A data point I reference a lot … about mainframes.
Tech executives expect half of the legacy applications to be modernized in the next two years, according to an Infosys survey of 1,500 senior tech leaders released earlier this year.
The survey found that 88% of systems are legacy, and 45% reside on legacy mainframes.
And, with further insights from CIO Dive, concern over access to the right talent to properly maintain legacy systems was listed as a major concern by three-quarters of more than 400 companies surveyed for an October report by IT services provider Advanced. Nearly half said their pool of mainframe-capable talent is decreasing.
The percentage of workers between 18 and 29 has increased, while those over 50 have a smaller share of the pie, according to BMC’s survey. Women now make up 30% of mainframe workers, a 7% increase year over year.
I often quip about how mainframes continue to be big business, no pun intended. For those midmarket and larger providers, this is significant business. While it’s easy to focus on the cloud or fully modern systems, 45% of systems residing on legacy mainframes are non-trivial.
Despite the talk of disruption, a healthy dose of realism is always welcome…, and there’s an opportunity here.