Compuware Study Shows Many CIOs Unprepared to Address Mainframe Developer Shortage

March 1, 2012 - PRLog -- DETROIT— March 1, 2012--Compuware Corporation , the technology performance company, today released the results of a second independent research study conducted by Vanson Bourne* into mainframe use in the enterprise. Key findings reveal that a stagnant mainframe development environment impacts developer productivity and in turn, reduces IT efficiency.

In this international study of over 500 CIOs, more than half (56 percent) state that mainframe developers – continually challenged to do more with less in a rapidly evolving IT environment – are struggling to meet the changing needs of the business. At the same time, 69 percent believe that a lack of change in the mainframe environment is turning IT graduates off from mainframe development.

“Businesses are supporting new technologies like mobility and cloud computing at record pace, forcing mainframe teams to contend with the added workload of quickly and successfully integrating new applications with legacy mainframe applications,” said Kris Manery, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Mainframe Solutions business unit, Compuware. “This rise in mainframe development coupled with a lack of new developers – a trend we call the ‘New Normal of Mainframe’ – puts teams at risk of becoming less effective in supporting the applications that are critical to today’s world economy.”

46 percent of CIOs admit to having no plans in place to address mainframe developer shortages. In addition, high acquisition costs (60 percent), complex integration (54 percent) and high training and implementation costs (45 percent) are preventing businesses from modernizing the mainframe environment.

Manery continues: “IT efficiency is about making better use of what you already have, so any moves to update the mainframe environment must happen with a minimal investment of time and cost. Developers across the board, whether they are experienced or new to the mainframe, need choice and flexibility to use the tools and techniques that will empower them to improve productivity.”

* Commissioned by Compuware and conducted by independent research company Vanson Bourne, the survey consisted of 520 CIOs in large enterprise organizations with over 1,000 employees. Specifically, the study included 100 CIOs each in the UK, France, Germany and the U.S. along with 30 CIOs each in Italy, Benelux, Japan and Australia.

About the Compuware Mainframe Solutions

Compuware’s market-leading Mainframe solutions, Abend-AID, File-AID, Xpediter, Hiperstation and Strobe, help organizations maximize developer productivity, minimize costs and deliver better service. The Solutions are available in the traditional TSO/ISPF environment, or within the Compuware Workbench, an open development environment that features an intuitive modern interface. The Workbench makes application development, testing and tuning faster and simpler to perform for both experienced mainframers as well those new to mainframe, enabling companies to develop new services faster, more efficiently and with higher quality utilizing existing resources.

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Compuware Corporation, the technology performance company, provides software, experts and best practices to ensure technology works well and delivers value. Compuware solutions make the world’s most important technologies perform at their best for leading organizations worldwide, including 46 of the top 50 Fortune 500 companies and 12 of the top 20 most visited U.S. web sites. Learn more at: http://www.compuware.com.