For decades, the end of the mainframe has been prophesied. It was said to be a relic of a bygone IT era, too expensive, too complex, too proprietary. But anyone who takes a look at the data centers of the world’s leading companies today will find that the mainframe is impressively demonstrating its future viability. This change is no coincidence, but the result of consistent strategic investments by IBM and a growing ecosystem of partners. The mainframe is ready for the age of artificial intelligence, armed against growing cyber threats, and more open than ever to a new generation of developers.
This blog post sheds light on the three central pillars of this transformation: the comprehensive integration of AI, proactive protection against future threats from quantum computing, and the strategic opening of the platform through open source and DevOps. We will see how these developments are not only changing the technology itself, but also the people who work with it, making the mainframe future-proof.
/1/ The Mainframe in the AI Age: From Theory to Practice
The integration of artificial intelligence is undoubtedly an important driver securing the future of the mainframe. The numbers speak for themselves: According to the 20th annual BMC Mainframe Survey, 65% of companies are already using generative AI in conjunction with the mainframe, and an impressive 74% consider it crucial to their strategy in the next two years. This shows that AI on the mainframe is already a reality.
IBM’s AI-Powered Mainframe: The z17
At the heart of this development is the IBM z17, a mainframe designed from the ground up for the AI age. With the integrated Telum II processor and the optional Spyre AI accelerator, IBM follows a clear principle: “Bring AI to the data, not data to the AI”. Instead of having to move sensitive data to other platforms for AI analysis, which increases latency and creates security risks, AI operations take place directly on the mainframe: where the critical company data is located.
Concrete AI Use Cases on the Mainframe
The resulting possibilities are diverse and transformative. The IBM z17 already supports over 250 AI use cases. Here are some of the most important examples that are already a reality today:
Real-time fraud detection: This is one of the most impressive use cases. While its predecessor, the z16, was already able to analyze thousands of transactions per second for fraud patterns, the z17 goes one step further. With the increased computing power of the Telum II and the Spyre accelerator, financial institutions can run even more complex AI models to detect and prevent fraud before the transaction is completed []. This is a decisive advantage in the fight against increasingly sophisticated fraud methods, which are themselves used by AI-powered attackers.
Increased productivity for developers and IT operations: Maintaining and modernizing legacy applications, which often consist of millions of lines of code, is a huge challenge. This is where tools like watsonx Code Assistant for Z and watsonx Assistant for Z come in. They run directly on the mainframe and use generative AI to help developers understand, refactor, modernize, and optimize old code. At the same time, they support IT operations as conversational assistants in system administration and the automation of complex tasks.
AI-powered security: At a time when compliance with regulations such as the EU Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) is becoming increasingly important, the mainframe offers new, AI-powered security functions. “Sensitive Data Tagging for IBM z/OS” uses Natural Language Processing (NLP) to automatically classify and protect sensitive data. “IBM Threat Detection for z/OS” in turn uses AI to perform routine scans and identify malicious anomalies that could indicate a cyberattack.
Other use cases: The range of AI applications on the mainframe extends from risk assessment in lending to the analysis of medical images and the management of chatbot services.
Dom Starkey of Macro 4 aptly summarizes the importance of this development:
“With its next-generation Telum II processor, on-chip AI accelerator and PCIe attached Spyre AI accelerator with the potential to fun AI-powered assistants and security tools, the IBM z17 really is a modern mainframe for the AI age. For enterprises that are facing growing fraud risks, IBM Z talent shortages and strict security and regulatory demands or those with their own unique AI-specific use cases, the z17 can be a transformational AI platform designed to drive business value today and well into the future.”
/2/ Strengthening the Fortress: Quantum-Safe Security in the Age of Escalating Threats
Security has always been one of the core strengths of the mainframe. But the IT world is facing a new, potentially disruptive threat: quantum computing. Experts assume that in the coming years, quantum computers will be able to break the currently common asymmetric encryption algorithms. This threat, often referred to as “Y2Q” (Years to Quantum), has far-reaching implications for data security in all industries.
IBM’s Proactive Approach: The Quantum-Safe Mainframe
In the face of this danger, IBM acted proactively at an early stage. The IBM z17 is the first mainframe to be equipped with quantum-safe cryptography features. These new algorithms are designed so that they cannot be broken by either classic or future quantum computers. This means that IBM is protecting the data stored on the mainframe not only from today’s threats, but also from tomorrow’s.
An Ecosystem for Quantum Security
Preparing for the quantum age is an industry-wide effort. Partners like Kyndryl already offer “Quantum Safe Assessment” services to help companies assess their specific risks and develop a roadmap for converting to quantum-safe cryptography. This underscores the need for a holistic strategy that goes beyond pure technology and also includes processes and architectures.
The message is clear: While others are still discussing the potential risks of quantum computing, the mainframe is already delivering concrete solutions to protect the “crown jewels” of companies.
/3/ Opening the Gates: The Mainframe Embraces Open Source and DevOps
For a long time, the mainframe was considered a closed, proprietary world. But this perception has changed fundamentally in recent years. IBM has strategically opened up the platform and is actively promoting the use of open source and modern DevOps practices. This opening is perhaps the most significant development in making the mainframe attractive to a new generation of developers.
The Open Mainframe Project and Zowe: A Revolution for Developers
The Open Mainframe Project, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2025, plays a central role here. As a Linux Foundation project, it has set itself the goal of creating an open and collaborative ecosystem for the mainframe. The jewel in the project’s crown is Zowe, an open-source framework for z/OS that is revolutionizing the way developers interact with the mainframe.
Zowe offers modern interfaces and tools that developers know and appreciate from other platforms:
Zowe CLI (Command-Line Interface): Enables control of the mainframe via scripts and integration into common CI/CD pipelines (Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery).
Zowe Explorer: An extension for popular development environments such as Visual Studio Code, which provides simple and graphical access to mainframe resources such as data sets and jobs.
API Mediation Layer: A gateway that makes mainframe applications and data available as modern REST APIs, thus simplifying integration into distributed applications and hybrid cloud scenarios.
John Mertic, Director of Program Management at the Linux Foundation, describes the vision of Zowe as follows:
“Zowe is an open source software which provides both an extensible framework, and a set of tools that allow mainframe development and operation teams to securely, reliably and scalably manage, control, script and develop on the mainframe like any other cloud platform.”
Containers, Microservices, and Linux on the Mainframe
But the opening goes even further. With technologies like Red Hat OpenShift on IBM Z, companies can now run containerized applications and microservices directly on the mainframe. This enables a true hybrid cloud strategy in which modern, agile applications run side-by-side with traditional, high-performance mainframe workloads. In addition, Linux on the mainframe is enjoying growing popularity. 96 of the top 100 mainframe companies already use Linux on IBM Z to combine the flexibility of open source with the platform’s unsurpassed reliability and security.
/4/ The New Generation of Mainframers: A Cultural Change and a Bright Future
The technological modernization of the mainframe goes hand in hand with a profound demographic change. The days when the mainframe was considered a career dead end are over. The 2025 BMC Mainframe Survey shows that the proportion of millennials and Gen Z in the mainframe workforce has risen to 66% – a doubling since 2018.
This new generation of mainframers not only brings fresh perspectives and digital skills, but also actively drives the modernization agenda. They have a much more positive attitude towards the future of the platform and see the enormous career opportunities that are opening up in this area. The attractiveness of mainframe careers for young talent is on the rise again, favored by technological advancements and excellent future prospects.
Initiatives like the Eli Madison Memorial Mainframe Apprenticeship (EMMA) play a crucial role in training the next generation. The program offers practical training on real mainframe systems and a direct entry into a high-paying and future-proof industry.
Dr. Cameron Seay, founder of EMMA, puts it in a nutshell:
“EMMA delivers a scalable, high-impact solution through comprehensive, hands-on training that transforms raw talent into career-ready mainframe professionals.”
In parallel with these initiatives, the European Mainframe Academy (EMA), a company of the Beta Systems Group, is setting decisive accents in the development of skilled workers. While the EMA is already the clear market leader in Germany and is continuously expanding this position, it has long since expanded its offering beyond the German-speaking world. The Academy now offers its specialized training programs throughout Europe and is currently pushing ahead with further internationalization. In this way, the EMA ensures that companies throughout Europe can fall back on highly qualified experts to secure the technological excellence of their mainframe platforms in the long term.
Further information on the international training courses and certifications can be found on the Academy’s website: https://www.mainframe-academy.de/
Conclusion: The Future is Hybrid, Intelligent, and Runs on the Mainframe
The renaissance of the mainframe is in full swing. IBM’s strategic investments in AI, security, and openness have transformed the platform and prepared it for the challenges of the future. The mainframe is no longer an isolated island, but an integral part of the modern hybrid cloud world.
