The evolution of mainframes over the past 60 years highlights their enduring relevance in modern technology and their role as the backbone for today’s critical applications. In this show, Len Santalucia, Chair of the Open Mainframe Project (OMP) governing board and CTO of Vicom Infinity, reflects on the 60th anniversary of the mainframe. Santalucia also discusses its history, challenges, and future of mainframes, alongside the role of the Open Mainframe Project in driving innovation within this space.

Open Mainframe Project, established in 2015, was created to bring open source solutions to the mainframe community with strong controls and robust support. Santalucia explains that the project has expanded significantly over the years, with more than 20 active initiatives and growing global membership. Open Mainframe Project’s mission centers on making open-source technologies accessible and beneficial to the mainframe ecosystem.

Santalucia highlights mainframe’s resilience and compatibility with both legacy and modern programming languages, including COBOL, Java, and Go. Santalucia believes that IBM’s continued development of new models ensures the mainframe’s adaptability and relevance in today’s applications. Santalucia emphasizes the mainframe’s unmatched reliability, which remains crucial across industries.

Considering the future of the mainframe, Santalucia predicts ongoing advancements in its capabilities, particularly in artificial intelligence (AI). Many organizations are rediscovering the mainframe’s potential after the limitations of alternative platforms, such as the cloud, were realized. Santalucia attributes this repatriation to mainframe’s ability to provide high service levels and security.

The lack of resources and skill shortage are a significant barrier to adopting new features, though, especially in the context of AI. While AI acceleration was introduced in the z16 four years ago, Santalucia admits that there is still an ongoing challenge saying, “So now getting there is the biggest challenge, and getting there fast enough to be able to keep up with your particular competition that you are in, your world that you’re in.”

To address these challenges, Open Mainframe Project is focusing on initiatives like Zorse, a project that aims to enhance large language models (LLMs) for mainframe code development. Santalucia also highlights the importance of growing membership to fund and sustain these initiatives. Support from industry partners, such as Broadcom’s donation of a mainframe, is also crucial in helping Open Mainframe Project empower its community with the tools and resources to continue innovating in the mainframe ecosystem.

Guest: Len Santalucia
Project: Open Mainframe Project
Show: 2025 Prediction Series

This summary was written by Emily Nicholls.