International User Group (IUG) Conference 2026
June 16-18 I Munich, Germany
Welcome to the IUG Conference 2026!
We’re excited to welcome you to this year’s IUG Conference. This mobile event site is your go-to resource for the latest agenda updates, evening program details, venue information, access to our WhatsApp Community and more.
If you have any questions before the event, please contact us at iug@softwareag.com. During the conference, our team will be happy to assist you at the IUG Information Desk in the Maritim Hotel from June 16–18.
Quick Links:
WhatsApp Community
Please join our IUG WhatsApp Community to stay connected, ask questions and share impressions of your time at the event.
Agenda
* Please note that agenda is subject to change.
Tuesday, June 16
Click on the agenda items to reveal more details 👇
9.00-12.00: DACH User Group Meetup
đź“ŤRoom “MĂĽnchen”
German-speaking customers only: Start IUG by meeting peers from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Get the latest regional updates, hear local customer stories and exchange practical insights in a focused, collaborative setting. Connect with your DACH community and grow your network before the conference begins.
12.00 – 1.00 pm: Lunch
đź“ŤHotel Restaurant
1.00 – 5.00 pm: Innovation Labs
Our Innovation Labs give you exclusive hands-on access to future versions before release. Guided by an expert, you can explore new features, test cutting-edge functionality, and share your feedback directly with product development.
Please note that separate registration was required, and all registered participants have received a confirmation email and calendar invite with their individual pre-conference schedule.
Innovation Labs Track 1
đź“ŤRoom “Darmstadt”
- 1.00 – 1.45 pm: Try the Natural AI Code Assist (Round 1)
- 2.00 – 2.45 pm: Try the Natural AI Code Assist (Round 2)
- 3.15 – 4.00 pm: Unlock Adabas data for AI with CONNX
- 4.15 – 5.00 pm: Natural Messaging in action on z/OS
Innovation Labs Track 2
đź“ŤRoom “Mannheim”
- 1.00 – 1.45 pm: Experience the future of Natural powered by OpenAPI (Round 1)
- 2.00 – 2.45 pm: Experience the future of Natural powered by OpenAPI (Round 1)
- 3.15 – 4.00 pm: Hands-on Natural development in Visual Studio Code (Round 1)
- 4.15 – 5.00 pm: Hands-on Natural development in Visual Studio Code (Round 2)
1.00 – 5.30 pm: Product Training
Boost your skills with our free product training sessions. Led by experts, these training workshops help you master our software, discover best practices, and deepen your knowledge.
Please note that separate registration was required, and all registered participants have received a confirmation email and calendar invite with their individual pre-conference schedule.
Product Training
đź“ŤRoom “WĂĽrzburg” / Level -2
- 1.00 – 2.30 pm: Unlocking the Cloud Potential of Adabas & Natural
- 3.00 – 4.00 pm: Leverage Container and Kubernetes for Adabas & Natural
- 4.15 – 5.30 pm: Natural and DevOps
5.00 – 7.00 pm: Welcome Reception
đź“ŤFoyer on Level -1
Kick off the conference by checking in, picking up your badge, and settling in. Meet fellow attendees, connect with experts, and start the conversation in a relaxed networking atmosphere.
Wednesday, June 17
Click on the agenda items to reveal more details 👇
9.00-9.20 am: Welcome
đź“ŤRoom “Stuttgart, Ulm, NĂĽrnberg”
The conference opens with Jesper Orland, President of the International User Group and Arno Theiss, General Manager Adabas & Natural, setting the direction for the days ahead. This session provides key updates from the community and leadership, along with a forward-looking perspective on priorities, innovations and what participants can expect throughout the event. A focused start designed to align the community and frame the conversations that will shape the conference.
Speakers:
- Arno Theiss, Software AG
- Jesper Orland, Adabas & Natural IUG President, Tryg
9.20-10.00 am: Driving enterprise innovation on IBM Z, Linux and Cloud
đź“ŤRoom “Stuttgart, Ulm, NĂĽrnberg”
Enterprises are accelerating digital transformation while continuing to rely on the strength, security, and scalability of IBM Z. The challenge is clear: how to innovate rapidly without disrupting mission-critical systems. See how Adabas & Natural products enable continuous innovation across IBM Z, Linux, and cloud environments by creating a unified hybrid architecture.
Speaker:
- Eli Cohen, Software AG
10.00-10.30 am: Bridging Generations: Discovering the past while preparing for the future with AI
đź“ŤRoom “Stuttgart, Ulm, NĂĽrnberg”
The team of Husbanken reflects on the partnership with Software AG that dates back to the mid-1980s and outlines their plan for the future. Learn how Husbanken addresses organizational challenges and technical debt through structured upgrades, targeted code cleanup and systematic knowledge transfer in a demanding market environment. They also provide insights into how AI is used to support code analysis, comparisons, and automated documentation – bringing new efficiency and transparency to established systems.
Speakers:
- Johan Svartdal, Husbanken
- Lars-Erik Bjørk, Husbanken
- Kristoffer Jacobsen, Husbanken
10.30 – 11.00 am: Coffee break & Networking
đź“ŤFoyer on level -1
11.00 -11.30 am: From Natural to OpenAPI: Unlock API-driven integration
đź“ŤRoom “Stuttgart, Ulm, NĂĽrnberg”
Natural applications continue to run mission-critical workloads, but modern integration demands RESTful and OpenAPI-based interfaces. Learn how Natural API Server, a significant new capability for modern Natural integration uses a lightweight architecture to expose existing Natural subprograms as REST services without changing core business logic. We will review the runtime model, deployment on z/OS and Linux & Cloud, and key architectural considerations to implement Natural API Server.
Speaker:
- Luciano Pimenta, Software AG
11.30 am-12.00 pm: Transforming customer engagement with digital products at Motus
đź“ŤRoom “Stuttgart, Ulm, NĂĽrnberg”
Speakers:
- Derrick Meyer, Motus Car Rental
- Koketso Matjila, Motus Car Rental
12.00 – 1.30 pm: Lunch
đź“ŤHotel Restaurant
1.30-2.00 pm: DDD (Domain-driven design)—Not Dungeons & Dragons
đź“ŤRoom “Stuttgart, Ulm, NĂĽrnberg”
Modernizing legacy systems isn’t about starting over. It’s about building smarter on what already exists. Domain-Driven Design helps avoid costly rip-and-replace strategies, turning established platforms into foundations for modern, scalable solutions that accelerate productivity and support long-term evolution.
Speaker:
- Trentan Healey, Department of Home Affairs Australia
2.00 -2.30 pm: What is means to modernize: Lessons from a generational transition
đź“ŤRoom “Stuttgart, Ulm, NĂĽrnberg”
At the Ministry of Food, Rural Affairs and Consumer Protection Baden-WĂĽrttemberg, agricultural policy systems are truly mission-critical, operating in a highly regulated environment where availability is non-negotiable. The Ministry is transitioning these core systems to Linux while navigating both technological and organizational change. The session explores how generational change is actively managed to ensure knowledge transfer and operational continuity, and provides an outlook on future plans. A candid look at what it takes to modernize public-sector infrastructure built to last for decades, not just the next release cycle.
Speakers:
- Daniel Schnermann, Ministry of Food, Rural Affairs and Consumer Protection Baden-WĂĽrttemberg
2.30-3.00 pm: VA DMV Workforce Evolution: Connecting the generations
đź“ŤRoom “Stuttgart, Ulm, NĂĽrnberg”
Speakers:
- Stefan Yssel, Virginia DMV
- Winston Smith, Virginia DMV
3.00 – 3.30 pm: Coffee break & Networking
đź“ŤFoyer on level -1
3.30-4.00 pm: A resilient journey to Linux for HR Rail
đź“ŤRoom “Stuttgart, Ulm, NĂĽrnberg”
This session outlines HR Rail’s phased evolution from to a resilient, DRP-compatible infrastructure on Linux. Starting with the transition in 2015, key milestones include infrastructure consolidation, major upgrades, and enhanced resilience through load balancing. Looking ahead, the session covers the next phase of DRP consolidation, including the implementation of Adabas Cluster and shared NFS workfiles, strengthening availability and ensuring operational continuity.
Speaker:
- Peter Verbeke, HR Rail
4.00-4.30 pm: Where markets never stop: Powering the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange with confidence
đź“ŤRoom “Stuttgart, Ulm, NĂĽrnberg”
The securities back office application operates in real time, without pause and without compromise. Their on-premises application, running on Linux with Adabas & Natural, delivers the reliability and performance required in a constantly moving market environment. The session explores how the platform is implemented and continuously enhanced to support more dynamic, flexible, and ad-hoc business demands. From operational stability to rapid adaptability, this is a practical look at how mission-critical systems power one of the region’s key financial institutions every day.
Speakers:
- Uri Shavit, Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange
- Hezi Shirazi, Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange
4.30-5.00 pm: Closing of Day 1 and questions
đź“ŤRoom “Stuttgart, Ulm, NĂĽrnberg”
6.30 pm – 12.30 am: Evening event
đź“ŤMeeting point: Hotel Lobby
Join us for our evening program on June 17 at the Max Emanuel Brewery in Munich. Shuttle buses will depart from in front of the Maritim Hotel lobby at 6.30 pm. Return shuttles to the Maritim Hotel will operate every 30 minutes between 10.00 pm and 12.30 am, ensuring a flexible and comfortable journey back after the event.
- Meet in Hotel Lobby of the Maritim Hotel around 6.15 pm for departure at 6.30 pm
- Bus shuttles back to the hotel every 30 minutes between 10.00 pm and 12.30 am
Thursday, June 18
Click on the agenda items to reveal more details 👇
Breakout Linux & Cloud
đź“ŤRoom “Stuttgart, Ulm”
9.00-9.35 am: Built on experience. Ready for tomorrow. Adabas Cluster on Linux at the Medical Center of Freiburg
đź“ŤRoom “Stuttgart, Ulm”
Ulrich Lickert, Head of Systems Engineering at the Medical Center of the University of Freiburg, introduces the organization and shares its individual journey toward implementing Adabas Cluster on Linux. He outlines the motivations behind this step, the advantages of the upgrade, and the improvements achieved to remain competitive in a demanding environment. The session highlights how this evolution has strengthened the Medical Center’s foundation and positioned it well for the future, while offering insights drawn from hands-on experience.
Speakers:
- Ulrich Lickert, Medical Center – University of Freiburg
9.35-10.10 am: Modernizing core systems for higher capacity and multi-channel performance
đź“ŤRoom “Stuttgart, Ulm”
Mobilize Financial Services – the financial arm of Renault Group (RCI Banque S.A.) – modernized its core business applications for France after having done it successfully on an application which operates across 35+ countries. Backed by a team of more than 70 Natural developers maintaining millions of lines of mission-critical code, the transformation focused on strengthening sustainability, resilience, and regulatory alignment, including DORA. The session highlights measurable results: a 4x increase in daily processing capacity, improved responsiveness and enhanced scalability across multiple user channels. A focused look at delivering performance gains while securing long-term stability in a demanding financial services environment.
Speaker:
- Jean-Claude Mercier, Mobilize Financial Services
10.10-10.45 am: Core Insurance Platform Modernization at Zurich Insurance
đź“ŤRoom “Stuttgart, Ulm”
Core insurance systems are built to endure, yet they must continuously evolve. A business-critical insurance platform was transformed to meet modern performance, scalability and operational demands. The presentation outlines the strategic assessment that set the direction, contrasts the legacy architecture with the modernized solution and walks through the key challenges encountered along the way, as well as the measurable outcomes achieved and the practical lessons learned from delivering modernization at enterprise scale.
Speaker:
- Matthias Staubus, ZĂĽrich Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
Breakout z/OS
đź“ŤRoom “NĂĽrnberg”
9.00-9.45 am: Modernization without compromise: Building a future-ready enterprise on IBM Z
đź“ŤRoom “NĂĽrnberg”
The question for IBM Z users is no longer if they should modernize, but how to do so while preserving the unmatched stability and security of the platform. This session examines common modernization pitfalls including large-scale replatforming risks, business logic loss and performance constraints in distributed environments and outlines a pragmatic approach to evolving core systems without disruption. We introduce JOPAZ, a low-risk strategy for on-platform modernization that protects existing code and critical workloads while enabling optimization and innovation. The session provides practical guidance for transforming trusted IBM Z environments into engines for sustainable growth.
Speakers:
- Verena van der Linde, Software AG
- Luciano Pimenta, Software AG
9.45-10.15 am: Extending the mainframe with Adabas Replication
đź“ŤRoom “NĂĽrnberg”
This presentation explores SEI’s journey modernizing data integration from Adabas to relational platforms. It begins with a brief overview of SEI and the evolution of its data extraction strategies. The session then focuses on SEI’s partnership with SAGA and collaborative contributions to the ARF Replication Facility. Finally, it examines SEI’s current deployment of ARF across multiple clients, sharing practical insights into operating reliable, scalable replication solutions in production environments.
Speaker:
- Linda Lyng, SEI
10.15-10.45 am: From one generation to the next: REHAU’s mission-critical Adabas & Natural Platform
đź“ŤRoom “NĂĽrnberg”
REHAU’s core business systems are built on Adabas & Natural running on IBM z/OS providing exceptional reliability, scalability, and a strong alignment with the company’s global business processes.In this session, REHAU shares how it ensures continuous, zero-downtime operations for mission-critical workloads while addressing the challenges of generational change in proven IT environments. Together with SVA System Vertrieb Alexander GmbH and Software AG, the platform is continuously evolving to meet new business and organizational requirements without compromising stability or performance. The presentation provides insights how REHAU balances operational excellence with long-term modernization, leveraging strong partnerships and a proven technology foundation to bridge the gap between legacy and future-ready IT.
Speakers:
- Florian Franz, REHAU Industries SE
- Tobias Kluge, REHAU Industries SE
- Torsten Lennon-Gutenberger, System Vertrieb Alexander GmbH
10.45 – 11.15 am: Coffee break & Networking
đź“ŤFoyer on level -1
11.15-11.45 am: Make Adabas data ready for AI
đź“ŤRoom “Stuttgart, Ulm, NĂĽrnberg”
AI is the topic number one in today’s IT. Your databases contain a vast amount of data and knowledge. This presentation will show you how to unlock AI Potential based on your existing database data. Model Context Protocol (MCP) Servers are the state-of-the-art means for AI agents to access knowledge. Learn how our MCP Server unlocks a vast variety of data sources: Adabas, Db2, IMS, OpenVMS and many more. Unlocking your data opens the door for plenty of AI use cases, including natural-language Q&A over your data, Ops & service copilots, anomaly / fraud signals using system-of-record transactions, as well as impact analysis & modernization support. Join us to transform your data for AI success: securely, pragmatically, and with a clear path forward.
Speakers:
- JĂĽrgen Lind, Software AG
- Dr. Mohamed Abdelaal, Software AG
11.45 am-12.15 pm: Modernizing large-scale operations with governance and efficiency in Adabas at Serpro
đź“ŤRoom “Stuttgart, Ulm, NĂĽrnberg”
Speaker:
- Sandro Rogerio Benelli Ninin, Serpro
12.15-12.45 pm: New horizons for Migdal Insurance: Adabas & Natural on modern Linux
đź“ŤRoom “Stuttgart, Ulm, NĂĽrnberg”
Speaker:
- Boaz Nachshony, Migdal Insurance
12.45-1.00 pm: Closing remarks & questions
đź“ŤRoom “Stuttgart, Ulm, NĂĽrnberg”
This final session reflects on the key themes, insights, and discussions that shaped the conference, while addressing open questions from the community.
1.00 – 2.00 pm: Farewell Lunch
đź“ŤHotel Restaurant
Evening event
Wednesday, June 17
Join us for our evening program on June 17 at the Max Emanuel Brewery in Munich. Shuttle buses will depart from in front of the Maritim Hotel lobby at 6.30 pm. Return shuttles to the Maritim Hotel will operate every 30 minutes between 10.00 pm and 12.30 am, ensuring a flexible and comfortable journey back after the event.
- Meet in Hotel Lobby of the Maritim Hotel around 6.15 pm for departure at 6.30 pm
- Bus shuttles back to the hotel every 30 minutes between 10.00 pm and 12.30 am
Floorplan
Not sure where to go? Stop by the information desk on level -1. We’re happy to help.
