PopUp Mainframe is an on-demand mainframe environment that provides fully-configured IBM Z (z/OS) environments for development, testing, training, and delivery. It helps organizations accelerate delivery while reducing the cost, risk, and complexity of mainframe change.
Complex systems, limited access, and resource-intensive processes can delay mainframe delivery. PopUp Mainframe helps accelerate delivery by reducing these common bottlenecks.
Mainframe changes carry significant risk due to complex environments and strict regulatory requirements. PopUp Mainframe helps reduce risk with controlled, reliable change management.
Production transaction costs are low, but the cost of mainframe change can be high. PopUp Mainframe reduces the time, effort, and cost of mainframe change by streamlining delivery and eliminating process bottlenecks.
Rigid and complex mainframe environments can limit agility and slow deployment. PopUp Mainframe provides on-demand environments that increase flexibility and accelerate delivery.
Increased mainframe workloads and hybrid IT sprawl can increase energy use and resource consumption. PopUp Mainframe improves sustainability through more efficient machine usage.
Mainframe skills shortages can hamper delivery schedules. PopUp Mainframe reduces dependency on specialist expertise so teams can focus on delivery.
PopUp Mainframe addresses bottlenecks across these key functions within the mainframe technical organization:
Developers need fast access to consistent mainframe environments. PopUp Mainframe provides always-on IBM Z (z/OS) environments with applications, data, tools, and configuration ready to use.
Testing teams need consistent environments on demand. PopUp Mainframe provides scalable, replicable z/OS instances that accelerate testing cycles.
Training teams need instant access to realistic mainframe environments. PopUp Mainframe provides fully configured z/OS instances for faster onboarding and hands-on learning.
DBAs need safe environments to evaluate new releases and configurations. PopUp Mainframe provides isolated sandbox environments without disrupting production systems.
System programmers need faster ways to provision mainframe environments. PopUp Mainframe provides flexible, self-service environments without consuming additional LPAR resources.
PopUp Mainframe removes the friction that slows mainframe delivery. Ready-to-use z/OS environments can be provisioned on demand, allowing teams to develop, test, share, snapshot, and restore environments without lengthy setup processes or dependency on specialist resources. The result is faster project delivery, greater agility, and a significantly improved pace of change.
PopUp Mainframe is built on IBM’s proven TAZ and ZD&T technologies but extends them into a complete delivery platform. Alongside a fully configured z/OS environment, PopUp Mainframe adds rapid deployment, self-service provisioning, snapshot management, automation, integrations, dashboards, and simplified administration. The result is a solution designed to accelerate mainframe delivery from day one.
PopUp Mainframe can be installed in under 10 minutes on supported platforms and can be provisioned automatically using Terraform and Ansible. Rapid deployment means organisations can create new development and test environments whenever they are needed, helping projects move faster without lengthy preparation or manual configuration.
Yes. PopUp Mainframe enables true self-service provisioning, allowing developers and project teams to create and remove their own z/OS environments on demand. This reduces dependency on specialist sysprog resources, removes project bottlenecks, and enables teams to deliver changes more quickly and independently.
FastTrack is PopUp Mainframe’s environment snapshot capability. It allows complete z/OS environments to be captured, restored, branched, and shared in seconds. Teams can safely experiment, run parallel development streams, repeat testing, or instantly return to an earlier state, dramatically reducing the time and risk associated with mainframe change.
Yes. PopUp Mainframe integrates with Terraform and Ansible to automate the provisioning, configuration, and management of z/OS environments. By supporting Infrastructure as Code and modern DevOps practices, organisations can reduce manual effort, improve consistency, and accelerate mainframe delivery at scale.
Yes. PopUp Mainframe supports deployment across Azure, AWS, LinuxONE, Linux on IBM Z (IFL), and x86 servers in private data centres. This flexibility enables organisations to accelerate mainframe delivery wherever their development and testing teams need secure, on-demand z/OS environments.
PopUp Mainframe is used by development, testing, DevOps, quality assurance, training, database administration, and system programming teams. By providing secure, on-demand z/OS environments, every team involved in non-production activities can work more independently, collaborate more effectively, and accelerate the delivery of mainframe change.
Organisations choose PopUp Mainframe because it enables them to accelerate mainframe delivery without compromising compatibility or security. By removing the time, effort, and complexity involved in provisioning and managing z/OS environments, teams can deliver change faster, improve developer productivity, reduce reliance on specialist resources, and modernise the way mainframe software is developed and tested.
Read what experts say:
PopUp Mainframe delivers mainframe change faster and more cost-effectively than ever, by providing mainframe delivery teams with an immediately available, fully functioning mainframe.
We revolutionize mainframe delivery by removing the most commonplace of challenges – delivery bottlenecks – and dramatically reduce the cost of change.
