By Milan Shetty, CEO of Rocket Software
According to PwC, nearly two-thirds (60%) of chief information officers (CIOs) see digital transformation as one of the most important growth drivers this year. Cloud has always been an important part of most organizations’ IT investments and digital transformation journeys. In fact, Gartner predicts that worldwide public cloud end-user spending will reach nearly $500 billion by 2022. But with all the hype surrounding the cloud, many organizations overlook one of the most critical tools in their business: terminal emulation.
Terminal emulators for IBM Z, IBM i, and other mainframe systems are not as popular as the cloud right now, but they play a key role in ensuring that organizations that rely on mainframes have secure access to stored data. From ensuring compliance to serving customers more efficiently, terminal emulation is key to enabling a range of business processes.
Read on to learn why IT leaders can no longer ignore terminal emulation – and what steps to take next.
Terminal emulators are no longer what they used to be
Until recently, terminal emulators have been limited in their capabilities, hindering users from a lack of configurable options and cumbersome interfaces. Because of this, organizations experience lost productivity and increased overall frustration for end users and administrators.
However, today’s new generation of emulators allow IT teams to access their business-critical applications from home computers and even mobile devices without compromising functionality. The pandemic has been an important catalyst for innovation in terminal emulator capabilities. As the work-from-home workforce soared from 17% before the pandemic to 44% during the pandemic, the need for professionals to securely access critical systems regardless of where the technology’s users are located is driving the need.
The latest terminal emulators provide users with exceptional configurability and seamless access, allowing remote team members to work as efficiently as they would in a traditional office, no matter where they are. Also, unlike the terminal emulators of 20 years ago, today’s modern terminal emulators offer the latest security features and a customized, feature-rich client and user experience. A terminal emulator that keeps pace with today’s business needs allows access to applications from any browser, allowing employees to manage the most complex functions no matter where they are.
Not every emulator is created equal
As companies upgrade their legacy systems, newer terminal emulators will help them access data from centralized systems and facilitate automation. But not all terminal emulators are created equal. Organizations with weak terminal emulators and inflexibility may experience interruptions in their user workflows, causing discomfort and slowing down processes.
An important aspect that organizations should focus on when evaluating terminal emulator solutions is the ability to unify and customize their existing IT environment. One of the main motivations for businesses to evaluate their existing terminal emulators is the operational benefits from the IT team’s perspective. Unified Terminal Emulation reduces the number of solutions that need to be supported, saving IT professionals time and resources. The ability to customize the terminal environment is also a key feature, as many users with decades of experience have strong preferences and even develop shortcuts for their most frequently used tasks. Terminal emulator customization makes the user feel familiar and comfortable with the new environment.
Another key aspect of today’s terminal emulators’ longevity to businesses is their security capabilities. While others may leave their terminal emulator solutions stagnant, vendors such as Rocket Software are continually developing and improving their emulation solutions to keep up with current security protocols, keeping them secure and compliant. This is important, especially for companies in highly regulated industries such as financial services, to avoid costly fines and penalties.
Terminal emulation is one of the most critical tools for your business because it provides access to the data your business needs to meet customer needs, while also providing a better experience for your employees. Unlike terminal emulators of the past, modern solutions provide a customizable terminal environment, ensure security compliance, and deliver a great customer and user experience.
[cta] To learn more about the capabilities of Rocket Terminal Emulator, please visit our website.