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23 March 2008

The good old days - aren't actually gone

In a previous life, I used to feed and water these stately behemoths... and it's interesting to see how all the predictions of their imminent demise... were dead wrong...
The mainframe is the classic survivor technology, and it owes its longevity to sound business decisions. I.B.M. overhauled the insides of the mainframe, using low-cost microprocessors as the computing engine.
Everybody talks about LANS and server farms like they are the be-all and end-all technology... but in truth... sometimes you just need that big, honkin box.
The company invested and updated the mainframe software, so that banks, corporations and government agencies could still rely on the mainframe as the rock-solid reliable and secure computer for vital transactions and data, while allowing it to take on new chores like running Web-based programs.
Chug on, my old friend.

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