EMA Research: Modernizing Mainframe Applications. Strategies, Tools, and Insights for a Digital Future

In a landscape where digital transformation is often equated with cloud-first strategies, mainframes remain a cornerstone of enterprise IT. This research carried out by Enterprise Management Associates (EMA) reveals that rather than fading away, the role of the mainframe is expanding. The report explores how organizations are integrating these critical systems with hybrid and cloud-native environments to drive innovation, security, and operational resilience.

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What You’ll Learn From This Research

The Expanding Role of Mainframes: Why 47% of organizations anticipate an increasing role for their mainframes over the next 5-10 years, driven by the need for unparalleled scalability and security.
Hybrid & Cloud Integration Strategies: How the "Extend" strategy is enabling enterprises to integrate mainframes with distributed and cloud systems, maintaining operational functionality while supporting digital transformation.
Modernization in Place: Insights into why "Modernize in Place" remains the most prevalent long-term strategy, with 79% of respondents achieving or exceeding expectations by optimizing applications on the platform.
The Impact of AI: How the integration of AI is extending mainframe capabilities, helping organizations overcome complexity and bridge the skills gap.

Who Should Read This Report?

CIOs and IT Executives balancing the dual mandates of innovation and system stability.
Mainframe and Infrastructure Leaders looking to validate modernization strategies and investment priorities.
Digital Transformation Strategists seeking best practices for integrating legacy systems into modern hybrid architectures.

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Gain strategic insights into the future of the mainframe and its vital role in the hybrid enterprise. Learn how leading organizations are leveraging modernization strategies to turn their most reliable assets into engines for digital future growth.

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Further Resources

Blog Article

Optimizing Mainframe Log Access in the Age of VS Code

Mainframe developers working in Visual Studio Code face a frustrating yet often overlooked problem. Once job logs are archived, they vanish from the development environment entirely, forcing teams to context-switch between tools to access the data they need. This article examines the hidden productivity cost of that gap. It introduces LogZ Explorer, a new Beta Systems add-on that bridges Visual Studio Code and Beta LogZ, providing direct access to archived mainframe logs within the developer's existing workspace and eliminating the need to switch environments altogether.

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Blog Article

Modernize Without Disruption: How Beta Systems DCI Enables Continuous Mainframe Transformation

For enterprises running mainframe environments, the pressure to modernize has never been greater. Yet the fear of disrupting mission-critical operations keeps many organizations locked in place. This article examines how Beta Systems’ Data Center Intelligence (DCI) portfolio enables a pragmatic, phased approach to mainframe modernization: one that evolves log management, output management, and workload automation incrementally, without putting business continuity at risk.

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Blog Article

ESG and Sustainable IT: Modernization with Responsibility

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria have rapidly evolved from a reporting obligation into a strategic imperative for modern enterprises. Organizations are now expected to demonstrate measurable progress toward sustainability, operational transparency, and responsible governance, especially within their IT landscapes. As a leading provider of mainframe and automation solutions, Beta Systems helps enterprises align modernization efforts with ESG goals while maintaining stability and performance. This article examines ESG initiatives in the mainframe environment and offers solutions to help organizations modernize responsibly while keeping mission-critical IT operations running.

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