Short intro:
Mainframe technology remains the backbone of mission-critical enterprise systems, powering high-volume transactional workloads across banking, insurance, transport and government. This updated overview explains what mainframes are, why they still matter in 2025, the jobs and skills shaping the market, and how organizations are modernizing while maintaining stability.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

• What modern mainframe technology is and why enterprises continue to rely on it.
• Key market statistics and trends influencing demand for skills.
• Jobs, salaries and the most valuable capabilities for mainframe professionals.
• Practical considerations for modernization and hiring.
• NovinTrades market view and 2025–2027 forecast.

KEY STATISTICS (OUTPUT, RESERVES, VACANCIES)

• Mainframes process up to 1 trillion transactions per day across industries (IBM).
• Industry surveys report slowed migration away from mainframes in 2025, with only ~28% of applications moving, highlighting ongoing reliance (Kyndryl).
• UK salary trackers show stable hiring demand and strong wages for mainframe specialists in 2025 (IT Jobs Watch).

1) MAINFRAME TECHNOLOGY

SEO snippet: Mainframe technology refers to large-scale, high-reliability computing systems designed for mission-critical transaction processing and large enterprise databases.

Mainframes, commonly known as IBM Z systems or “big iron,” are engineered for nonstop, high-volume workloads where downtime is unacceptable. These platforms combine long-term backward compatibility with modern features such as advanced I/O optimization, AI acceleration, quantum-resistant cryptography and dense virtualization. Industries depend on them for banking transactions, airline scheduling, insurance processing, public-sector records and any operation requiring absolute reliability.

LSI keywords: big iron, IBM Z, z/OS, enterprise transaction processing, high availability

External link:
IBM overview — What is a Mainframe?
https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/mainframe

2) MAINFRAME TECHNOLOGY MEANS

SEO snippet: A breakdown of the operational capabilities that define modern mainframes: reliability, throughput, security, virtualization and backward compatibility.

When businesses talk about “mainframe technology,” they mean systems built for sustained throughput, extreme uptime, strong isolation and robust security controls. Mainframes can handle millions of I/O operations per second, achieve mean-time-between-failure figures measured in years, and run hundreds of virtual environments alongside legacy workloads. Modern enhancements include hardware-accelerated encryption, AI inference extensions, and integrated tools for observability and automation. These strengths explain why organizations rarely attempt mass migration.

LSI keywords: reliability, throughput, MTBF, virtualization, encryption acceleration

External link:
AWS explainer — What is a Mainframe?
https://aws.amazon.com/what-is/mainframe/

3) MAINFRAME TECHNOLOGY JOBS

SEO snippet: Mainframe careers remain strong across finance, government and logistics, with demand for programmers, administrators and modernization specialists.

Organizations continue to recruit COBOL developers, z/OS administrators, system programmers, CICS/IMS specialists, Db2 DBAs and mainframe migration architects. Vacancy data in 2025 shows sustained hiring velocity, especially for senior talent familiar with both legacy systems and modern integration approaches. Outsourcing and managed-service providers remain essential due to skill shortages, amplifying demand for experienced contractors and third-party specialists.

LSI keywords: COBOL jobs, z/OS administrator, CICS developer, Db2 DBA, mainframe salaries

External link:
UK job trends — https://www.itjobswatch.co.uk/jobs/uk/mainframe.do

4) MAINFRAME TECHNOLOGY SKILLS

SEO snippet: The most in-demand skills include classic mainframe competencies (COBOL, z/OS, CICS, Db2) and modern capabilities like DevOps, APIs, cloud integration and security.

Core skills:
COBOL, PL/I, JCL, z/OS system programming, Db2 administration, CICS, TSO/ISPF.

Modern skills:
Mainframe DevOps pipelines, Git-based workflows, API enablement, hybrid-cloud integration, Linux on Z, and knowledge of migration frameworks. Employers also value strong documentation habits, the ability to dissect legacy application logic, and cross-team collaboration. Industry reports show a widening skills gap, which drives salaries upward and accelerates adoption of training bootcamps and vendor-neutral certification paths.

LSI keywords: COBOL training, mainframe DevOps, z/OS skills, migration expertise

External link:
IBM z/OS learning — https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/zos-basic-skills

NOVINTRADES: BRAND INTRODUCTION

SEO snippet: NovinTrades is a global B2B marketplace connecting verified suppliers and buyers across oil products, chemicals, minerals, building materials and food commodities.

Overview:
NovinTrades offers a next-generation B2B platform that combines product listings, supplier verification, industry analyses and sponsored reportages. The marketplace enables businesses to source commodities, request quotes and publish sector-specific content that improves visibility and trust across international markets.

LSI keywords: B2B marketplace, industrial suppliers, commodity reportages, NovinTrades products

Calls to action:
Products: https://www.novintrades.com/products
Reportages: https://www.novintrades.com/reportages
Telegram: https://t.me/novintrades

NOVINTRADES MARKET VIEW AND FORECAST

Market summary:
Mainframes remain essential for large enterprises with high-volume, low-latency and regulated workloads. Most firms will continue a hybrid approach: modernize selectively, integrate with cloud services, and maintain core systems on mainframes.

Forecast (next 12–36 months):

• Continuous investment in modernization tools, APIs and DevOps pipelines.
• Stable job demand with premiums for hybrid-integration and security skills.
• Increased outsourcing and selective migration, with mass migration still unlikely due to compliance and risk.

Actionable recommendations:
Buyers and suppliers should emphasize hybrid-integration tools, training programs, modernization services, migration-assessment reportages and secure cloud-to-mainframe interoperability.

FAQs

Q1: What is mainframe technology used for today?

Mainframes support high-volume transaction processing in banking, insurance, retail payments, airline booking, public-sector registries and other mission-critical systems.

Q2: Are mainframe jobs in demand in 2025?

Yes. Demand remains solid as organizations depend on experienced developers, administrators and migration specialists, while retirements widen the skills gap.

Q3: Should companies migrate away from mainframes?

Usually not completely. Most organizations follow hybrid models, moving suitable applications to cloud environments while keeping sensitive or latency-critical workloads on mainframes.

Q4: How long does it take to become job-ready in mainframe tech?

Many learners become employable within 6–12 months through structured bootcamps, hands-on labs and mentorship pipelines.

FINAL CONCLUSION

Mainframe technology remains a cornerstone of enterprise computing. Its unmatched reliability, compliance alignment and transaction scale keep it relevant even as cloud services expand. Modernization, not abandonment, is the practical path for most organizations. Closing the skills gap and integrating mainframes with newer technologies will define the next era of enterprise IT. Platforms like NovinTrades help surface expertise, services and supplier visibility across industries connected to this evolving landscape.