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OpenConnect Predicts Top Trends Framing Evolution of the Mainframe to SOAs in 2006 Organizations Leverage Innovations to Comprehend, Configure and Securely Connect Mainframe Assets and Web Services

DALLAS - Jan. 9, 2006 - OpenConnect Systems, Inc., delivering technology solutions that turn mainframe assets into business value, announced its prediction for the top trends that will determine how companies can best leverage Service-Oriented Architectures (SOAs) to unlock mainframe information. The key trends surround organizations' ability to leverage technology innovations to comprehend, configure and securely connect mainframe assets and Web services.

"In the near future, SOAs will dominate as the IT architecture platform of choice as companies embrace the flexibility, accessibility and responsiveness that a service model of delivery offers," said Edward M. Peters, chief executive officer, OpenConnect Systems, Inc. "The most important issues shaping mainframe-to-SOA enablement in 2006 will focus on delivering business value while addressing the complexities associated with these deployments."

There are numerous benefits of transitioning mainframe assets to an SOA model. Companies can better leverage substantial preexisting investments in mainframe architectures and valuable human resources, while fostering productivity gains and cost reductions. However, the primary business problems associated with extending the mainframe must be addressed and include overall costs of migration, the current gap in IT organizations' skill sets, and security and compliance risk.

For more than 20 years, OpenConnect has helped the world's largest and most complex organizations securely connect to their mainframe data through Web architectures. As organizations migrate to SOAs in 2006, OpenConnect predicts the following key technology innovations and trends will reduce the time to value:

Comprehend Legacy Assets

Mainframes are still the most dependable, high-powered technology available today, used by some 75 percent of the world's largest organizations. However, mainframe expertise in IT organizations is diminishing and knowledge of business processes is widely distributed among business users in the extended enterprise. In order to create the most effective SOA services around legacy applications and systems, companies currently employ costly consulting services and "as is" studies to gain a baseline understanding of mainframe access and usage.

OpenConnect predicts that widespread SOA proliferation will be possible only if the cost of these critical services can be contained through technology-based intelligent business process analysis and automation. Organizations will seek to drive down cost of deployment by adopting a technology-driven approach that automates data observation and collection, while reducing the time, cost and risks associated with integrating the mainframe with Web services.

Quickly Configure Service Delivery

Organizations will rely heavily on business process logic to build better services and ensure rapid development and deployment. Because skill sets within IT organizations are often broken down by platform knowledge, mainframe and Web experience is dispersed across business groups. Organizations will seek out technology solutions and integration vendors that offer a combination of Web and mainframe expertise in order to deploy SOAs, relying heavily on business process logic to quickly build better services and align IT skill sets with business goals.

OpenConnect predicts that organizations will adopt SOA solutions that allow them to leverage existing skill sets while enhancing business process understanding. These solutions will encapsulate legacy assets and reduce time to deployment by assisting with business process-level coding of SOA services for cost effective and risk-free deployment.

Connect Auditable Security

Connecting mainframe applications to Web services can create tremendous security concerns, diminishing one of the mainframe's key value propositions. This concern is heightened by legislation, including HIPAA, Sarbanes-Oxley and Gramm Leach Bliley, which has added a financial impact to security breaches. To ease security and regulatory compliance anxiety and reduce risk, companies will need to architect ways to prevent unauthorized access and facilitate audit trails.

Organizations will need technology solutions that provide highly scalable, run-time access to the mainframe with unparalleled security. A secure Web services solution will mitigate risk by protecting organizations from internal and external fraud and also provide support for regulatory and compliance policies.

About OpenConnect

OpenConnect is the premier supplier of technology solutions that turn information technology assets into business value. With a rich history of innovations in both mainframe and Web technologies, OpenConnect helps the world's largest and most complex organizations comprehend, configure and securely connect to their mainframe applications and data through Web-based architectures. OpenConnect's solutions save companies time and money, improve return on legacy technology investments and minimize the risk of expansion into the online realm. OpenConnect's products are distributed in more than 60 countries and used by more than 60 percent of Fortune 100 companies. For more information on OpenConnect, visit www.oc.com.