International User Group (IUG) Conference 2026

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.

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.

*Separate registration required

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.

*Separate registration required

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, General Manager Adabas & Natural, Software AG
• Jesper Orland, Adabas & Natural IUG President, Tryg

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.
In this 40-minute session, we will demonstrate how Adabas & Natural products enable continuous innovation across IBM Z, Linux, and cloud environments – creating a unified hybrid architecture that bridges core systems with modern platforms.

Speaker:

• Eli Cohen,VP, Product Management, Software AG

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. The session highlights how Husbanken addresses organizational challenges and technical debt through structured upgrades, targeted code cleanup and systematic knowledge transfer in a demanding market environment. It also provides insight into how AI is being used to support code analysis, comparisons and automated documentation bringing new efficiency and transparency to established systems.

Speakers:

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:

Natural applications continue to run mission-critical workloads, but modern integration demands RESTful and OpenAPI-based interfaces. This session introduces the Natural API Server, a significant new capability for modern Natural integration and its lightweight architecture for exposing 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,VP Presales, Software AG

The banking industry is moving toward a new reality shaped by Open API standards – a shift that will redefine how banks connect, innovate, and collaborate. While the standard is not yet fully in use, the direction is clear. Forward-looking organizations are already preparing their core systems for this transformation. In this session, Leumi Bank will present the business need behind the emerging Open API standard and why readiness matters now. The discussion will focus on how the bank is laying the groundwork to securely expose services from its mission-critical systems using Software AG API Server, powered by Adabas & Natural. By preparing its trusted core applications to support standardized, governed API access, Leumi Bank is positioning itself to respond quickly when the market requirement becomes reality – enabling faster integration with partners, digital services, and future ecosystem opportunities, while protecting the stability and strength of its core banking environment.

Speaker:

• Run Asulin,Head of MF Chief Programmer, Bank Leumi

Abstract will follow soon…

Speaker:

• Luyanda Ntuane, CIO, Motus Car Rental: Motus Holdings

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:

• Dr. Mohamed Abdelaal, AI Architect, Software AG
• Jürgen Lind, Senior Director Product Mgmt, Software AG

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, EVP – CIO, Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange
• Hezi Shirazi, Senior Section Manager, Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange

More information will follow soon…

Speakers:

• Stefan Yssel, Driver Systems Development Manager, Virginia DMV
• Winston Smith, Computer Systems Engineer, Virginia DMV

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

More information will follow soon…

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, Senior Product Manager, Software AG

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, Senior Database Administrator, SEI

At the Ministry of Food, Rural Affairs and Consumer Protection Baden-Württemberg, agricultural policy systems are truly mission-critical, operating in a highly regulated environment where availability is non-negotiable. The Ministry successfully transitioned 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, IT Manager, Ministry of Food, Rural Affairs and Consumer Protection Baden-Württemberg

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, Head of Systems Engineering Department, Medical Center – University of Freiburg

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, Technical Lead Backend Services, Zürich Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft

More information will follow soon…

Speaker:

• Boaz Nachshony, Head of the Ofek program, Migdal Insurance

The conference concludes with Jesper Orland, President of the International User Group, and Arno Theiss, General Manager Adabas & Natural, returning to the stage to close the event. This final session reflects on the key themes, insights, and discussions that shaped the conference, while addressing open questions from the community. A concise wrap-up designed to bring clarity, alignment, and momentum for the road ahead.

Speakers:

• Arno Theiss, General Manager Adabas & Natural, Software AG
• Jesper Orland, Adabas & Natural IUG President