The Mainframe Computer

The computer most commonly used in business is the mainframe computer. A mainframe is a large, general-purpose computer capable of performing many tasks simultaneously, while permitting hundreds, even thousands, of people to use it at the same time. It is made up of many cabinets filled with electronic gear and connected to the main computer cabinet, which led to its being called a mainframe.

In 1964, after spending four years and $5 billion on research and development, International Business Machines (IBM) introduced the System/360 mainframe computer. Bob Evans, the project manager, called it the “you-bet-your-company computer”. Thomas J. Watson, Jr., IBM’s chief executive, introduced it himself on April 7, 1964; he called it the most important product in the company’s history. It became the most popular mainframe in computer history and set an early standard for the industry.

Mainframes dominated the corporate and government computing market for many years. However, in the 1980s people found many uses for the personal computer in business, and it became obvious that the mainframe needn’t be used for all computing tasks. In fact, many tasks have been shifted off the mainframe and onto minis and personal computers. The mainframe is still an essential component; however, it is commonly a storehouse for vast amounts of data that organizations need to operate properly.

Yet this change has led to a dramatic shift in how computers are viewed and used. In the past, computers of all sizes were viewed as discrete machines, each separate and unable to connect with others. Today, it is more common to think of the computer system as an electronic infrastructure for the business, not unlike the human nervous system. Today, we think far less about the type of computer we’re using, and far more about the resources and the information we need to do our work.