Mainframe computer

Mainframes (often colloquially referred to as big iron) are large and "expensive" computers used mainly by government institutions and large companies for mission critical applications, typically bulk data processing such as censuses, industry/consumer statistics, ERP, and financial transaction processing.

Statistics

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It has been reported that:

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• 85% of all mainframe programs are written in the COBOL programming language
• 7% are written in Assembler, C or C++
• 5% are written in PL/I
• 3% are written in Java and other languages

Java use is increasing rapidly as of late 2004, and these figures are likely significantly out-of-date. (See also zAAP, WebSphere, and Linux.) Also, mainframe COBOL has recently acquired numerous Web-oriented features, such as XML parsing, with PL/I following close behind.

Related Topics:
As of late 2004 - ZAAP - WebSphere - Web - XML - PL/I

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• Most mainframes (rumoured to be 90%) have IBM's CICS software installed. Other software staples include IMS, DB2, and MQ.
• In the early 1990s the media and many business and computing analysts predicted the death of the mainframe. The predictions were disproved as many companies embraced the mainframe as offering an affordable means to handle their Internet business models.
• The quality of service offered by mainframes mean they are the preferred technology for many business critical applications.
• As of late 2004, IBM claimed over 200 new (21st century) mainframe customers—that is, customers that had never previously owned a mainframe.