technology behind some of the most powerful machines in computing, and saw a number of Manchester students (pictured) successfully completing the first round of the competition.
Rick went a step further that most and completed a number of extensive system programming tasks. He was one of only 25 second round winners, and picked a Sony PSP for his efforts!
Competitions Details:
Part 1: Breaking the ice
IBM provides extensive screen shots and direction, guiding students along and telling them exactly what they need to do. This part of the contest is designed to get students comfortable with navigating the mainframe user interface, as well as to introduce them to some basic mainframe concepts. The first 200 students to successfully complete this section will receive IBM Mainframe t-shirts.
Part 2: Practical experience
This section will require considerably more work from contestants. Using the skills they learned in Part 1, they will perform some more extensive systems programmer-type tasks. The first 25 students to successfully complete this section will receive a Sony PSP.
Part 3: Real-world challenge
This section is very challenging, and will require extensive work from the student over a number of weeks. The top three students in this section will receive Lenovo ThinkPad, plus a visit to IBM Hursley, Winchester.
More information on Mainframe technology and future competitions is available at: