Many businesses, in some form or another, have been migrating their operations to the cloud for years now. However, despite the growing popularity of cloud computing, certain critical systems (like mainframes, for instance) continue to play a vital role in many organizations' journeys.

Mainframes are powerful computers designed for handling large-scale, mission-critical workloads and are known for their reliability, security and processing capabilities. They often house crucial business applications, process vast amounts of data, and support complex transactional systems.

While it may seem logical to migrate everything to the cloud, the reality is that some mainframe applications and systems are not easily replaced or replicated in a cloud environment. They have been developed and optimized over years and years, and replacing them entirely can be time-consuming, expensive and risky.

Therefore, organizations may adopt a hybrid approach to connect their mainframe systems with distributed and cloud technologies. This approach allows them to leverage the benefits of cloud computing while preserving their existing mainframe investments and the associated critical applications. By integrating mainframe, distributed and cloud technologies, organizations can achieve interoperability and seamless data exchange between these different environments.

IT leaders clearly recognize this opportunity, too, with 65% of technology professionals working in organizations of more than 1,000 people cited implementing hybrid cloud strategy as a top priority, according to a Rocket Software study. Adding to that, 93% of respondents strongly agree with the sentence, “I believe my organization needs to embrace a hybrid infrastructure model that spans from mainframe to cloud.”

It makes sense, considering the hybrid approach comes with many advantages. It enables organizations to modernize their operations without the need for a complete overhaul. It helps when saving money and resources, and it promotes efficiency by connecting critical content across different technology platforms.

“Leaders understand that hybrid cloud solutions are the most effective way to leverage the benefits of both the mainframe and the cloud,” said Milan Shetti, president and CEO of Rocket Software.

The study also found that businesses are increasingly relying on automation to stay competitive. IT professionals still find themselves spending a decent amount of time manually managing and analyzing data. In fact, the study found that around 63% of respondents spend anywhere from six to 15 hours per week on manual data entry and analysis tasks.

To address this challenge, organizations are turning to automation solutions. By automating repetitive and time-consuming tasks through RPA, AI and machine learning, businesses reduce the hours spent by employees on data entry and analysis, freeing up their time for more strategic and value-added activities. These technologies enable organizations to streamline workflows, optimize data processing and enhance decision-making processes.

“IT leaders are under enormous pressure to do more with less resources and build an IT department that can optimize an organization’s resources and reduce exposure to risk,” said Shetti. “By pairing the right technologies, processes and vendors together, IT leaders can modernize their operations without disrupting day-to-day operations.”