Who’s got the skills to maintain your mainframe software?

IBM Mainframe maintenance: the value for money mystery

Mainframes are here to stay. With their unbeatable security and performance, they continue to be one of the most important tools available for enterprise IT architecture. If your organization uses mainframes, you’re in good company: according to figures released by IBM at the end of 2020, 71% of Fortune 500 companies still rely on mainframes to power their businesses.

But mainframe ownership comes with a serious financial commitment. In addition to the eye-watering initial investment, up to 80% of the total cost of ownership for these super computers comes down to maintenance. Some of that cost is related to hardware, but the majority is dedicated to ongoing support and maintenance for all the different types of software running on these mainframes.

If these systems are inherently ultra-reliable, where is all that Mainframe maintenance money going? For a lot of users, the answer isn’t clear – they aren’t seeing the innovation, value or level of support they deserve for the amount they are paying. However, many companies have resigned themselves to paying the ever-increasing annual fees. They are convinced that vendor subscription and support (S&S) is the only way to keep their systems running smoothly and securely. But at what cost and risk?

A concerning shortage of the right mainframe skills

Where to find independent mainframe software experts

It might come as a surprise that major software vendors like IBM don’t have the right mix of technical skills in their support teams. So, where did all the experienced software experts go? In some cases, the more senior staff simply reached retirement age. And in other cases, software vendors made a conscious decision to layoff certain types of software experts to prioritize new hires who are trained on the latest developments. One example is the well-publicized claim that IBM actively encouraged ‘dinobabies’ (older, more experienced workers) to leave the company.

The good news is that these experts are still around – if you know where to find them. And Origina does. We designed our business to address this very IT skills gap, with a specific focus on IBM® software. Over the years we’ve built a team of 600+ independent IBM® software experts who know every single detail about the products they support – some of them even wrote the original code!

You have a choice when it comes to mainframe support

Our consultative approach clarifies priorities, enhances compliance and minimizes risk. It also creates a foundation for deeper partnerships, like advising on long-term migration or modernization projects.

And we can’t forget to mention the price. Our services cost far less than what you’re used to paying for vendor software support – most of our customers see savings of at least 50%. Better yet, the savings are twofold: you’re not only able to reduce support costs, you’re also able to extract more value out of the software you’ve already paid for.

Boost your software maintenance skills with Origina

If you’re ready to explore a more effective way to maintain all your IBM® software, let’s plan an introductory call. We’d love to hear more about your business environment and technical challenges, and explain how our team can help close your IT talent gap.