Here are three predictions for the mainframe industry in 2019.
1. The mainframe industry modernised - inside and out
In 2019, enterprises will modernise both their mainframe technology and their workforce to meet the demands of our data-driven era. That means organisations will prioritise application modernisation and embrace AI Ops and machine learning to empower their changing workforce.
Machine learning, analytics, and intelligent automation will pave the way for more organisations to build self-managing mainframe environments that can predict and solve issues without manual intervention.
Finally, mainframe modernisation will also happen in the workforce - as a generation of mainframe experts retire, we will see a continuation of the trend in which more millennials are hired to run advanced mainframe technologies aided by the built-in domain expertise and automation they need to succeed.
2. Mainframe, meet DevOps - when two worlds collide
There's no such thing as an isolated IT environment, especially in a large enterprise. Much of the talk around DevOps has centred on cloud-based applications, but the reality is that today's modern application is often built on a multi-tiered application architecture that spans from mobile to cloud to middleware to back-end transaction and data servers.
In this environment, the mainframe is the most powerful, most secure, most reliable back-end processor and it must enable application teams to work in a multilayered development process. That requires tools for impact analysis, code review and code management, as well for making changes to the underlying database quickly and securely.
In 2019, organisations will work to fully capitalise on the agility and speed that DevOps can bring, and with the right approach, mainframes can be made an integral part of the DevOps process. Large organisations will not be able to fully capitalise on this new deployment model without connecting their most vital platforms.
3. Mainframes will win over the C-Suite
Digitisation and mobility are placing incredible pressure on both IT and mainframes to manage a greater volume, variety, and velocity of transactions and data.
Thankfully, the mainframe's longevity stems partly from its ability to reinvent itself constantly to facilitate the changing dynamics of modern business, maintain near-constant availability and efficiently process billions of critical transactions - proving to be a viable long-term platform today.
As it continues to serve as the backbone of digital environments, 2019 will be the year that savvy IT operations management executives truly embrace the power and value their mainframes bring to their business.
