In the IT world, economic downturns change the way we behave on a number of fronts. For example, we try to squeeze extra time out of our capital equipment life cycles. We look to gain greater efficiencies in our staff assignments. We tend to shorten the Return on Investment (ROI) expectations on software implementations and process improvements.

This more conservative approach to IT also means we avoid dramatic changes that require significant investments in capital and training—great news for the mainframe industry, in which migration from the mainframe is both costly and complex. I'm seeing few organizations trying to migrate off the mainframe these days. In fact, I'm seeing more organizations increase investments in the mainframe. Does that make the mainframe hot? Read on.

Hot: To Have and Have Not

There's a lot to love about a mainframe, whose resource-management capabilities are outstanding, as are its security, availability, reliability, scalability, and performance attributes. Moreover, the mainframe continues to be the single best batch-processing platform on the planet, and I'm always amazed at how much batch processing still goes on in mainstream businesses these days.

If you have existing mainframe investments, the cost to increase capacity is reasonable. Many organizations tell me that adding Integrated Facility for Linux (IFL) workloads is "virtually free." I actually see organizations increasing investments in their mainframe environments because it is cost-effective for certain types of workloads.

Clearly, the economic downturn has turned the spotlight on the positive attributes of the mainframe and made it "hot" again. But does that mean we're heading into a mainframe resurgence for the entire industry? Well, not really.

Not Hot: To Have and Have Not

Here's the thing. If you currently have mainframe investments, you'll likely find yourself maintaining or even expanding those investments for all the reasons I just mentioned. But what if you don't already have a mainframe? Should you run out and buy one? I would suggest you consider the following three points before you write that check:

Mainframe hardware and software are in a price class of their own. And that's not a good thing. Even the language used for pricing is different. It's all about millions of instructions per second (MIPS). The problem with MIPS-based pricing is that it's impossible to compare it to pricing on any other platform.

Further, application availability on mainframes isn't as strong as on other platforms. Application developers just aren't that attracted to the mainframe these days. Vendors will tell you that the mainframe can run Linux and J2EE, so software availability is no problem. However, I will tell you that mainframe Linux is not binary compatible with x86 Linux (which severely limits the portfolio), and J2EE compatibility isn't all it's cracked up to be (consider that J2EE compatibility didn't exactly catapult the System i back to the top of the market).

Finally, there's the issue of mainframe skills. Many of the highly skilled mainframe professionals are heading toward retirement in the next decade. And if you believe that lots of universities are adding mainframe topics to their curriculum, as some vendors are suggesting, well, you can easily check whether this is true. I personally don't believe it. In summary, I have to say the mainframe remains "not hot" for organizations that don't currently have one, but it remains "hot" for those that do.

Sean Chandler is a computer and network consultant who has more than 30 years of field experience. Astro, a border collie with more than 40 dog years of data processing experience, provides technical support to his master, Sean.

Astro's Pick of the Litter

Speaking of old-school technology, you remember the days of the Polaroid "instant print" cameras? My master loved those cameras because they provided instant gratification. He could take a picture and show me a print in a couple of minutes. Those cameras are no longer being manufactured, but Polaroid now sells the PoGo printer, which yields a similar experience. You simply hook the diminutive PoGo printer to a PictBridge-enabled camera or cell phone (though sadly my master's precious iPhone isn't supported), and you can produce small but lovely prints. Even better, the PoGo printer requires no ink cartridges; it uses Zero Ink (ZINK) technology embedded in the paper itself. Polaroid has plans for an integrated camera/printer unit, but its Chapter 11 bankruptcy status puts those plans in doubt. Don't let that stop you from getting your hands on a PoGo printer, however; have some fun while supplies last!

—Astro