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The mainframe has long been the subject of decline predictions, yet its resilience has only strengthened its role as the undisputed bedrock of global enterprise computing. Now, as the BMC Mainframe Survey celebrates its 20th anniversary, the old narrative is obsolete. The mainframe isn't just a legacy system you have to maintain; it's a dynamic, growing platform essential for digital transformation. This new, exciting era is powered by two main forces: a fresh infusion of modern technologies like AI and cloud, and a major generational hand-off within the workforce. The 2025 survey confirms that the mainframe is evolving from a powerful, reliable workhorse into a strategic launchpad, actively attracting new workloads and driving innovation for the world's largest organizations.
Executive Overview – Five Key BMC Mainframe Survey Takeaways
Record-High Confidence: An incredible 97% of respondents now see the mainframe as a long-term or growth platform. This historic confidence level is notably driven by the positive outlook of younger professionals.
Workforce is Changing: The long-anticipated generational shift is here. Millennials and Gen Z now make up 66% of the workforce, bringing digital-native mindsets that are fundamentally modernizing the platform from within.
AI is the New Standard: AI-powered operations (AIOps) remains a top-three priority, and a striking 65% of respondents are already using Generative AI (GenAI) with the mainframe for high-impact uses like automated testing and compliance reporting.
Growth and Modernization In Place: Organizations are actively modernizing right where they are. This is evidenced by rising DevOps adoption (67%), growing application modernization efforts, and 72% of organizations increasing their general-purpose capacity for new applications.
Bulletproof Resilience: Security remains the number one priority. Financial services firms are leading the way by adopting zero-trust measures and extending this resilience through hybrid cloud integration, with over 47% of them connecting the mainframe to cloud object storage for greater compliance and agility.
Stephanie Walter | Practice Leader, AI Stack
Stephanie Walter is a results-driven technology executive and analyst in residence with over 20 years leading innovation in Cloud, SaaS, Middleware, Data, and AI. She has guided product life cycles from concept to go-to-market in both senior roles at IBM and fractional executive capacities, blending engineering expertise with business strategy and market insights. From software engineering and architecture to executive product management, Stephanie has driven large-scale transformations, developed technical talent, and solved complex challenges across startup, growth-stage, and enterprise environments.
Steven Dickens | CEO HyperFRAME Research
Regarded as a luminary at the intersection of technology and business transformation, Steven Dickens is the CEO and Principal Analyst at HyperFRAME Research.
Ranked consistently among the Top 10 Analysts by AR Insights and a contributor to Forbes, Steven's expert perspectives are sought after by tier one media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal and CNBC, and he is a regular on TV networks including the Schwab Network and Bloomberg.