The mainframe is NOT dead
Swansea understands that the mainframe will continue to be an important technology in the foreseeable future and we are continuously investing in our ability to assist mainframe clients deal with the changing challenges for mainframe sites. Through our research and clients we know, for example, that:
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Over 60% of hosted applications will continue to reside on mainframes through the next decade
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Over 70% of the world's business data is stored on a mainframe
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Data storage is growing by over 80% per year with the introduction of e-business, ERP and CRM
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The MIPS used by IBM mainframe customers will increase by double digits through at least 2007
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Mainframe still set the standards for security, reliability and availability
Growing “green screener” shortage
Today, the difficulties associated with providing business-critical mainframe services in rapidly changing environments are compounded by a growing shortage of IT professionals with mainframe expertise. For example:
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55% of IT workers with mainframe experience are in their 50's and 60's according to Meta Group
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It is increasing difficult to attract experienced mainframe employees who are typically fully vested in pension plans and not interested in moving
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Universities and colleges are not teaching mainframe skills
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Training costs are going up as IT managers are forced to provide mainframe training
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Individuals with the combination of strong technical skills and the ability to deal with repetitive and mundane tasks required for many mainframe positions are hard to find
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Many organizations are reluctant to hire or train mainframe specialists in light of plans to phase out mainframes
Mainframe training from Swansea
Swansea provides a broad range of training for the mainframe and other environments. Please click here for more information on our mainframe training offerings.
Swansea's mainframe solutions
Swansea has helped many mainframe organizations cope with today's challenges and plan for tomorrow's. We would be pleased to provide further information on our mainframe related services and solutions which include those shown in the following table.
| Strategy for mainframe skill shortage |
Swansea service |
| Data centre consolidation |
Highly experienced consultants with extensive experience |
| Replacement of mainframe applications |
Highly skilled consultants and/or fully implemented solutions |
| "Modernization" of systems, e.g., migration to IBM zSeries servers running both z/OS and Linux |
Highly skilled consultants and/or fully implemented solutions |
| Cross-training of internal IT staff |
Swansea's mainframe training services (More...) |
| Increased use of contract staff |
Highly skilled consultants with extensive experience and a variety of staffing models |
| Productivity tools |
SimpList software from our business partner Soft-Center Solutions Inc. |
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