As IBM accelerates alongside our clients on their AI-driven digital transformation journeys, we’ve seen and understand the value of using mainframes as a critical function to extend the value of an organization’s data. Even more telling, according to research from the IBM Institute for Business Value (IBV), 79% of IT executives agree that mainframes are equally essential for enabling AI-driven innovation.1
At IBM Consulting®, we see the move toward digital transformation and hybrid cloud not just as a trend, but a necessity for modern enterprises. The reality is, we’re not alone. Every day, our clients are recognizing the benefits of harnessing hybrid cloud architectures to help solve their challenges and identifying the steps they can take to better their business and remain competitive. And, despite a shift to hybrid-based architectures, organizations also continue to see the important role of mainframes for adapting and meeting their evolving business demands.
Enter IBM z17®, a platform that is a game-changer for organizations looking for mainframe management and hybrid cloud integration. With z17, organizations can unlock the full potential of their mainframe systems, transforming them into powerful engines of innovation and growth, designed to capitalize on their investments and minimize risk.
A hybrid cloud architecture that includes z17 allows clients to select “best fit” infrastructure that is built to optimize costs, create scale, achieve sustainability, reduce duplication and help ensure security while providing modern data access across a client's suite of applications. Leaning on our deep industry, functional and technical expertise, IBM Consulting can provide clients with customized solutions to modernize their mainframe applications on z17 by using new AI-powered tools, helping integrate mainframes with public cloud services.
By using AI, organizations can enhance their transactional workloads, accelerate modernization and development, and improve mainframe operations. Engineered for reliability, security and resilience, mainframes—and z17—can help further use vast stores of data to deliver valuable insights, innovation and business outcomes.
IBM Consulting remains focused on helping clients better their business and achieve their digital transformation goals, including mainframe modernization and the adoption of AI to drive innovation and value creation. We believe our work with clients to modernize their mainframe to z17, including the use of AI agents and agentic systems, can help facilitate their journey toward agility, with reduced costs, as part of their hybrid by design journey. To that end, we recommend three strategic approaches for clients as they evaluate mainframe modernization with z17: explore, enhance and expand.
Today, modernization is key for enterprises to remain competitive as it can transform traditional systems into agile, scalable and secure applications by using modern technologies. Businesses can improve their efficiency and adapt to evolving needs. With the introduction of z17, the platform is designed to allow organizations to streamline their operations, reduce their technical debt and free up valuable resources for innovation. IBM Consulting can help organizations assess their modernization potential, map out a transformation roadmap and work with clients to define quantifiable ROI and business impact. At IBM Consulting, we are committed to driving modernization that empowers businesses to adapt quickly to evolving market dynamics and meet customer expectations with agility.
Integrating with hybrid cloud strategies opens up new possibilities for driving growth and enhancing an organization’s competitive edge. By consolidating infrastructure and using the strengths of both on-premises and cloud environments, businesses can help achieve significant cost savings. Hybrid cloud integration with z17 is designed to enable seamless data access, improve scalability through hyperscalers and enhance security, making it easier for organizations to manage their IT resources efficiently and effectively with real-time insights.
Leveraging generative AI and machine learning (ML) to modernize mainframe applications can bridge the gap with traditional systems to help improve efficiency and reduce risks associated with modernization, according to IDC.2 By using a combination of AI, automation and modernization, companies can help improve developer productivity and allow developers to focus on strategic initiatives rather than routine tasks. The z17 platform is designed to harness the power of AI to optimize IT operations, detect anomalies and improve system resilience. By integrating AI into mainframe workloads, organizations can achieve profound improvements in both efficiency and performance.
With the launch of z17, IBM Consulting is uniquely positioned to guide businesses through their digital transformation journey by using hybrid cloud, AI and automation while amplifying the impact of mainframes. Ultimately, z17 provides a robust foundation for achieving long-term business success and driving continuous innovation.
We look forward to working with clients to embrace the future with z17 and unlock the full potential of their digital transformation with mainframe systems.
1 IBM IBV: “Mainframes as mainstays of digital transformation” (2024)
2 IDC: “Mainframe Trends 2024: Understanding how cloud and gen AI can modernize mainframes” (2024)