wipro.com Why It Makes Business Sense to Stay Invested in Mainframes

wipro.com Why It Makes Business Sense to Stay Invested in Mainframes

Sooner, rather than later, even these die-hard supporters of mainframes are expected to desert the mainframe ship. Every now and then we hear that mainframes are on their last leg. But could it be that blinded by the fast-changing world of Linux, Windows and ios, we are giving mainframes a premature burial? The thought is worth considering, especially if your business has already invested in mainframe technology. Mainframes are seen as the dinosaurs of computing -headed for extinction. And there are three powerful reasons for this misplaced perception. One, mainframes are expensive to maintain. Some businesses, such as banks, utilities, large healthcare companies and the giant retail businesses continue to support mainframes to manage their huge back end data. The impression is that these industries are largely stuck with the computing behemoths of the 60s and 70s because they have no alternative. Sooner, rather than later, even these die-hard supporters of mainframes are expected to desert the mainframe ship. Two, the programming skills to support mainframes are shrinking, and will soon become if they aren t already -- unaffordable. Mainframes use COBOL, CICS, RPG2, etc. languages that are seen as being uncool and incompatible with modern Agile, DevOps, Cloud and Mobile IT environments. Today, young developers can t hang out together, say on a weekend, and produce the next Candy Crush or Uber by Monday morning using a virtual mainframe sandbox (even though mainframe emulators are available) the way they could using a Web stack and some Python, Perl or Objective-C. Three, isn t everyone already invested in low-cost PC and Unix server-oriented distributed architectures with specific functions that support business applications and deliver high availability? Shouldn t all businesses move to this architecture as quickly as possible to remain competitive and relevant? 1

Mainframes in the world of digital transformation to tap new opportunities So, where do mainframes fit in the current frenzy of digital transformation that is overrunning the world? To be fair, several technologies other than mainframes have refused to die. Think motorcars, jet engines, aircraft carriers and nuclear power plants. And just as these technologies have evolved, improved and matured, so have mainframes. Today s mainframes are faster, more reliable and more energy efficient than those of previous generations. The newer ones use high performance 5.5 GHz hexa-core chips that are highly scalable and cannot be considered old by any measure. They have nothing in common with the mainframes of the 60s and the 70s. But, the most compelling argument in favor of mainframes is this: you never hear of mainframes being hacked. In today s highly unstable state of cybersecurity, mainframes hold a major appeal to businesses that consider data their key IP and will do everything to keep it protected. One has to agree that the perception around mainframes as slow and clunky machines is a powerful one. But it does not remain a completely true picture of what is unfolding around mainframes. Today, Eclipse based IDE and tools are becoming available that enable faster development of mainframe applications, allowing businesses to remain relevant in a world of Agile and DevOps. Release cycles for mainframe apps have dropped from months to weeks. There is no real need to re-platform mainframe environments an endeavor that has not always proven to be successful or cost effective. Organizations that have built their businesses around mainframes have vast amounts of data and business logic invested in these systems. High Level Assembler routines process millions of these records within a blink of an eye. There is nothing slow about these systems. Besides, anything between 70% and 80% of mainframe code constitutes the actual IP of an organization. Decisions to abandon the IP or risk potentially disastrous or expensive migration should be thoroughly debated before a decision is taken to junk mainframes in favor of distributed environments. However, if distributed environments are one of the key attractions and reasons to reassess mainframes, the reality is that they aren t necessarily easier to maintain. Technology implementers and numerous users have repeatedly experienced that it takes several times more (sometime 5X to 6X) IT administrative capacity to run a 24X7 highly available distributed PC/Unix environment compared with mainframes. In addition, simplified admin tools for mainframe operations and storage are becoming available, ensuring that the pressure on management teams is less. 2

Irreplaceable value of mainframes Mainframes are the repository for the business rules and processes that comprise a company s DNA. Enterprises have invested in mainframe application code and improvements for decades, resulting in it becoming an intellectual property of irreplaceable value. The new mainframes have evolved to take distributed workloads, driven by digital disruption, along with the legacy. It will be advisable to retain and run the existing applications and develop new apps using newer technologies on the mainframes. Shutting down the mainframe is as good as shutting down the business. 3

About The Author Subramanya (Subbu) Chinnaswamy is Head of Mainframe Application Services for Europe and Africa. With over 20 years of experience in IT, Subbu is a subject matter expert on Mainframe Technology and has consultancy, design and development experience across Banking, Finance, Insurance, Enterprise Business and other verticals. He can be reached at subramanya.chinnaswamy1@wipro.com About Wipro Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO) is a leading information technology, consulting and business process services company that delivers solutions to enable its clients do business better. Wipro delivers winning business outcomes through its deep industry experience and a 360 degree view of Business through Technology. By combining digital strategy, customer centric design, advanced analytics and product engineering approach, Wipro helps its clients create successful and adaptive businesses. A company recognized globally for its comprehensive portfolio of services, strong commitment to sustainability and good corporate citizenship, Wipro has a dedicated workforce of over 170,000, serving clients across 6 continents. For more information, please visit wipro.com or write to us at info@wipro.com 4

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