(Note: these predictions will appear in the 2018 Enterprise Tech Journal, Issue 1 scheduled for release in March)
HostBridge CEO and co-founder Russ Teubner recently shared his predictions for mainframe integration in 2018. Here are his thoughts:
I’ve spent almost 40 years focused on mainframe integration technology. Specifically, the integration of IBM mainframe applications with whatever other technology is in vogue at the time. I can assure you, this is not the “sexy” part of the technology industry. If we do our job well, our customers forget our products exist as part of their technology infrastructure.
Almost four decades ago, when Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) was still a company, I was focused on inventing software that would enable IBM terminals, held captive to proprietary networks, to communicate with applications running on DEC machines. About three decades ago, when fax machines were prolific, I invented software that would allow IBM mainframes to send documents directly to a fax machine. Two decades ago, I developed software that would allow a human operator to use their PC and a (then new) piece of software called a “web browser” to access mainframe applications (aka “web-to-host”).
Shortly thereafter, Scott Glenn and I became convinced that the future of the IBM mainframe was probably NOT having lots of end users directly interacting with mainframe applications. Instead, end users would be interacting with non-mainframe apps that would in turn interact with the mainframe. Thus, HostBridge Technology was born and we’ve spent the last 17 years focused on inventing high-performance, high-fidelity technology that allows distributed apps to seamlessly integrate with apps that run on IBM mainframes.
2018 Mainframe Integration Predictions
And so, with a decidedly pro-mainframe bias, I hereby offer a few prognostications of my own related to mainframe integration in the year to come:
- Server-side JavaScript and Node.js continue to come of age.
- iPaaS: interesting, but buyer beware!
- Mainframe Resurgence will drive integration requirements.
- Big data and the mainframe learn to play well together.
- The mainframe appears on the SIEM radar screen.
Download the PDF version of this article to read the full text behind each of these mainframe integration predictions. Do you agree with these? Share your thoughts.