MainframeZone

Home
United States
Dallas, TX
MainframeZone

This MainframeZone page provides interesting and useful information for IBM mainframe users.

MainframeZone founder, Bob Thomas, has been publishing mainframe-centric magazines since 1986. The titles of these publications have been: 4300 Journal, Mainframe Journal, Enterprise Systems Journal, z/Journal, Enterprise Tech Journal and Enterprise Executive.

07/14/2025

MAINFRAME HISTORY

In the 1960s the computer industry was known as "IBM and the Seven Dwarfs" because of IBM's major dominance.

It was true that Burroughs, Univac, NCR, Control Data, Honeywell, RCA, and GE were definitely not tiny, but compared to IBM's market share; they were definitely dwarfs.

After RCA and GE jettisoned their computer divisions in the early 1970s, IBM's much smaller competitors simply became known as the "BUNCH," after the first letters of each surviving dwarf.

07/11/2025

MAINFRAME HISTORY
IBM’s logo history is not just a visual evolution — it’s a mirror of the company’s transformation from industrial age tabulating machines to modern digital computing.

In 1972, Paul Rand introduced the now-iconic striped version of the IBM logo — eight horizontal stripes forming the letters “IBM.”

The blue color associated with IBM, often called “IBM Blue” is Pantone 2718 or PMS 286.

07/03/2025

MAINFRAME HISTORY
Celebrating a Mainframe Legend: CICS Turns 57 This Month

On July 8, 1968, a small IBM team in Des Plaines, Illinois, led by Ben Riggins, in Des Plaines, Illinois changed the future of computing by launching the first version of CICS—the Customer Information Control System.

CICS was a revolutionary transaction processing system that would go on to power banks, airlines, governments, retailers, and healthcare systems for decades.

Originally designed to support public utilities, CICS rapidly became the backbone of real-time transaction processing on IBM mainframes. It allowed thousands of users to simultaneously access and update critical data—blazing fast, reliable, and secure.

Today CICS powers 30+ billion transactions per day!

06/27/2025

MAINFRAME HISTORY
In July 2010, IBM launched the zEnterprise 196 (z196). It was the first system to bridge traditional mainframe strengths with distributed systems via the zEnterprise BladeCenter Extension (zBX).

The z196 ran at a then unprecedented 5.2 GHz, making it the fastest commercial processor in the world at the time.

The first z196 was delivered to Citigroup in July 2010, even before the public announcement.

06/23/2025

Want Db2 workloads to go faster? Register today for our hosted webinar with Log-On Software June 26, 2025.

Register for the Log-On Software "How to Get Extreme Db2 Workload Acceleration Quickly and Easily" webinar hosted by Enterprise Tech Journal

Register today for the June 26, 2025 webinar at 11AM CDT or
https://lnkd.in/gRCk3EF6

Register today for the June 27, 2025 webinar at 11AM AEST
https://lnkd.in/gX4GVzGW

06/21/2025

MAINFRAME HISTORY
On September 9, 1947, engineers working on the Harvard Mark II computer discovered a strange malfunction. Upon investigation, they found the culprit: A moth trapped in Relay #70 of Panel F.

They carefully taped the insect into the engineering logbook and labeled it: “First actual case of bug being found.”

While the term “bug” had been used in engineering circles as far back as Thomas Edison in the 1870s (he referred to “bugs” as faults in inventions), this was the first recorded use of the word “bug” in the context of computer hardware or software.

Rear Admiral Grace Hopper, a computing pioneer, popularized this story. While she didn’t coin the term, she helped make it widely known in the software world.

And from that day forward, when a system misbehaved, programmers weren’t just fixing errors — they were debugging.

06/18/2025

Register today for our hosted webinar with Log-On Software June 26, 2025.

Register for the Log-On Software "How to Get Extreme Db2 Workload Acceleration Quickly and Easily" webinar hosted by Enterprise Tech Journal.

Register today for the June 26, 2025 webinar at 11AM CDT or
https://lnkd.in/gnyUtucB

Register today for the June 27, 2025 webinar at 11AM AEST
https://lnkd.in/grbSJrjE

06/08/2025

MAINFRAME HISTORY
In 1971, IBM introduced the 3270 terminal, a groundbreaking device that would go on to define how generations of users interacted with mainframes.

Unlike earlier character-by-character displays, the 3270 introduced block-mode data transfer, making screen updates faster and more efficient—an innovation perfectly suited for high-volume business computing.

Over the years, the 3270 evolved:
* 3277 – the original monochrome terminal with 24x80 characters.
* 3278/3279 – larger screens, better ergonomics, and (in the case of the 3279) color support—up to seven distinct text colors on a black background.
* Keyboard layouts were standardized, making them second nature to generations of programmers and operators.

Though the CRTs are long gone, the 3270 protocol lives on in emulators like IBM Personal Communications, x3270, and Rocket BlueZone. From banks to airlines to governments, you’ll still find users working in green-on-black screens powered by z/OS, CICS, and COBOL—just through a modern laptop window.

It’s a testament to IBM’s engineering and the resilience of the mainframe ecosystem.

Still running, still relevant, still typing!

06/02/2025

MAINFRAME HISTORY
The punched cards used on the first IBM mainframe computers were based on a concept invented by Herman Hollerith for use in the 1890 U.S. census.

The 80-column punch cards were typically 7⅜ inches long and 3¼ inches high. They remained dominant for decades, especially during the era of early IBM mainframes like the IBM 701, 1401, and System/360.

This 80-column legacy even influenced software conventions, such as the 80-character width still seen in many code editors and terminal windows today.

05/30/2025

MAINFRAME HISTORY
IBM mainframes are known for their legendary uptime, mission-critical reliability, and enterprise power. But along the way, they’ve also racked up a colorful history full of strange quirks, odd choices, and fun facts you might not expect.

The “T-Rex” Mainframe
IBM’s z900 and z990 mainframes were internally nicknamed T-Rex due to their massive size and water-cooled ferocity. These machines could weigh over 2,000 pounds per frame and required specially reinforced floors. Big. Loud. Powerful. Just like the dinosaur.

The Orange Mainframe Nobody Wanted
The IBM 3033 from the late 1970s was released with bold bright orange panels. A drastic change from IBM’s typical “Big Blue” color scheme.
The reaction? Customers hated it. Most units were quickly repainted beige or gray.

The Singing IBM 7094
In 1961, IBM’s 7094 mainframe at Bell Labs was programmed to sing “Daisy Bell (A Bicycle Built for Two)” using early speech synthesis.
Arthur C. Clarke witnessed it, and the moment inspired HAL 9000’s haunting death scene in 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Mainframes on Wheels
Yes, IBM built mobile mainframe data centers in semi-truck trailers. These were fully functional computing environments with raised floors, AC units, and diesel generators.
Primarily used by the military and government for field operations or disaster recovery.

Liquid-Cooled Like a Supercar
Some IBM mainframes — like the 3081 and later the zEC12 — featured water cooling. You didn’t just plug them in — you needed a chilled water plant to keep them from overheating.

The $1 Million Mainframe (With 16K Memory)
A basic IBM System/360 Model 30 in 1965 could cost around $133,000 — more than a house at the time (and over $1 million adjusted for inflation). All for 16K of memory. Your first Casio or Timex watches had more memory than that!

The Emergency Shutdown Button
Some systems, like the System/360 Model 91, came with a giant red Emergency Power Off (EPO) button.
It had a locking cover — for good reason. Pressing it would instantly shut down the system (and often the entire data center). Restarting? That could take hours.

Music by Printer
IBM’s 1401 could “play music” by controlling the rhythm of its line printer. Engineers programmed it to generate melodies through the vibrations — essentially a mechanical speaker.

05/23/2025

Join our webinar on 5-29-2025 11AM CDT (5-30-2025 AEST) featuring Log-On's VTFM-NewGen Software-Only Virtual Tape Solution that Leverages the Cloud. Register!

Are You...

Looking for air-gapped, immutable backups on the cloud for greater cyber resilience, but want to avoid the hardware vendor tie-in?

Considering software-based alternatives to hardware-based Virtual Tape Systems to reduce TCO and improve flexibility?

Looking for the fastest possible recovery of stacked database tables and other objects on tape?

Log-On Software says they have solved the above challenges AND have the expertise combined with the software-only technology to deliver your future vision for mainframe data backup and archiving.

Register Today for this Enterprise Tech Journal hosted Webinar!

When: May 29, 2025 at 11AM Central Time:
Please REGISTER ME NOW for this time slot at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8458236636189612378

When: May 30, 2025 at 11AM Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST)
Please REGISTER ME NOW for this time slot at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5540010730281811548

05/21/2025

MAINFRAME HISTORY
IBM made a big name and branding change on April 12, 2016 when “DB2” became “Db2”; and Db2 Version 11.1 was announced at the same time.

Db2 would still be the same powerful database that’s been running mission-critical workloads since 1983. The name changed, but the reliability didn’t.

Address

Dallas, TX

Telephone

+12148508768

Website

http://www.EnterpriseSystemsMedia.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when MainframeZone posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to MainframeZone: