Mainframe computers still have a loyal following that is prepared to continue investing in reliable technology in the future.
As the reason for their confidence in mainframes, participants in a survey conducted by BMC Software cite the high security of the machines (56%) in first place, followed by their reliability (55%). Just under half (48%) value the properties of the mainframe as a data server, while 45% see the high data throughput as a decisive factor. In the coming year, 65% of users want to focus on cost optimisation in their work with the mainframe, while 59% intend to continue expanding application availability.
90% of respondents see a bright future for mainframes on the whole. However, 43% of respondents indicate that in a few years’ time mainframes would probably be mostly used for legacy applications. A further finding of the survey: increasingly more companies have had their mainframes equipped with Linux in recent years. While only 22% of the machines ran the open source operating system in 2006, this figure is now 48% in 2015.
The Mainframe Survey 2015 is available as a free download from BMC. (Source: BMC/rf)