The IBM Z Deep Dive Series is a monthly, practitioner-focused technical webinar series designed to help professionals deepen their expertise in IBM Z technologies. Each session focuses on a specific technology topic and brings together subject matter experts through engaging and interactive discussions.
I recently attended the IBM Z Deep Dive – LinuxONE & Digital Assets session and wanted to share my key takeaways, insights, and how I plan to apply what I learned.
Why I Joined This Session
As Senior Manager Legal Affairs at Beta Systems Software, I work at the intersection of technology, governance, compliance, and strategic partnerships. In this role, topics such as digital sovereignty, confidential computing, cyber resilience, and regulatory requirements are becoming increasingly relevant—not only from a legal perspective, but also as strategic differentiators for enterprise customers.
I joined this Deep Dive because the agenda aligned closely with my professional interests in secure enterprise infrastructure, trusted digital assets, and the future of sovereign IT. I was particularly interested in understanding how IBM LinuxONE combines hardware-based security with operational efficiency, and how these capabilities support organizations operating in highly regulated industries.
Beyond the technical content, I also valued the opportunity to hear real-world experiences from IBM experts and members of the IBM Z community while learning about emerging trends around confidential computing and enterprise security.
Key Highlights
Highlight #1: LinuxONE: Innovating for a Sovereign Future
As organizations navigate increasing demands around security, sovereignty, AI, and digital assets, infrastructure choices matter more than ever. This keynote explored how LinuxONE provides a foundation for trusted, resilient, and future-ready operations in an increasingly complex digital landscape.
Highlight #2: Digital Assets at Scale: Recent Developments and Secure Enterprise Operations
Digital assets are rapidly evolving from emerging technology to core financial infrastructure. Prof. Dr. Co-Pierre Georg provided an overview of the latest developments in digital assets, including tokenization, stablecoins, digital money, regulatory evolution, & the growing role of blockchain-based financial infrastructure. Building on these insights, Florian Nöll (IBM) demonstrated how organizations can securely operationalize digital assets using IBM Digital Asset Haven, enabling custody, governance, transaction management, & tokenization across multiple blockchain networks.
Highlight #3: From Infrastructure to Innovation: The LinuxONE Advantage
This session brought the conversation back to the bigger picture—exploring how LinuxONE helps organizations address security, efficiency, AI, and digital asset challenges while building a foundation for future innovation.
Technical Deep Dive
Several technical concepts stood out throughout the event: IBM Secure Execution for Linux Deep Dive
This presentations introduced the concept of confidential computing and presented IBM Secure Execution for Linux (SEL) the Confidential Computing technology of IBM Z and LinuxONE. The presentation explaieds in depth the security features of the SEL technology and how an SEL guest can be prepared and started. Finally, the presentation explores how SEL features introduced with the last two IBM Z and LinuxONE generations can be used to let a tenant take owner ship over an SEL guest started from a generic SEL boot image.
What I Plan to Apply
One idea that particularly resonated with me was the concept that security and sovereignty should be designed into the infrastructure from the beginning rather than added later through software controls.
I especially appreciated learning how confidential computing, enterprise secrets management, and hardware-backed cryptography complement governance and compliance requirements. These insights are highly relevant when discussing secure digital transformation with customers, partners, and stakeholders.
Following this Deep Dive, I plan to explore the evolving role of confidential computing, digital asset security, and post-quantum cryptography in enterprise environments. I am also interested in further understanding how these technologies support organizations that operate under increasingly demanding regulatory and cybersecurity requirements.
Community Experience
One of the most valuable aspects of the IBM Z Deep Dive Series is the opportunity to engage with professionals who approach similar challenges from different technical and business perspectives.
The live discussions and Q&A sessions demonstrated how broad the LinuxONE ecosystem has become, covering infrastructure architects, developers, security specialists, business leaders, and technology partners. The questions raised during the event highlighted practical implementation considerations that extended beyond the presentations themselves.
The session also reinforced the strength of the IBM Z community, where knowledge sharing and collaboration continue to drive innovation across industries. Earning the IBM Z Deep Dive badge was an additional recognition of the learning experience and technical knowledge gained during the event.
Looking Ahead
I'm looking forward to the next IBM Z Deep Dive session on Transactional AI on Z and continuing to expand my understanding of how trusted infrastructure, AI, security, and enterprise modernization continue to evolve together.