Aiming for a Modern Development Environment with Mainframe Transformation

Digital transformation is continually intensifying and it is yet to reach its peak, especially in the software program development sector. There is so much involved in developing full-scale enterprise and commercial solutions for respective target audiences. All of these development facets have some room for improvement and that is exactly what mainframe transformation is about. 

Mainframe transformation is all about improving and modernizing the development environment constantly. With the advent of newer technologies, this development process has never been more important. Here is all you need to know about mainframe development.

What does mainframe transformation entail?

Mainframe transformation is not a small undertaking that takes place overnight as it is poised at improving legacy software to meet modern standards of operation. By modernizing the back end, which is the mainframe, in this case, enterprise systems can be comprehensively upgraded to meet current consumer demands. Therefore, mainframe modernization includes implementing agile systems instead of monolithic legacy solutions. 

Cloud-based solutions aimed at improving enterprise application mainframes can be upgraded, updated, and repaired easily. That is why mainframe transformation is so important because it improves the reliability and overall performance of the applications it powers. In addition, mainframe transformation entails upgrading database models and architecture used for processing information in enterprise applications. This creates a perfect environment for agile product development, including user-end mobile apps, web applications, and desktop software programs.

Increasing use of cloud-based mainframe transformation tools

Transforming enterprise application mainframes to faster and more efficient systems includes making full use of cloud-based systems. The cloud-based systems can be used as a Software as a Service (SaaS) solution, which is customized to the requirements of your organization. Using cloud-based systems for mainframe transformation also has some positive financial benefits. The expenses are flexible and can even be structured as a pay-as-you-go payment plan. 

That means you do not pay high maintenance costs for solutions you’re not entirely using to the full. And not to mention the performance benefits of a customized cloud-based mainframe transformation system. Since it is more linear and less complex, processing data for applications becomes quicker and more reliable than systems that have been around for quite a while.

Developing an intuitive interaction between UIs and mainframes

Undoubtedly, the user interface/user experience (UI/UX) field has taken great strides from at least a decade ago. UIs have started being more elaborately designed and are geared to fostering a positive UX to increase customer satisfaction. At the same time, careful attention is being paid to ensuring that fully-developed applications do not take too long to load. To ensure that all these objectives are met all at once, an intuitive interaction between the front-end and mainframe is crucial. 

Older mainframes can’t fully support modern UIs reliably and effectively. With that in consideration, modernizing older mainframes to support modern UIs and systems can solve this seemingly paradoxical situation. Therefore, mainframe modernization is the key to modernizing applications for demanding consumers. Also, it ensures that complex systems with elaborate UIs do not face major downtime due to an unreliable mainframe.

Eliminating redundancies and manual processes

Transforming your organization’s mainframe that powers enterprise applications and user-end solutions also has a major benefit of automating some processes. With older mainframe systems, there were some redundant processes that needed to be completed manually. Subsequently, more staffing was required to complete those processes. Transforming your mainframe can help automate processes related to data processing and management. 

Even the collection of data can become easier with an effective mainframe system integrated with applications intended to collect relevant insights. With the arrival of 5G technology, it is getting much easier to collect data faster with less manpower and completely autonomous, unlike back when data needed to be uploaded using CSV or Excel sheets to the mainframe data repository. A good example of how this development benefits consumers is the improvements to accounting apps. These applications collect insights completely autonomously and users just have to input a few key details here and there.

Suitability for incremental digital transformation

Most organizations would rather take the incremental digital transformation route because it ensures full-scale operations as they slowly adapt to newer technologies. It is the safest bet to completely switch to newer updated solutions. Mainframe transformation is suitable for that incremental shift because you can gradually cross over to cloud-based systems. By an incremental shifting of data, you do not have to worry about shutting down operations momentarily. 

Instead, the older solutions will still be in effect until everything has been set up on the new mainframe system. As a result, it is not a rip and replace changeover, which could result in service delays or even complete data loss in some cases. Therefore, implementing mainframe transformation lowers the risk of losing revenue or even customers due to service delays and failures.

Integration of enterprise data to applications

Integration of enterprise data is not much of an exercise in a modernized mainframe. Using such data on a modernized mainframe allows the implementation thereof in new applications and existing ones, whereas integrating an existing mainframe with a new application is not as effective and leads to more inefficiencies.

Also, the ease of effectively integrating enterprise data with applications makes it easy to completely overhaul its UI. There has been some evidence of this with modernized banking apps and data visualization tools. You can use the mainframe flexibly with greater reliability on both new apps and when upgrading or updating older ones. To ensure that the app is fully supported, modernizing the mainframe plays a huge role.

Closing thoughts

Mainframe modernization plays an important role in supporting new technologies entering the scene, such as automation, improved UI/UX, and so forth. To ensure that new applications are developed effectively and existing ones are upgraded to meet their purpose, transforming the mainframe is pivotal. You can crossover to a cloud-based system from the standard legacy mainframe solutions for improved financial benefits and performance improvements. Most importantly, mainframe modernization is all about improving the development environment and is equipped for powering futuristic applications.