Mainframe Blog

Think the Mainframe’s Dying? We Don’t and We’re Investing in Innovation

3 minute read
Carolyn Henry

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Reduce or increase investment in the mainframe? That seems to be a question circulating in the mainframe world and one that can be (almost) as polarizing as the current US presidential race. We acknowledge that there are various pressures to move to cloud or adopt “newer” technologies for your data management needs, but the reality is that the mainframe is part of a hybrid cloud strategy and critical workloads will continue to run and grow there. Let me present you with a two interesting statistics:

  • 99% of clients expect the data stored in their organization’s mainframe to grow over the next two years
  • 91% of new consumer applications touch a mainframe

—Forrester Technical Adoption Survey, A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of BMC, May 2016

Think about that – almost 100% of mainframe users expect data on their mainframe to grow and 91% of mission critical, client-facing, consumer applications TODAY touch Z. In addition, 60% of clients surveyed reported that they had plans to increase their workload on their mainframe systems and a similar percent (57%) also reported their intent to develop new applications on Z over the next two years.1

That’s new applications on the mainframe folks. Those are some powerful indicators of increased growth and relevance. The new demands of the digital and mobile age are very much still reliant on the mainframe as the backbone of their data management systems. At BMC we feel that it’s critical to meet this modern digital age and the demands of our clients with innovation that pushes the mainframe forward.

To that end, BMC has invested heavily in innovation and new solutions in the mainframe space where others have either reduced their investment overtly or are doing as little as possible to keep the lights on. While other vendors may be decreasing investment, in the last few years BMC has:

  • Created eight new mainframe products
  • Secured software patents at a clip of roughly one per month
  • Delivered 30+ product updates and releases

Those offerings run the gamut from advancements in our Reorg utilities to new products that help manage unstructured data in LOBs to a new workbench that improves ease of administration of data on the mainframe, and a cost analysis dashboard that helps you see where your money is going and understand where there are opportunities to save – just to name a few.  In short, BMC’s innovations will help you better manage your systems, data, and costs.

We’re not one to brag (well not too much!), but it seems our efforts are paying off. Analysts and experts are supporting our path and clients are seeing benefits and gains as well.

“While others continue to offer basic utilities to address 21st century problems, BMC provides Next Generation Technology Solutions.” 

 “BMC, a leader in delivering DB2 solutions, determined that in order to meet the operational demands of the Digital/Mobile Age, database utilities needed a major leap forward in technology. Incremental improvements to data management tools simply couldn’t keep up with the explosive growth in DB2 data…The result is Next Generation Technology solutions that meet and exceed the performance and availability required in today’s market.” – Ptak Associates, LLC

BMC’s dedication to the mainframe is clear. The company is listening to its clients, watching mainframe trends, and responding to increased demand. BMC is demonstrating innovation and driving value to the market with its Next Generation Technology (NGT), a new paradigm in database management and a significant shift for the market. BMC has industry leading solutions in both SQL and Database tuning to provide the cost reduction and optimization of the mainframe that a digital business needs today. In short, BMC has delivered innovative database solutions that provide a new way to manage and optimize the bigger, faster, ‘always on’ demands of today – and to be ready for the exploding demands of tomorrow. Recently one of our experts shared with me his view that BMC’s Next Generation Technology is “like GPS for DB2,” you simply wouldn’t leave home without it.

So the next time that you’re deciding on a trusted partner to help move your business forward, ask yourself what type of vendor do you want to be in business with – One who is investing, innovating and transforming to be a strategic enabler of digital business or one who isn’t.

Learn more about trends in the mainframe space with Forrester’s TAP paper & survey results here: goo.gl/l8BPtO

And be sure to check out BMC’s compelling mainframe solutions today!

1 Forrester Technical Adoption Survey, A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of BMC, May 2016

Access the 2023 Mainframe Report

The results of the 18th annual BMC Mainframe Survey are in, and the state of the mainframe remains strong. Overall perception of the mainframe is positive, as is the outlook for future growth on the platform, with workloads growing and investment in new technologies and processes increasing.


These postings are my own and do not necessarily represent BMC's position, strategies, or opinion.

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About the author

Carolyn Henry

Carolyn Henry is the Director of Solutions Marketing for ZSolutions at BMC.
Carolyn has 10+ years of experience in Software & Mainframe systems starting from her early years at IBM as a technical writer for Db2 and IMS Tools. She has experience in management, sales, enablement, and marketing with Enterprise Content Management and Data Management software ranging across structured and unstructured data.