Sometimes it’s hard to be easy. IBM has revitalized its mainframe business in recent years, but the company is concerned that the big system’s complexity could be a barrier to winning new business. “We think we have the most sophisticated operating system on the planet,” John Burg, product marketing manager for IBM’s System z mainframes, […]
Sometimes it’s hard to be easy.
IBM has revitalized its mainframe business in recent years, but the company is concerned that the big system’s complexity could be a barrier to winning new business.
“We think we have the most sophisticated operating system on the planet,” John Burg, product marketing manager for IBM’s System z mainframes, told internetnews.com.
That sophistication comes with a raft of features and security functions that aren’t always easy to master. Burg said IBM is bringing in more modern elements to its mainframe software, like a graphical user interface and wizards, (define) to make computer science graduates and others more comfortable learning the systems “without having to go back to school.”
Specifically, IBM (Quote, Chart) said it will invest $100 million over the next five years to help make it easier for technology administrators and computer programmers to program, manage and administer a mainframe system as well as more easily automate the development and deployment of applications.
The most recent version of IBM’s z/OS v1.8 operating system software for the System z mainframe includes several programs and tools that represent a start in the direction IBM is headed.
For example, the IBM Health Checker for z/OS acts as a kind of personal trainer, actively monitoring the system and recommending configuration tune-ups that can improve system resilience, security and performance.
The OMEGAMON z/OS Management Console features a graphical user interface for z/OS management. The Console delivers real-time, health check information, which IBM said helps automate, eliminate and simplify many z/OS management tasks.
IBM also said it plans to expand the role of the Management Console over time to continue to “put a modern face on z/OS management and administration.”
The latest Hardware Configuration Manager in z/OS 1.8 includes new configuration wizards, the ability to import and export I/O Definition Files, and integrated access to RMF Monitor III reports, which can help speed up the detection and resolution of performance bottlenecks.
Analyst Charles King thinks IBM’s investment is a good idea, particularly if it wants to keep growing its mainframe business.
“I think there’s a recognition that when customers that own the billions of dollars of mainframe equipment out there are looking for young up and coming IT staff, they find out the mainframe is not what they want to be working on,” King, analyst with Pund-IT Research in Hayward, CA, told internetnews.com.
This article was first published on InternetNews.com. To read the full article, click here.
Ethics and Artificial Intelligence: Driving Greater Equality
FEATURE | By James Maguire,
December 16, 2020
AI vs. Machine Learning vs. Deep Learning
FEATURE | By Cynthia Harvey,
December 11, 2020
Huawei’s AI Update: Things Are Moving Faster Than We Think
FEATURE | By Rob Enderle,
December 04, 2020
Keeping Machine Learning Algorithms Honest in the ‘Ethics-First’ Era
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | By Guest Author,
November 18, 2020
Key Trends in Chatbots and RPA
FEATURE | By Guest Author,
November 10, 2020
FEATURE | By Samuel Greengard,
November 05, 2020
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | By Guest Author,
November 02, 2020
How Intel’s Work With Autonomous Cars Could Redefine General Purpose AI
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | By Rob Enderle,
October 29, 2020
Dell Technologies World: Weaving Together Human And Machine Interaction For AI And Robotics
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | By Rob Enderle,
October 23, 2020
The Super Moderator, or How IBM Project Debater Could Save Social Media
FEATURE | By Rob Enderle,
October 16, 2020
FEATURE | By Cynthia Harvey,
October 07, 2020
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | By Guest Author,
October 05, 2020
CIOs Discuss the Promise of AI and Data Science
FEATURE | By Guest Author,
September 25, 2020
Microsoft Is Building An AI Product That Could Predict The Future
FEATURE | By Rob Enderle,
September 25, 2020
Top 10 Machine Learning Companies 2021
FEATURE | By Cynthia Harvey,
September 22, 2020
NVIDIA and ARM: Massively Changing The AI Landscape
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | By Rob Enderle,
September 18, 2020
Continuous Intelligence: Expert Discussion [Video and Podcast]
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | By James Maguire,
September 14, 2020
Artificial Intelligence: Governance and Ethics [Video]
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | By James Maguire,
September 13, 2020
IBM Watson At The US Open: Showcasing The Power Of A Mature Enterprise-Class AI
FEATURE | By Rob Enderle,
September 11, 2020
Artificial Intelligence: Perception vs. Reality
FEATURE | By James Maguire,
September 09, 2020
David Needle is a veteran technology reporter based in Silicon Valley. He covers mobile, big data, customer experience, and social media, among other topics. He was formerly news editor at Infoworld, editor of Computer Currents and TabTimes, and West Coast bureau chief for both InformationWeek and Internet.com.
Datamation is the leading industry resource for B2B data professionals and technology buyers. Datamation's focus is on providing insight into the latest trends and innovation in AI, data security, big data, and more, along with in-depth product recommendations and comparisons. More than 1.7M users gain insight and guidance from Datamation every year.
Property of TechnologyAdvice. © 2025 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved
Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.
