Guide Share Europe

What Guide Share Europe does

Guide Share Europe (GSE) is a European non-profit association headquartered in Cham, Switzerland, that operates as a pan-European knowledge network for IT professionals and organizations working in enterprise IT — particularly IBM and mainframe ecosystems. GSE was created in 1994 through the consolidation of GUIDE Europe and the European arm of SHARE, inheriting a lineage that dates back to SHARE's 1955 founding. The organization represents companies, organizations, and individuals involved in Information Technology solutions, with primary members drawn from enterprise IT departments and the mainframe community.

GSE's product surface is organized around six interrelated offerings: the core GSE Knowledge Network (membership and peer exchange platform), the GSE Academy (training and education including IBM Learning and European Mainframe Academy partnerships with member discounts), European and regional conferences, 70-100+ Working Groups organized across 10 European regions, the GSE Guide Technology Council (a strategic advisory forum providing early IBM industry-solution insights), and the Knowledge Centre (online content library). The organization does not develop proprietary technology products; rather, it facilitates knowledge exchange, training, and convening through events, working groups, and online platforms.

GSE's revenue model is dual-stream: recurring membership fees from three tiers (Installation for non-IT-vendor organizations, Associate for IT vendors/consultancies, Individual for professionals and students, all on annual billing) plus transaction-based fees from event registrations and tiered sponsorship packages (Silver/Gold/Platinum). Pricing is not publicly disclosed and varies by tier. Distribution is direct-to-member via gse.org and a network of regional offices and volunteer coordinators across Austria & Central Europe, Belgium & Luxembourg, France, Germany, Italy & Greece (under construction), Netherlands, Nordic, Spain, Switzerland & Liechtenstein, and the United Kingdom. The organization is governed by a European Committee chaired by President Peter Groth and supported by a small European Support Office in Cham.

Name

Guide Share Europe

Legal name

Guide Share Europe

Website

https://gse.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Guide Share Europe is a Swiss non-profit association running a pan-European knowledge network for enterprise IT professionals, with 1000+ members across 10 regions, 70-100+ working groups, conferences, training partnerships, and a strategic vendor partnership program anchored by IBM and Broadcom.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Enterprise IT Professional Association

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

Keywords

• IT user group
• Enterprise IT knowledge
• Mainframe community
• IT professional networking
• Technology conferences

Headquarters

HQ city

Cham

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: GSE generates revenue through membership fees from three tiers: Installation members (companies whose primary business is not selling IT hardware, software or consulting), Associate members (companies selling IT hardware, software or consulting), and Individual members (IT professionals including students). Members receive benefits including event discounts, working group access, and training discounts.
2. Event Fees and Sponsorship: Revenue is generated from event registration fees at special member prices, as well as sponsorship packages (Silver, Gold, Platinum tiers) that offer brand visibility, exhibition opportunities, conference presentations, and marketing material inclusion at regional and European events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Guide Share Europe is a non-profit association that runs a pan-European IT knowledge network for enterprise IT professionals. Its core offering is structured membership (Installation, Associate, and Individual tiers) that grants access to 70+ Working Groups, an annual calendar of European and regional conferences (including the ISP Symposium), the GSE Academy training program, the online Knowledge Centre, and the GSE Guide Technology Council. The organization facilitates dialogue between members and IBM/ICT vendors rather than selling technology products.

Product overview

Guide Share Europe (GSE) is a European non-profit association serving as the essential IT knowledge network. The organization operates as a unified platform combining multiple interconnected services: the core GSE Knowledge Network for knowledge exchange, the GSE Academy for professional training (partnered with IBM Learning and European Mainframe Academy), European and regional Conferences for large-scale knowledge sharing, over 100 Working Groups (regional and European) covering enterprise technologies like DB2, z/OS, CICS, and AI, the GSE Guide Technology Council for strategic IBM technology insights, and a Knowledge Centre providing online content access. The portfolio spans networking, training, conferences, and collaborative working groups focused primarily on IBM mainframe and enterprise IT technologies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• GSE Membership Program (Installation, Associate, Individual tiers) Annual membership program with three tiers (Installation for non-IT-vendor companies, Associate for IT vendors/consultancies, Individual for IT professionals and students) that grants access to working groups, Knowledge Centre, member-priced events, and training discounts.
• European and Regional Conferences Annual calendar of European and regional conferences (including the GSE ISP Symposium) that bring IT professionals together for knowledge sharing, networking, and exposure to new enterprise technologies.
• Working Groups (Regional and European) More than 70 Working Groups (regional and European) where members exchange case studies and practical experience on enterprise IT topics such as DB2, z/OS, CICS, security, and modernization.
• GSE Academy (Training and Education Program) Training and education program that gives members access to discounted courses, including a 30% discount on IBM Learning Subscriptions and a 10% discount on European Mainframe Academy courses.
• Knowledge Centre Online content platform accessible to GSE members, providing videos, PDFs, news, and updates on the latest trends and developments in enterprise IT.
• GSE Guide Technology Council (GTC)

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship/premier.

• CSI InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 January 2026CSI International is a European Strategic Partner extending its partnership with GSE into 2026. The company brings deep expertise across IBM mainframe environments and remains an active contributor to GSE conferences and enterprise IT discussions.
• Software AGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 January 2026Software AG joined as a European Strategic Partner for 2026. With more than 55 years of experience, Software AG supports enterprises in modernizing critical systems, particularly Adabas & Natural, through pragmatic low-risk modernization. The partnership brings expertise in mainframe optimization, AI readiness, and system sustainability.
• IBMflagship/premierStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026IBM is the Premier European Strategic Partner of GSE. As the leading enterprise IT infrastructure provider, IBM collaborates with GSE to facilitate dialogue with IT professionals, share product roadmaps, and gather feedback from enterprise users. The partnership enables GSE members to gain insights into IBM technologies and participate in IBM events like TechXchange Summit.
• Broadcomflagship/premierStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Broadcom Mainframe Software is a Premier European Strategic Partner for 2026. The partnership focuses on advancing the IT and mainframe community through expert knowledge exchange, high-quality events, and collaboration on mainframe modernization topics.
• Rocket SoftwarecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Rocket Software is a European Strategic Partner whose strategic partnership with GSE continues into 2026. The collaboration supports innovation, modernization, and knowledge exchange within the IT community. Rocket Software contributes expertise to GSE conferences and working groups.
• Beta SystemscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBeta Systems is listed as a European Strategic Partner of GSE, providing enterprise software solutions and contributing to the knowledge exchange ecosystem.
• European Mainframe Academy (EMA)coreTechnology or IntegrationGSE has a partnership with the European Mainframe Academy offering GSE members an exclusive 10% discount on all EMA courses. This provides training and education benefits to the membership.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• European Mainframe Academy (EMA): EMA is a training provider offering mainframe courses with which GSE has a formal partnership (10% member discount). It is a complementary ecosystem participant addressing the same professional audience through education rather than community.
• ITIC (Independent Technology IT Community conferences): ITIC is a research and conference organization focused on enterprise IT strategy, hybrid cloud, and mainframe topics. It overlaps with GSE's enterprise IT professional audience but operates primarily through paid research and analyst events rather than member-driven working groups.

Direct peers

• SHARE: SHARE is the original US-based IBM mainframe user group (founded 1955) and the direct transatlantic counterpart to GSE. Both organizations share the same heritage, member-base profile (enterprise IT professionals), working-group structure, and conference model, making SHARE the closest functional peer.
• COMMON (Common US): COMMON is the IBM i (AS/400) user group, structured as a non-profit association running conferences, working groups, and member programs for enterprise IT professionals. It mirrors GSE's nonprofit, vendor-aligned, community-led model within the adjacent IBM Power Systems ecosystem.
• Oracle User Group Community: Oracle's user community includes independent user groups (e.g., Oracle Applications User Group, IOUG) that serve enterprise IT professionals with conferences and special interest groups. It is structurally analogous to GSE for the Oracle enterprise software ecosystem.
• CMG (Computer Measurement Group): CMG is an independent, vendor-neutral IT user community focused on mainframe performance, capacity planning, and IT management. It shares GSE's nonprofit, member-supported, conference- and working-group-driven structure and serves an overlapping enterprise IT professional audience.
• IDUG (International DB2 Users Group): IDUG is a global independent user community for IBM Db2 and data professionals, organizing conferences, webinars, and special interest groups. Its focused technology scope and community-driven knowledge exchange closely match GSE's working-group and conference model.
• SAP Community Network: SAP Community is the official user community for SAP enterprise software, offering forums, blogs, events, and learning programs for enterprise IT professionals. While vendor-led rather than independent, it overlaps with GSE's target audience and enterprise IT knowledge-exchange function.

Emerging players

• Open Mainframe Project: Open Mainframe Project is a Linux Foundation initiative fostering open-source innovation on mainframe platforms. It competes for the attention of next-generation mainframe professionals with a digital-first, open-source-native model rather than regional in-person meetings.
• IBM Champions: IBM Champions is IBM's own advocacy program recognizing influential external experts across IBM technologies. While not a dues-paying association, it offers recognition, networking, and IBM product access that partly substitutes for GSE's IBM-aligned community benefits.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GuideShareEurop
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/guideshareeurope

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Guide Share Europe