Industries that have relied on desktop-bound legacy systems may have to drastically change their approach to the mainframe terminal emulator to adapt to mobile use trends. Flexible, web-browser friendly solutions that are based in JavaScript (not Java) are a way for enterprises to work with the newer patterns in technology, which includes mobile devices that are liberating workers from the desk.
Though this blog has commented on the boom in mobile as it pertains to American businesses and other organizations in the past, mobility is impacting other countries as well, including the United Kingdom. Last year, the Office of National Statistics found that more than 4 million employees in the nation worked from home between January and March of 2014, a steady rise since 2010.
The majority of these workers didn't work entirely at home, either, but "used their home as a base," according to the source. Organizations don't have to employ a work from home policy to see that this may represent an important shift in rules and expectations.
Much has been written about the security risks that arise when employees use their own devices for work purposes, but there are notable advantages as well. In a piece for Tech Cocktail, Fred Mouwad said that BYOD allows companies to save time and money while promoting independent use and productivity.
"The decrease in the cost of devices has made them affordable," he writes. "It has become easier for employees to be much more interconnected within the company and the rest of the world. Delivery of software updates is far more effective through the cloud, resulting in frequent software updates and less dependency on the IT team."
A mainframe terminal emulation project conducted with new technology in mind may give companies some of these benefits, as well as reduced dependence on outside plugins.