19.5 Enriching your mainframe environment with new applications

Adding a new application as a middle-tier to an existing mainframe environment can be an attractive proposition for a new business opportunity.

On the mainframe, it is easy to create an additional image for a new application. The mainframe's virtualization technology provides isolation that prevents the new operating system from interfering with the other operating systems on the machine.

Deploying a new application on Linux on the mainframe does not necessarily require additional hardware. The resources needed for starting a project can sometimes be covered by spare mainframe capacity. If a successful project's success requires more resources, its profitability can justify the purchase of the extra capacity.

As seen frequently in our discussion of StoreCompany, it uses this opportunity of easily adding additional images to great advantage for its online sales application and later for its business intelligence application.