The Arcati Mainframe User Survey 2012

The 2012 edition of the Arcati Mainframe Yearbook is due for publication in January 2012. The Yearbook provides a unique reference for IT professionals working in the IBM z/OS environment, with a directory of vendors and relevant media, a glossary of terminology, and other useful information. Each year the Yearbook is downloaded by around 15,000 visitors.

One of the Yearbook's main sections is a survey of mainframe sites worldwide. We are asking users to give us some details about their installation and technical challenges, as well as their plans for the mainframe within the broader IT infrastructure.

Please let us have your responses before Friday 2 December 2011. All respondents will receive a PDF copy of the survey results on publication. Your identity and company information will be treated in confidence and will not be divulged to third parties. Please complete as many sections as you can. To be included in the survey, you must provide your name and e-mail address and the name of your organization.

Thank you
Mark Lillycrop, Publisher

 

 

 
GENERAL INFORMATION

Name of organization:

Location:

 
Which sector is your business in?
Number of employees worldwide:

 

 
Your name:
Your job title:
Your e-mail:

 

 

 
YOUR MAINFRAME ENVIRONMENT

 

 
Please indicate you total mainframe MIPS:

Which types of mainframe processor do you have installed (or on order)?

IBM zEnterprise 114
IBM zEnterprise 196
IBM z10 BC
IBM z10 EC
IBM z9 BC (2096)
IBM z9/z9 EC (2094)
IBM z9 BC (2094)
IBM z990 (2084)
IBM z890 (2086)
IBM z900 (2064)
IBM z800 (2066)
IBM Multiprise 3000
IBM 9672 G5/G6
IBM 9672 G4 and earlier
Hitachi Trinium/Pilot
Amdahl Millennium
Other (IBM)
Other (Non-IBM)
Don't know

 

 
Do you have any mainframe applications running on Intel-based machines such as PSI, T3, or Cornerstone?

 

 
What is your primary mainframe OS release?

 

 
How fast is your mainframe CAPACITY growing?

 

 

 
How fast is your System z-related IT EXPENDITURE growing, on the technology itself and on the people required to manage the technology?

 

 

 

 
What proportion of your TOTAL IT BUDGET is spent on mainframe-related costs and how much on other platforms?

 

 

 
What proportion of enterprise DATA resides on the mainframe?

 

 

 
Are your mainframe data center systems managed in-house or outsourced?

 

 

 

 
MAINFRAME STRATEGY

 

 
Does your organization view the mainframe as a strategic platform for new applications or as a legacy system?

 

 

 
What, in your opinion, are the main benefits for your organization of the mainframe over other platforms?

 

 
Scalability
Availability
Security
Manageability
No benefits
Don't know

 

 
What are the main obstacles to mainframe acceptance within the enterprise?

 

 
Too expensive (or appears to be)
Too complex (or appears to be)
Concerns about future availability/support of mainframe apps
Difficulty in retaining necessary skills
Cultural barrier between mainframe and other IT professionals
No obstacles to mainframe acceptance
Don't know

 

 
Has IBM's recent green initiatives on power consumption and cooling made the mainframe more or less attractive to your organization?

 

 

 
What do you expect to happen to your legacy applications on System z over the next three years?

 

 

 
Do you run Java-based applications on the System z?

 

 

 
Do you run Linux on the System z?

 

 

 
Do you have a data archiving strategy in place that is compliant with the latest regulations?

 

 

 
Do your mainframe applications participate in your Web services/SOA?

 

 

 
Which System z middleware have you enabled, or do you plan to enable, with Web services?

 
CICS
IMS
WebSphere App Server
DB2
Siebel
SAP
Other
Don't know

 

 
Do you currently use your mainframe for Cloud computing?

 

 

 
Are you planning to adopt Cloud computing as a strategy?

 

 

 
Do you think that IBM's 'specialty engines' such as IFL (Linux), zAAP (Java) and zIIP (DB2) make the mainframe more attractive in terms of reducing costs and cost-justifying new applications?

 

 

 
Which specialty processors do you currently use?

 
IFL
zIIP
zAAP
Do not use specialty processors
Don't know

 

 

 
MAINFRAME SOFTWARE VENDORS

 

 
How much of your mainframe software budget is spent on IBM/Tivoli software, and how much on products from independent software vendors?

 

 

 
Does your organization periodically consider replacing mainframe software packages and tools/utilities with competitive offerings? If so, what are the MOST important reasons for replacement?

 

 
To reduce costs
To reduce the number of vendors supported
To gain new function
To obtain better service/support from vendor
Other
Rarely (if ever) replace mainframe software
Don't know

 

 
OTHER PLATFORMS

 

 
Which of the following server operating systems are used by your business? Please indicate approximately how fast capacity is growing on each platform.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Relative to the mainframe, how fast are your ACQUISITION/MAINTENANCE COSTS increasing for an equivalent amount of capacity?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Relative to the mainframe, how fast are your USER SUPPORT COSTS on distributed platforms increasing for an equivalent size of user population?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Thank you for your help. We will e-mail you a copy of the survey results in due course.

 

 
Comments/other information:

 

 

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