SHARE 2025 Recap: Mainframes Are More Relevant Than Ever, Here’s Why

The SHARE 2025opens in a new tab event this week in Washington, D.C. brought together industry leaders and tech enthusiasts to discuss the evolving landscape of mainframes and the vital role they still play in many modern IT infrastructures. For anyone who finds this fact surprising, I invite you to read on. Because today’s mainframes are helping to create a legacy that’s all their own.

In fact, one of the biggest takeaways from the event was to see how companies view and use mainframes today. Which, to be clear, is as foundational elements that deserve ongoing investment and that drive innovation. According to a recent study by Forresteropens in a new tab, 54% of enterprises currently using mainframes expect to increase their usage over the next two years. This makes mainframe infrastructure an important part of these organizations’ broader IT and data modernization efforts.

In another studyopens in a new tab, 96% of decision-makers reported that their mainframe-driven IT modernization initiatives will lead to greater benefits in the future, emphasizing the potential ROI that comes with upgrading their systems.

Why Mainframes Still Matter

Having just come from the show, where along with partners from Brocadeopens in a new tab, we highlighted the benefits of our collective data and network infrastructure solutions, I can attest the mainframe is alive and well. Despite roots dating back over 50 years, mainframes are still essential for processing vast amounts of data. Organizations – especially those in financial services – rely on them to perform complex calculations, execute batch jobs and handle real-time data processing.

This makes them ideal for industries requiring high throughput and supreme reliability. Given the increasing reliance on data-driven decision-making, this also makes the need for robust mainframe storage solutions more important than ever.

Key Topics of Discussion at SHARE 2025

Throughout the event, several hot topics regarding the future of mainframe systems and storage were especially top-of-mind. These included: 

• AI: The hottest topic during the conference, just as it is elsewhere in IT. For mainframe storage, artificial intelligence is important as it can optimize data management and retrieval processes, enabling faster decision-making and predictive analytics by leveraging vast amounts of stored information.
• Application Modernization: Vital for ensuring that legacy mainframe applications remain relevant and efficient in the current digital landscape. By updating and integrating these apps with modern storage solutions, organizations can reduce costs, improve performance and enhance user experiences while protecting their existing investments.
• Cyber Resilience: As cyber threats continue to evolve, ensuring cyber resilience in mainframe storage is critical to protect sensitive data and maintain stakeholder trust. Effective cyber resilience strategies help organizations prepare for, respond to and recover from cyber incidents, minimizing downtime and data loss, which is essential for maintaining business continuity.
  
• Quantum Safe: As quantum computing technology advances, it poses potential risks to current encryption methods. Implementing quantum-safe strategies for mainframe storage is important to safeguard sensitive information against future quantum threats. And to ensuring that data remains secure and privacy is upheld in an era where traditional encryption could become vulnerable.
  
  

Celebrating the IT and Data Workhorse 

SHARE 2025 reaffirmed that mainframes and mainframe data storage remain a cornerstone of many enterprise IT architectures. As organizations continue to invest in and modernize their mainframe infrastructures, the partnership between Hitachi Vantara and Brocade highlights a trusted path forward. Together, we’re committed to empowering businesses to harness the full potential of their mainframe storage and networking environments. Ensuring security, performance and sustainability in the process, for many years to come.

Visit our Mainframe Storage solutions or connect with your Hitachi Vantara representative to learn more. 

Read more

• Top 10 Reasons for Hitachi Vantara Mainframe Storageopens in a new tab  
• Solution Profile: Modernize Your Mainframe Storageopens in a new tab
• White Paper: Mainframe Storage Compatibility and Innovation with Hitachi VSP 5000 Seriesopens in a new tab