Mainframe Migration to Open Source

In today’s business environment, it is vital to know when to adopt new technology, when to keep current applications in place and when to make the most of both options.

The challenge is to understand when maintaining business in an existing environment is more painful than migrating to an improved one whilst at the same time not succumbing to the “grass is always greener on the other side” misnomer. Indeed, all too often, strategic IT directives are laid down based on information that is sometimes many years out of date.

Quite frequently companies run into technology barriers imposed by the continued use of ageing IT infrastructure regardless of the platform they are using.

Although there are many ways to integrate new applications with existing legacy applications, organizations struggle with achieving the level of flexibility and time to market they desire in today’s rapidly changing business environment.

Fujitsu, working with our Legacy modernization partners Ateras and FreeSoft delivers a highly efficient and cost effective service to modernize and migration applications and systems which have been built in legacy technology on Mainframes and Mid–Range Infrastructure to Open Source alternatives.

For those organizations considering migrating application workloads from one environment to another, Fujitsu’s Legacy Modernization capabilities can:

• Accelerate transition to a new IT environment;
• Reducing the risk of unforeseen and costly hurdles;
• Create significant savings through reduced operating expenses; and
• Increase functionality for a significant competitive advantage

This legacy modernization capability allows clients with applications and systems which are built in technologies such as COBOL, Natural, RPG, Informix 4GL and Ingres 4GL to move to a Java based alternative. The resulting migrated applications can be run on any open source compliant platform.

The capability includes to migration of databases, platforms and architectures as appropriate for each client. Should the modernization include replatforming this capability will alos handle associated technology migrations, for instance Data Access Methods, Control Languages, TP Monitors.

The delivered applications are created in high quality code so that the client can develop and maintain the applications well into the long term on the new technology.

Why Fujitsu?

Fujitsu and our partners Ateras and FreeSoft offer a robust and low risk way of migrating applications to open source. Fujitsu’s Legacy Modernization capabilties offer:

• Commercial models to suit your business requirements;
• End to end solutions with single point accountability;
• Extensive experience in planning, designing, migration and implementation of legacy systems and new world technology;
• Proven methodologies (Macroscope™);
• Certifications of International standards of excellence (ISO9000®, ITIL®, CMM);
• Experience with automated legacy system conversion and documentation;
• Capability and experience in J2EE and Microsoft .NET™ solutions;
• Ability to deliver using on-shore or off-shore resources;
• Ability to work with your existing IT staff in a combined delivery team;
• Access to global resources with experience assisting major corporate and government sector organizations;
• Knowledge of legacy system hardware and software for all major vendor systems; and
• Unique range of software products that assist in the transformation of legacy environments;

Some of the benefits of undertaking this Legacy Modernization alternative are:

• By migrating applications to a more suitable operating system and platform, organizations can effectively leverage their investment, while providing substantial fiscal benefits;
• Application migration can allow user interfaces to be enhanced to leverage modern presentation layer techniques, and readily deliver contemporary solutions to meet business requirements;
• Open System operating systems, such as z/Linux, Linux, UNIX or Windows have the capacity to reduce license, maintenance and support fees;
• Reduction in the complexity of an organizations systems portfolio reduces the skills complexity and cost of resources;
• Enhanced and updated skills for existing IT staff;
• Increased business agility and possibly increase systems speed;
• Improved access to information for staff and customers;
• Reduced Machinery footprint, delivers better value from hardware and can reduce the power and cooling requirements or remove the need for expensive Data Centre expansions; and
• By taking advantage of lower support, maintenance and support license fees and infrastructure maintenance costs, operating costs can be reduced by 15% to 25%