Mainframe Technology Is Far From Obsolete

By Janakiram Thumati

Mainframe technology is a reliable, secure, long-standing, and fundamental technology in the data management field. New and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing, present new challenges to technicians and companies working with mainframes. Instead of relegating mainframe systems to the annals of history, companies that adopt a hybrid approach will maintain a competitive edge. Preserving this legacy technology while introducing new systems is highly beneficial in a rapidly evolving market and allows companies to take advantage of the security and scalability of mainframes.

Why Mainframes Are Still Relevant

There are several compelling reasons why mainframe technology is still relevant today. The high security and reliability offered by mainframes fulfill a critical need for many companies. This is particularly relevant in the banking and healthcare industries, where risk mitigation and patient privacy protections are paramount.

This technology is also critical in real-time data processing because of its ability to handle massive transaction volumes efficiently and reliably. A mainframe's high throughput makes this possible in the financial sector, especially for credit and debit card companies that process millions of transactions daily worldwide.

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The ability to process high volumes of transactions also helps organizations scale up their data processing operations. The parallel processing capabilities of mainframes enable them to manage multiple transactions simultaneously without performance degradation, even as the volume of data increases. Processing structured and unstructured data simultaneously is also possible. This ability, when combined with its efficient storage capabilities for large amounts of data, enables companies to scale vertically and horizontally.

Evolving Mainframe Technologies

As the data processing world evolves, new technologies that companies can integrate into existing mainframe tech have emerged, resulting in a hybrid data management model. The latest technologies, including AI and cloud computing, have revolutionized the industry. The benefits of using AI include predictive analytics, fraud detection, and risk management in sectors like finance and insurance, which are still heavily reliant on mainframes for critical operations.

It also facilitates the automation of routine tasks, which reduces the operational burden on IT teams and ensures that the system operates smoothly without human intervention. Machine learning can generate real-time insights from vast pools of data, enabling automated customer service, more capable supply chain management, and improved marketing personalization.

Cloud computing allows companies to reduce their physical space burdens by offloading storage and processing burdens to off-site data centers.

Virtual machines (VMs) increase hardware efficiency and enable scalability when used with mainframes. This benefit allows organizations to host various applications and operating systems on the same mainframe, which optimizes resource usage and reduces the need for additional infrastructure. Virtualization makes it easier for companies to manage workloads and run legacy applications alongside modern services without investing in new hardware.

Microservices architecture, in which applications comprise small, self-contained, autonomous services, also allows for additional capabilities by dividing large monolithic applications on a single mainframe into smaller, more manageable services that can be developed, deployed, and scaled independently. This provides the increased agility and flexibility needed to thrive in today's business environment.

Addressing the Skills Gap

One significant challenge for companies running mainframe technology is finding skilled technicians capable of maintaining and improving these systems. The problem is driven primarily by a lack of interest in mainframe technology among new talent, the cost of education, companies' reluctance to pay competitive salaries, and an aging workforce. Typically, younger programmers are more attracted to newer technologies and their programming languages than mainframes, which have been around for decades. This predisposition has created a rift between industry demand and the skills that students are learning.

For the emerging tech workforce, the perceived incentives for studying cutting-edge technologies are much stronger than for understanding what is perceived as "legacy" technology. They are generally unwilling to invest the time and resources into studying older technology.

To resolve this problem, some companies partner with universities to include mainframe technology training in their academic programs. Companies can sponsor courses focused on legacy programming languages like COBOL and mainframe-compatible tools. IBM's Z Xplore program (formerly "Master the Mainframe") is a prominent example. By allowing "non-mainframers" to code on mainframes with outside languages like VSCode and Java through the open-source tool Zowe, IBM attracts emerging talent who would have otherwise gone elsewhere.

The Future of Mainframe Technology

To stay competitive, companies need to develop and implement hybrid approaches that incorporate the advantages of older and reliable technology with the impressive capabilities of newer technologies. While recruiting new talent and training existing employees is challenging, the benefits are worth the sacrifice. Larger companies are leading the way and demonstrating how this can be done. It's up to others to follow in their footsteps or pioneer new ways to retain mainframe technology.

It's clear: Mainframe technology is secure, reliable, scalable, and worth the investment to maintain and incorporate it into a hybrid model that blends the best that legacy and modern technology offer.

About the Author:

Janakiram Thumati is a senior technical lead with specialized expertise in mainframe computing. He has more than 17 years of experience leading and managing IT/software development engagements for industry-leading insurance, financial, and retail organizations. Janakiram is a recipient of the prestigious Indian Achievers Award 2024. He holds a Bachelor of Technology degree from Osmania University, India. Connect with Janakiram on LinkedIn.