Enlarge / A Z16 Mainframe.
Mainframe computer systems are sometimes seen as historic machines—virtually dinosaurs. However mainframes, that are purpose-built to course of huge quantities of information, are nonetheless extraordinarily related in the present day. In the event that they’re dinosaurs, they’re T-Rexes, and desktops and server computer systems are puny mammals to be trodden underfoot.
It’s estimated that there are 10,000 mainframes in use in the present day. They’re used nearly completely by the biggest corporations on the planet, together with two-thirds of Fortune 500 corporations, 45 of the world’s high 50 banks, eight of the highest 10 insurers, seven of the highest 10 international retailers, and eight of the highest 10 telecommunications corporations. And most of these mainframes come from IBM.
On this explainer, we’ll take a look at the IBM mainframe pc—what it’s, the way it works, and why it’s nonetheless going robust after over 50 years.
