Z10: IBM’s latest mainframe, jobs and offshoring
The Big Blue yesterday unveiled its latest mainframe, the 64-Quad Core System z10 mainframe, a topic tech bloggers are eagerly commenting on [Om Malik, Engadget, Dvorak]. An interesting dimension to this move by IBM is the resurgence of interest in mainframe programming by the ‘younger generation’ entering the workforce.
Among these commenting on the topic, a blog that caught my eye was Ben Worthen's viewpoint in WSJ’s blog [“Young Mainframe Programmers are the Cat’s Meow”], where he raises the question: Where do businesses find people who remember how to program the things? The obvious answer would be: offshore; but there again, it is not as simple as that.
Even offshore, mainframe programming skills continue to be scarce as the younger generation looks to wet their feet in more ‘modern’ technologies. I occasionally spend time counseling the likes of Elizabeth Bell (from Ben’s blog) on why Mainframe jobs continue to be sexy, even for offshore service firms. An example of article in the media talking up the demand for mainframe programmers [eg. Grow with Mainframes] While pure play application programming on mainframes and mainframe product configuration will continue to require the bulk of attention, other hi-tech opportunities in the space will also thrive:
- Legacy modernization and migration: This includes application portfolio migration out of mainframes. This is also a topic I had blogged about this in the past.
- Reengineering legacy applications. Opportunities could include leveraging the capabilities of z10 or optimizing application portfolios.
- Architecting newer applications on mainframes. Architects who understand mainframe platform are going find newer opportunities. This is a topic I had blogged about a while ago “If many in the industry are predicting a resurgence in demand for COBOL programmers [eg. COBOL Today and Tomorrow], surely there is a case to be made for the resurgence in demand for mainframe applications architects?”
Bottom line: While services firms, including my employer Infosys, continue to groom a cadre of mainframe programmers to address the resurgence in demand, the next level of challenge is grooming them to become mainframe analysts and architects.
