In April 2025, IBM unveiled the latest evolution of its mainframe portfolio with the introduction of IBM Z17, advancing its long-standing leadership in mainframes. IBM has long been a cornerstone in the evolution of enterprise computing, with its mainframe systems being vital in supporting mission-critical operations across industries. Known for their reliability, security, and performance, IBM has consistently adapted its mainframes to meet changing business needs. IBM Z17 focuses on delivering alignment with enterprise hybrid cloud and sustainability goals. It stands out with features such as quantum-safe encryption through Crypto Express 8S, Watsonx Assistant for Z, Operations Unite, and AI-enabled processing at the core. It introduces enhanced security features and hybrid cloud readiness, offering enterprises a flexible, future-ready solution to modernize while empowering mission-critical workloads in a rapidly transforming digital landscape. This evolution in the Z series reinforces IBM’s commitment to autonomous IT, streamlining operations, enhancing user experiences, while addressing long-standing challenges such as talent shortages and legacy system constraints.

In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, vector databases are emerging as a key enabler for enterprises looking to harness the potential of unstructured data, particularly in the realm of agentic AI. As organizations generate vast amounts of unstructured data, traditional databases struggle to process and query this information effectively. Vector databases provide a solution by representing data as high-dimensional vectors, allowing for more efficient search, retrieval, and analysis. This report explores vector databases’ role in the modern AI ecosystem, examining their impact on unstructured data management, their comparison with traditional databases, and their growing adoption across industries. It highlights their importance in powering AI-driven applications such as personalization, recommendation systems, and vector search. The report also discusses the challenges enterprises face in adopting these technologies, the evolving supplier landscape, and the future of vector databases as they continue to be essential in digital transformation. Scope All industries and geographies Contents In this report, we examine: Vector databases against traditional databases Their role in generative AI implementations Their current adoption and supplier landscape The adoption challenges enterprises face Emerging trends in the vector database management system market The way forward with vectors

The mainframe services market is growing steadily due to enterprises’ evolving demands. As businesses undergo digital transformations, enterprises are reassessing their mainframe strategies, prioritizing integration with cloud platforms, and modernizing legacy applications. The shortage of skilled professionals proficient in mainframe technologies also drives the enterprise’s need to modernize. Thus, the demand for mainframe services outsourcing shows steady and positive growth across geographies and industries. Enterprises seek mainframe solutions that accelerate application modernization and deployment, leverage AI/ML and generative AI, reduce costs and technical debt, and transform their businesses. In this report, we examine the current global mainframe services market, including trends across industries, geographies, and service segments. Scope All industries and geographies This assessment is based on Everest Group’s annual RFI process for the calendar years 2023-2024, interactions with leading mainframe service providers, client reference checks, and an ongoing analysis of the mainframe services market Contents In this report, we: Examine the global mainframe services market Evaluate mainframe services trends and demand drivers Analyze providers’ offerings Membership(s) Cloud and Infrastructure Services Sourcing and Vendor Management

Mainframe systems remain the cornerstone of enterprises' IT strategies, especially for those requiring substantial processing power for high-volume transactions. Despite the evolving technology and business landscapes, enterprises maintain a positive outlook on mainframe services’ future, focusing on value generation and operational efficiency. Providers are considered essential partners in navigating mainframe technology’s complexities and sustaining a competitive edge. To understand enterprise satisfaction with mainframe service providers, Everest Group conducted over 60 structured interviews with leading service providers’ buyers. These interviews were part of the Mainframe Services PEAK Matrix® evaluation carried out between 2023 and 2024. The report captures enterprise experiences comprehensively, providing insights into technology priorities, digital agendas, outsourcing strategies, and service providers' perceptions. As part of the study, key enterprise stakeholders were surveyed on various dimensions related to satisfaction with mainframe services. These enterprises were nominated as reference clients by different service providers examined across Mainframe Services PEAK Matrix® evaluation. In addition to providing insights into enterprises' satisfaction levels with mainframe service providers across key parameters, this report identifies the top three providers delivering superior value across mainframe services. Scope All industries and geographies The report is based on a detailed assessment of client reference feedback that Everest Group gathered as part of its Mainframe Services PEAK Matrix® evaluation conducted between 2023 and 2024 Contents In this report, we: Evaluate in-depth various enterprises’ feedback across different satisfaction dimensions, such as technology priorities, digital agendas, and outsourcing strategies Highlight the top three service providers delivering superior value and detail the key strengths and limitations of 14 additional providers Membership(s) Cloud and Infrastructure Services Sourcing and Vendor Management

Mainframe services remain essential in enterprise IT infrastructure as they manage extensive processing needs for high-volume transactions, making them a favorable business option. Renowned for their strong performance and reliability rooted in unique computing architecture, mainframe systems are vital. However, the rapid advances of cloud transformation initiatives compel enterprises to review their current mainframe configurations focused on integration and modernization. Skilled personnel shortage further accelerates this review process. Enterprises seek innovative solutions from providers to enable swift application migration, intelligent optimization, and seamless integration into modern hybrid environments. This compendium provides comprehensive and fact-based snapshots of 17 mainframe service providers’ capabilities and offerings. Each profile offers a detailed overview of the provider’s service focus, key IPs/solutions, and domain investments. The research will enable buyers to select the best-fit provider for their needs and empower providers to benchmark themselves against their competition. Scope All industries and geographies This report is based on Everest Group’s RFI process for the calendar year 2024, interactions with leading mainframe service providers, client reference checks, and an ongoing analysis of the mainframe services market Contents This report features 17 mainframe service provider profiles which includes: An overview of the mainframe service providers Providers’ case studies and proprietary solutions Partnerships and investments in the mainframe services domain Membership(s) Cloud and Infrastructure Services Sourcing and Vendor Management

Mainframe services remain a cornerstone of enterprise IT infrastructure due to their unparalleled capacity to handle massive processing requirements. Known for their robust performance and reliability stemming from their distinct computing architecture, mainframe systems continue to play vital roles in various industries. However, the rapid pace of cloud transformation initiatives has prompted enterprises to reassess their mainframe setups, prioritizing integration and modernization efforts. The scarcity of skilled resources further drives this evaluation process. Enterprises actively seek innovative solutions from partners to facilitate swift application migration, intelligent optimization, and seamless integration into modern hybrid environments. In response, providers are evolving their offerings to meet these demands and provide value-added solutions. In this report, we assess 17 mainframe Service Providers (SPs) featured on Mainframe Services PEAK Matrix® Assessment 2024 and categorize them as Leaders, Major Contenders, and Aspirants based on their capabilities and offerings. Scope All industries and geographies The assessment is based on Everest Group’s RFI process for the calendar year 2024, interactions with leading mainframe SPs, client reference checks, and an ongoing analysis of the mainframe services market Contents In this report, we: Examine the market impact, vision, and capabilities of 17 SPs focused on mainframe services Study providers’ key strengths and limitations Evaluate enterprise sourcing considerations Membership(s) Cloud and Infrastructure Services Sourcing and Vendor Management

Communication Service Providers (CSPs) are upgrading their network services on the back of fast-paced cloud adoption and transformation in enterprises. In addition to providing traditional connectivity offerings, such as LAN and WAN, these providers are investing in next-generation technologies such as private 5G, multi-cloud connectivity, IoT and edge connectivity, predictive networking, and SD-WAN. At their end, enterprise customers are increasingly demanding scalability, virtualization, ease of adoption, higher bandwidth, and efficient performance from CSPs. These providers are leveraging their expertise in network services to help customers transition from legacy network infrastructure to a more sustainable, future-proof model. This compendium provides detailed and fact-based snapshots of 12 CSPs featured on the Network Transformation Services PEAK Matrix® Assessment – Communication Service Providers (CSPs) 2023. Each profile offers a comprehensive picture of the provider’s vision and strategy, scope of services offered, enterprise adoption, investments, partnerships, case studies, innovative solutions, and strengths and limitations. Scope All industries and geographies Services: network transformation services The assessment is based on Everest Group’s annual RFI process for the calendar year 2022, interactions with leading CSPs, client reference checks, and an ongoing analysis of the communication services market Contents This report features 12 CSP profiles and includes: A summary dashboard – market impact and vision and capability assessment Providers’ strengths and limitations An overview of the provider’s business – vision, scope of services offered, and adoption across enterprise segments and geographies Providers’ services investments, case studies, key solutions, and partnerships Membership(s) Cloud and Infrastructure Services Sourcing and Vendor Management

Communication Service Providers (CSPs) are upgrading their network services on the back of fast-paced cloud adoption and transformation in enterprises. In addition to providing traditional connectivity offerings, such as LAN and WAN, these providers are investing in next-generation technologies such as private 5G, multi-cloud connectivity, IoT & edge connectivity, predictive networking, and SD-WAN. At their end, enterprise customers are increasingly demanding scalability, virtualization, ease of adoption, higher bandwidth, and efficient performance from CSPs. These providers are leveraging their expertise in network services to help customers shift from their legacy network infrastructure and, in fact, transform it to sustain in a futuristic model. In this research, we assess 12 CSPs on the Everest Group PEAK Matrix® and categorize them as Leaders, Major Contenders, and Aspirants based on their vision & capability and market impact. Scope All industries and geographies Services: network transformation services The assessment is based on Everest Group’s annual RFI process for the calendar year 2022, interactions with leading CSPs, client reference checks, and an ongoing analysis of the communication services market Contents In this PEAK Matrix® assessment, we: Assess communication service providers across industries and geographies Study each provider’s strengths and weaknesses Evaluate enterprise sourcing considerations Membership(s) Cloud and Infrastructure Services Sourcing and Vendor Management