PopUp Mainframe Further Revolutionizes Mainframe Delivery

Instantly Available Mainframe Environments under Linux on Z or the Cloud Dramatically Accelerate Mainframe Delivery Efficiency and Cost-Effectiveness

The team at PopUp Mainframe are delighted to announce the general availability (GA) of its new flagship mainframe modernization products – PopUp Mainframe X Edition and PopUp Mainframe Z Edition. PopUp Mainframe X and Z Edition provide an instantly available mainframe environment whenever required to help mainframe delivery teams accelerate urgent development and testing activities.

“As fantastic as the mainframe is as a production environment, there remain struggles and bottlenecks in how quickly change can be delivered, which brings a high cost of change. Our vision with PopUp Mainframe is to revolutionize the mainframe delivery process by offering a ready-to-use mainframe environment whenever you need it,” said CEO and Founder, Gary Thornhill.

Platform Flexibility

PopUp Mainframe product provides a functionally equivalent environment to z/OS to ensure the behaviour is predictable, regardless of the platform chosen. Separate editions offer flexibility for customers who want to be able to choose between x86 / cloud-based platforms (X Edition) or running on LinuxOne, or inside the mainframe IFL/KVM Linux environment (Z Edition).

Gary Thornhill explained, “For many organizations, cloud or x86 resources offer a cheap and readily available IT resource that can run a PopUp Mainframe instance. Other mainframe shops may have tighter access controls but have ready access to the IFL/KVM environments, or even LinuxOne, and our research suggests there’s a growing market looking to leverage these technologies. PopUp Mainframe Z Edition is specifically designed to support those mainframe users who are looking to maximize the value of those platform investments.”

Release Highlights

PopUp Mainframe’s instantly available mainframe environment removes common bottlenecks in the delivery process, with customers reporting increased delivery velocity of over 400%, while sustaining vital quality and risk requirements.

Key capabilities

• Instantly available mainframe environment removes key bottlenecks, enabling teams to accelerate development, testing, and training activities
• Deployment via Linux on Z (Z edition) or cloud (X edition) platforms removes additional hardware requirement, while potentially freeing up vital z/OS production LPARs
• Fully compatible mainframe environment supports traditional ISPF and modern DevOps toolchains, ideal for cross-team collaboration and training
• Robust configuration allows restoration of initial state, perfect for new software testing, R&D projects, and training programs.
• Instant shutdown removes any environmental footprint when not in use to support Green IT initiatives

Key Operational Benefits

• Accelerated delivery of over 300%
• Efficient, compliant testing support through advanced data management
• Sustainability improvements of up to 33% through effective platform management
• Cost Efficiency improvements through improved platform usage

What They Said

As excited as we are about this release, we are even more thrilled that others share our enthusiasm:

Paul Knight, IBM z Innovation & Business Development at TES Enterprise Solutions, commented, “The PopUp Mainframe capability is another breakthrough technology that adds even greater value to the LinuxOne and IFL/KVM environments. As our clients continue to seek ways to maximise their IBM z investments, PopUp Mainframe stands out as a powerful tool—enabling them to accelerate mainframe innovation and drive measurable business value more efficiently than ever before”.

Steven Dickens, CEO & Principal Analyst at HyperFRAME Research, remarked, “The introduction of PopUp Mainframe’s tools on Linux on Z unlocks new possibilities for mainframe agility and workload testing.This strategic move enables organizations to harness Linux environments directly on the mainframe to allow for the deployment of modern DevOps processes while ensuring operational efficiency for mainframe teams.”

Find Out More

For more information on this release, visit the PopUp Mainframe Z Editon / X Edition product page.