IBM Unveils Next-Generation Dual-Architecture Processor for IBM Z and LinuxONE
At the annual Hot Chips conference, IBM announced the first dual-architecture mainframe processor, which is being designed to enable enterprises to run operating systems and applications on both the IBM and Arm® compute platforms in future IBM Z and LinuxONE systems. This marks the first processor milestone to emerge from the IBM and Arm collaboration established in April 2026, and represents a significant advance in enterprise computing. The new processor is being developed to allow organizations to run Arm-native Linux environments simultaneously with z/OS and Linux on IBM Z, while benefiting from IBM’s established security, reliability, and scale.
With more than 22 million developers worldwide, the Arm software ecosystem supports a broad and growing range of applications from cloud to edge, including the cloud-native and AI software increasingly shaping modern infrastructure. This new processor will bring that ecosystem to the IBM platforms known globally for transaction processing and data-intensive operations. Arm workloads will benefit from IBM’s enterprise-grade capabilities, including enhanced reliability, hardware-level fault detection and recovery, advanced encryption, secure key management, and AI acceleration.
Built on a 2 nanometer technology node, the processor’s design will contain 11 high-performance cores operating at more than 5.7 GHz, AI inference accelerators for in-transaction fraud detection, a dedicated on-chip data processing unit for I/O acceleration, and a large cache architecture for demanding enterprise workloads. The chip is architected to not contain separate Arm and IBM cores: each processor core can natively execute Arm and IBM Z, or Arm and LinuxONE, instructions concurrently while prioritizing the platform’s established performance, security, encryption, and availability characteristics. IBM Z and LinuxONE platforms are capable of scaling to hundreds of cores and tens of terabytes of memory.
“As organizations modernize their application portfolios and integrate AI into core business operations, they need infrastructure that expands their options,” said Christian Jacobi, Chief Technology Officer and IBM Fellow, IBM Systems Development. “This processor represents a significant architectural advancement for IBM Z and LinuxONE. By bringing Arm natively to our platform, we’re combining access to one of the industry’s fastest-growing software ecosystems with the qualities that have made IBM systems the foundation for how businesses run today.”
This milestone represents a major step forward in IBM and Arm’s shared vision of expanding application choice and access to the latest in software innovation for enterprise computing without compromising the capabilities these environments demand.
Source: IBM
BMC Survey Finds 94% Confidence in the Mainframe as Enterprises Scale AI With Human Oversight
According to the 2026 BMC Mainframe Survey, confidence in the mainframe remains high, as 94% express long-term confidence and continued investment in the mainframe. Mainframe professionals are increasingly adopting generative AI tools to recommend actions, and implementing AI technologies remains a top priority for 45% of respondents.
The annual global survey of more than 1,300 mainframe practitioners and decision makers indicated that organizations are also demonstrating a pragmatic approach to AI, with respondents being more comfortable allowing AI to provide insight and recommend actions than allowing it to execute independently.
Additional key findings include:
- AI as advisor: The research suggests that mainframe practitioners and decision makers are adopting a cautious realism, turning to the technology to act as an advisor rather than an executor. For example, 40% are willing to have AI recommend code-management actions, but just 23% are willing to allow AI to complete them. Similarly, for database reorganizations, 43% want AI to recommend action compared to just 37% last year, while 21% feel comfortable letting AI complete the action.
- Use cases are increasing: From performance tuning and problem detection to database reorganizations, IMS queue management, and documentation generation, enterprises are prioritizing AI initiatives that improve productivity, simplify operations, preserve knowledge, and accelerate modernization.
- Concerns remain: Respondents note high implementation costs (41%), security/privacy (39%), data integration (37%), and regulatory/compliance (22%) as significant AI implementation concerns.
Agents are coming: Agentic mainframe management is a top investment strategy. The survey shows that 36% plan to invest in creating agents to manage the mainframe, while 32% plan to invest in third-party agents.
Digital certificates are an area to embrace: With the new requirements for reducing the standard digital TLS certificate lifecycle to 88% by 2029, mainframe shops will face increased work and potential disruptions without a plan in place. The survey shows that certificate management remains fragmented, as 43% use in-house automated solutions, 31% use product-based automated solutions, and 25% still rely on manual effort.
“Our latest mainframe survey shows an industry moving beyond AI experimentation toward trusted, operational adoption,” said John McKenny, senior vice president and general manager of Intelligent Z Optimization and Transformation at BMC. “When trust and reliability are essential, enterprises start with BMC first. We are seeing a significant shift as organizations have gone from asking how they can use AI to asking where they can trust it, how it can be governed, and where it delivers measurable value. It’s becoming clear that the path to greater AI autonomy on the mainframe will be earned through trust, with the option of humans remaining in the loop to oversee and implement AI recommendations.”
Source: BMC
Rocket Software Advances AI Enablement for Application Modernization Across Mission-Critical Platforms
Rocket Software has announced new AI innovations across its application modernization portfolio, redefining how organizations modernize mission-critical platforms with AI. Across IBM® i, IBM Z®, MultiValue, and Uniface®, the company is infusing application development, database management, and system operations with actionable, explainable, and governed AI. Through AI-powered developer experience and AIOps capabilities, the advancements empower developers of all skill levels with AI-driven capabilities that accelerate modernization, improve software quality, strengthen operational resilience, and help organizations deliver applications faster.
As AI adoption accelerates across software development, organizations are under growing pressure to modernize mission-critical systems while addressing persistent IT skills gaps. According to the Linux Foundation, 57% of organizations say upskilling existing staff is their primary strategy for addressing technical talent gaps, ahead of hiring new technical staff. Rocket Software’s latest innovations are designed to address these skills gaps by empowering developers of all skill levels with AI-enabled tools and modern development practices.
Unlike consumer-grade AI tools or siloed automation products, Rocket applies AI directly to mission-critical platforms for deeper insights and more powerful automation. Rocket Software’s solutions are designed to operate across hybrid architectures, support modern containerized deployments, and integrate with existing workflows and business logic.
At the same time, Rocket Software maintains AI policies overseen by an internal AI Governance Board, with a strong focus on the safe and ethical use of AI.
“Today the value of AI is now measured by how confidently organizations can leverage it to their most critical systems,” said Puneet Kohli, President of the Application Modernization Business Unit at Rocket Software. “By embedding governed, explainable AI directly into the platforms and workflows our customers already trust, we’re helping organizations accelerate modernization, extend the value of existing technology investments, and equip developers of all skill levels to confidently support mission-critical applications.”
How Do These Innovations Empower Every Developer?
- Extend developer-first AI enablement across IBM i, IBM Z, MultiValue, and Uniface, making modern development workflows more accessible for developers of all skill levels.
- Enable faster development through AI-generated code analysis, cross-platform IDE integration, and CI/CD automation.
- Embed AI across developer and user workflows to enhance productivity, improve user experience, and elevate overall application quality.
How Do These Capabilities Accelerate Software Delivery and Quality?
- Deliver higher-quality code through AI-powered static code analysis, RPG code modularization, and AI MCP interfaces, and AI-generated unit testing that can increase code coverage beyond 90%.
- Integrate with modern DevOps toolchains, including Git® and Azure® Pipelines, to detect issues earlier and accelerate software delivery across IBM i environments.
How Do These Enhancements Deliver Actionable, Explainable AI?
- Embed governed, domain-aware AI directly into MultiValue and Uniface application platforms to accelerate modernization while preserving trust, stability, and architectural choice.
- Deliver AI designed for transparency, trust, and compliance through seamless integration with existing workflows, business logic, and hybrid architectures.
How Does Rocket Software’s AI Innovations Strengthen Operational Resilience?
- Introduce Rocket iCluster® AI Tuner to optimize replication performance through AI-driven analysis.
- Proactively identify latency and throughput bottlenecks to improve RTO and RPO, strengthen business continuity, and simplify high availability and disaster recovery operations.
“AI is rapidly transforming how organizations approach software quality and delivery, with automated testing emerging as a key enabler of more mature DevOps practices. The ability to generate unit tests and increase code coverage at scale not only reduces manual effort but also helps teams identify issues earlier in the development lifecycle. As enterprises extend CI/CD into traditionally complex environments like IBM i, innovations such as AI-driven testing and analysis will play a critical role in improving both speed and confidence in delivery.” – Jim Mercer, Program Vice President, Software Development, DevOps, and DevSecOps, IDC Research.
Source: Rocket Software
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