Mainframe companies pay us a healthy chunk of money to tell their stories. And while everyone is different, we hear the same theme repeatedly: How do we dispel the perception that we’re cavemen circling the dinosaur of Big Iron?

While yesteryear’s dinosaurs are today’s oil, we all know that the mainframe is more vital then ever in fueling organizations’ IT ecosystems. If the mainframes of the world were to go offline tonight, the global economy would instantly come to its knees.

Still, firms are fixated on revising the worldview of our industry.

To change the image, alter reality. Advertising in all its forms — social media, websites, digital marketing, print, collateral, trade shows, etc. — conveys your messaging in a compelling and memorable fashion. It communicates but will never change who you are.

You must be obsessed with evolving. How? Actively develop next-generation mainframe solutions. Go mobile. Create dashboards with great user interfaces. These are just a few examples.

Look at IBM, who spent years and a small fortune making the zEnterprise, a mainframe/server hybrid. Take a cue from CA Technologies, who developed Chorus, which busts silos by acknowledging that users now have cross-departmental Role responsibilities. I know these are huge companies, but instead of looking at how big they are, look at yourself and remember that true growth comes from within.

Do you have to leave your comfort zone? Maybe.
Is it expensive? Not necessarily.
Is it vital to the long-term health of your firm and the industry as a whole? Probably.

We are known as a leading-edge communications firm, but communications is not enough: only you can own your evolution. We can hit home runs for you in bringing your products and solutions to market, but only if you are prepared to “Be Innovative or Begone.” It is the linchpin to all our futures.

You Can Control your Evolution