For any organization running a mainframe, modernization is likely a top priority or an ongoing initiative. But what does it truly mean to “modernize” the mainframe? Is it just marketing jargon or boardroom theory? Do the outcomes modernization promises really require the actions enterprises often take? Is mainframe modernization even possible? 

In this Maven Cast episode, Ensono 2025 IBM Champions, enterprise IT experts and mainframe mavens Steven Perva and Paul Buchanan bring unfiltered candor and from-the-trenches clarity to the ubiquitous—but often ambiguous—concept of mainframe modernization. They challenge conventional wisdom about what a modernized mainframe really is, separate hype and delusion from reality, and make the case for bucking the status quo in favor of a client-focused, people-led approach to optimizing the remarkable strengths of this critical platform—one that has stood at the forefront of innovation since it helped put a man on the moon. They also offer a bold prediction about the forces that will truly shape the mainframe’s future. 

You’ll hear: 

• Why “modernization” is a misnomer for a platform that has always led the pack 
• The right and wrong ways to think about hybrid cloud 
• AI, automation, open source: which buzzword du jour delivers the biggest ROI? 
• How AI has helped mainframe technologists overcome the challenges of remote work 
• The mainframer toxic trait that automation is helping to correct 
• What tech prognosticators get wrong about the next big shift on the horizon 
• And much more 

These two veteran technologists go beyond acronyms to deliver real talk about the future of the platform they love. Along the way, they outline the assumptions IT and business leaders should question, and the steps they should take—and avoid—to help guide mainframe modernization in the right direction.