Today, the world’s leading companies, banks, healthcare, tech giants, and governments entrust their biggest, most critical, and most time-sensitive data to the mainframe. Now heading into its 7th decade, this bedrock technology has powered much of our world economy. Built for industry impact and brimming with advanced innovations, today’s mainframe supports modern and emerging digital technologies like hybrid cloud, open APIs, and machine learning.
The Main Scoop released a special edition podcast episode on April 9th to celebrate and ruminate on the mainframe and the supporting ecosystem’s role in supporting today’s modern global economy. The Mainframe 60th Anniversary Special captures the sentiments of the platform’s modern value significance in what will be the next chapter of digital transformation. As the director of the Main Scoop program, this episode holds special significance to me because it not only celebrates a milestone event for the platform, it also spotlights the people in this wonderful ecosystem.
The Main Scoop is a monthly, industry-agnostic video program and podcast that examines how enterprise leaders are increasingly using hybrid IT, open mainframe, generative AI, and other key technologies to shape today’s digital landscape. Hosted by Broadcom Mainframe Software’s Greg Lotko (SVP and General Manager) and Futurum Research’s Dan Newman (Founder and CEO), the podcast offers rich conversation and guarantees unexpected humorous moments, occasionally with the help of a car metaphor (or three).
In the latest 60th Anniversary Special, Greg and Dan welcomed many new and familiar names in the mainframe business through video voicemails. We heard from individuals across the mainframe community sharing their excitement about the platform today, its recent evolution as a hybrid IT powerhouse (aka “a transactional monster”), and the mainframe’s thriving (you read that right) pool of talent.
Video voicemails poured in from pundits as well as new mainframers sharing what they love about the platform and what the world might look like if the platform suddenly disappeared. “The world economy would stop,” one responder remarked. “Forget about banks, healthcare, flying, or anything money related. No buying. No selling. No travel. No withdrawing money from the bank. I don’t like to think about it.”
Obviously, that’s not going to happen, but the discussion offers a provocative take on just how important and enduring the platform is to modern IT environments and the greater digital world. Since its launch in 2022, The Main Scoop has become a leading forum for all things mainframe in the context of modern computing. We’re 21 episodes in and going strong.
As any director would agree, breaking out of old familiar narratives is key to a program’s success. I’m fortunate to find myself excited and surprised by the wide breadth of topics we cover every month. Greg, Dan, and our guests hit on many of the hottest topics in boardrooms today. And the impressive backgrounds of the guests Greg and Dan host never fail to inspire. Past guests include Paolo Carvão, senior fellow, Harvard; Tarun Chopra, VP, product management at IBM; Cory Minton, field CTO at Splunk; Andreea Bodnari from United Health*; and Dr. Howard Rubin of Rubin Worldwide.
“Mainframes are big business tech,” says Joseph Doria, CMO, Broadcom Mainframe Software Division. “Their power and resilience and digital scale is the growth engine for these big businesses, without sacrificing security, speed, and integrity of customer transactions. But mainframes no longer operate in a silo. Today’s leading organizations are using a hybrid environment of mainframe with cloud to create even more value than either/or environments.”
The Main Scoop isn’t just for mainframe zealots. It’s for people who are challenged with making the most of their technology to deliver new digital services to customers and getting the most from their current investments—mainframe and hybrid cloud very much included.
Of course, mainframe discussions are often front and center. Broadcom Mainframe Software is leading the narrative around the people and technology who make the platform what it is today. “After six consecutive years of growing investment in the platform, Broadcom is uniquely positioned to lead this discussion while examining how critical the mainframe is to not only hybrid IT environments, but greater society,” says Lauren Valenti, head of mainframe education and customer engagement. “Whether everyday consumers realize it or not, the mainframe keeps the digital world humming.”
On behalf of Greg and Dan, I invite you to join us for this special Mainframe 60th Anniversary episode. We also encourage you to subscribe and follow future monthly episodes (video and podcast) of The Main Scoop as you evaluate your approach to hybrid IT, enterprise tech, and making the most of the modern mainframe. Each show promises a lively 25 minutes. Prepare for shop talk and a joke or two, as well as lots of genuine enthusiasm for a topic that never loses its relevance.
If the last 60 years is any indication, the mainframe will quietly but powerfully endure the next 60 years and beyond. Let us all raise a glass to the people and innovations that make the platform what it is today.
*Andreea Bodnari is CEO of .alignmt.ai
John Kaplan is head of brand and communication for Broadcom Mainframe Software. He is also the director of The Main Scoop podcast.