IBM z17 puts AI at the core of modern mainframe strategy

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She sees not just a technological leap, but a reaffirmation of IBM’s platform-first approach, where AI is embedded from silicon to software and customer input has become a central force shaping product strategy. “What has happened is [that] IBM Research has really aligned much better with product … and go-to-market.” The convergence of hardware and software innovation is a tidal wave reshaping the mainframe’s role across enterprise environments, Mauri explained. The idea is to empower users without requiring deep Z operating system knowledge while AI steps in to automate tasks and surface trusted actions through natural language interfaces, Loomis explained. “And with the advent of AI, it’ll help with generating some of that automation … so you’re really able to be much more productive, much more efficient.” To reduce the risk of change in legacy apps, IBM pairs standard dev tools with AI-powered visibility. “This is where I think AI becomes a game changer for us because we’re able to give you X-ray vision into that ball of string.” Z software also helps businesses unlock insights from proprietary data that remains on-platform for compliance and security reasons.

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