Mainframe modernization, upgrade cadence, and tooling decisions are shaped as much by workforce structure as by technology. The 2026 survey reflects a notable shift in respondent mix while reinforcing continuity in operating models. Importantly, the 2026 workforce...
As mainframe environments become more integrated, organizations are not actively expanding headcount. Instead, they are investing in tooling, automation, and process refinement to sustain reliability while accommodating change. Rather than signaling a wholesale shift...
The 2025 Arcati report established that hybrid architecture had become the dominant model for organizations running IBM Z. The new 2026 survey reinforces that conclusion and advances it. Across the 2026 responses, the mainframe is consistently described as operating...
Security and risk management remain central to how organizations operate and evolve their mainframe environments. In the 2026 Arcati Mainframe User Survey, respondents describe security as an embedded operational discipline that shapes priorities, tooling, and...
Purpose: How organizations justify investment In the 2026 Arcati Mainframe User Survey, economic considerations appear to be a boundary condition rather than a primary driver of platform change. Cost influences timing and scope, but it does not dominate strategy...
AI as an Integration Catalyst Across the 2026 Arcati Mainframe User Survey, AI is not described as a force that displaces the mainframe. Instead, respondents most frequently associate AI adoption with expanded hybrid integration. When asked how AI will impact IBM Z...
The 2026 Arcati Mainframe User Survey reinforces a consistent picture of IBM Z as a durable system-of-record platform operating inside mature hybrid environments. Across business dependence, platform currency, workforce structure, tooling investment, security posture,...
This article offers a practical USS tuning primer for new mainframers, developers moving into z/OS UNIX, and technical leaders who need to understand the basics before changing system settings.z/OS UNIX tuning can feel familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. USS...
What happens when an IMS logger fills up in production? How do you prepare for z/OS 3.2? Is Coupling Facility encryption worth the effort? And what does AI really mean for the future of the mainframe workforce? The latest issue of Cheryl Watson’s Tuning Letter tackles...
Written by: Tom CosenzaMainframe is on the precipice of a new age, with quantum computing advancements being a key driver of innovation. While quantum computing offers groundbreaking potential, mainframe security risks are a growing concern. To lower risk across...
