Mainframe: The Beating Heart of Hybrid Cloud

The mainframe, like the enterprises it serves, is always evolving. In a recent study conducted by Enterprise Management Associates (EMA), 88% of the executives they surveyed stressed that the mainframe will have a continuing role for their organizations over the next 10 years.

Mainframes have already proven themselves as a critical component to hybrid cloud success. An overwhelming 87% of the respondents consider the mainframe an integral part of their cloud strategy. This shouldn’t be a surprise since 86% also affirmed that the mainframe provides a competitive advantage to their business.

People often believe the latest “hot” technology is going to be the “end-all be-all” for their business. That’s never yet been the case. Public cloud, for example, is great for the right workloads, but shouldn’t be used to replace everything that came before. Think business value first. What outcomes are you trying to drive? What capabilities are you aiming to deliver?

Take enterprise applications. They’re typically multiplatform with mobile, web and cloud front ends connecting to mainframe systems where most of the “heavy lifting” takes place. Each technology in this hybrid environment is best at certain roles. To achieve the best performance for your business and your customers, include those technologies that deliver unique value, like your mainframe, along with newer technology investments.

In other words, run the right workloads on the right platforms with the right tools. The EMA study reveals broad agreement with this principle. A majority of respondents say they’ll continue to prioritize integration of the mainframe into their cloud strategy.

To aid that integration, embrace open tools and APIs so you can interact with the mainframe just like with any other platform and expand your talent pool. Take advantage of community-based open source initiatives to help all of your platforms work together. Drive automation wherever possible to gain efficiencies and reveal actionable insights. Stay current with security advances like zero trust to mitigate risk and simplify compliance. And keep your skills current with education opportunities and experts who will help you identify, train and mentor needed talent.

With mainframe as the beating heart of your hybrid cloud and a great partner like Broadcom who will invest and work with you side-by-side, you’ll always be ready for what’s next!