SHARE 2010: Next generation mainframes in more ways than one

LIke any tradeshow, you can find a stash of give-aways designed to draw in potential customers.  T-shirts, candy, chair massages, etc.  At this week's SHARE conference, I noticed an interesting cultural shift in the conversations WebLayers was having with attendees (booth 224).  Our giveaways are some pretty nifty balls that light up when you toss them -- perfect for your kids or nieces and nephews, or even in the hallways at work.  

In any event, it wasn't that long ago that we would have a conversation with booth visitors who would ask for extra freebies for their kids.  No problem.  But at this week's conference, the requests are coming in on behalf of the attendees' grandchildren.  Makes sense when you think about  the stalwart mainframe which clearly isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

In fact, if there was any doubt in your mind that the mainframe was going anywhere but onward and upward, the past few weeks should have dispelled this myth entirely.

At SHARE, we've already seen a slew of announcements from all the major players in the mainframe space though the highlight of the show so far is the new IBM zEnterprise System.  Now I know not everybody gets whipped up about a new mainframe but this one is different. Really.  It even caught the attention of the New York Times when it was first announced in late July.

As with any new iteration of a computer, you can expect to hear the terms faster, stronger, and better bandied about.  But what makes the latest zSeries worth a closer look by your CEO is the claim that the latest version of the product is 40 percent faster and up to 90 percent more energy efficient.   This translates to lower MIPS costs and lower data center energy bills.

For those companies that are going to be a little slower in replacing their existing zSeries with the newer models, there are ways of saving expenses right now.  One of them is by getting a better handle on MIPS consumption.  In fact, your company may not even be aware that a mainframe modernization effort can be a valuable, cost saving step between mainframe upgrades.  Essentially, by applying IT governance as part of a modernization effort, you can:

• More effectively preserve legacy assets
• Extend mainframe capabilities
• Reduce CPU utilization

Actually, Ron Karas, WebLayers vice president of client services maps this out in more detail in an educational article in Mainframe Zone.  While the new mainframes from IBM are compelling and will definitely change the landscape (yet again), there's something to be said for taking a closer look at what you already have and squeezing a bit more out of it.  Of course, the cost analysis of an interim modernization step versus purchasing the new mainframe will take into account the existing CPU and energy costs.  

In the meantime, I'll know it's time to step back from the industry when I hear about the freebies for the great grandchildren.