Mainframe Vendor Independence Transformation Strategies

This white paper outlines strategies, lessons learned, and execution models to assist organizations in achieving mainframe vendor independence. It discusses the challenges enterprises face when modernizing their mainframe environments, including dependency on single vendors, escalating costs, and limited flexibility. The document emphasizes the importance of disciplined governance, clear prioritization, and speed-focused execution models in transforming complex mainframe ecosystems with minimal disruption. It identifies common reasons organizations delay change, such as concerns over outages, the belief that migrations are lengthy, lack of internal bandwidth, and unclear dependencies. The paper also addresses the fear of change and the tendency to choose renewal over transformation, which can lead to long-term issues. By investing in discovery and dependency mapping, organizations can better manage their environments and make informed decisions about modernization. Overall, the paper presents a practical framework for organizations looking to modernize their mainframe operations effectively.