Trust Powers AI on the Mainframe

BMC survey finds 94% confidence in the mainframe as enterprises scale AI with human oversight, strong governance, security, and measurable business outcomes

HOUSTON, Sept. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- BMC, the automation company for the AI era, today announced survey findings indicating that the approach to AI on the mainframe has shifted from experimental to operational, focusing on trust, governance, and measurable outcomes.

According to the 2026 BMC Mainframe Survey, confidence in the mainframe remains high, as 94% express long-term confidence and continued investment in the mainframe. Mainframe professionals are increasingly adopting generative AI tools to recommend actions, and implementing AI technologies remains a top priority for 45% of respondents.

The annual global survey of more than 1,300 mainframe practitioners and decision makers indicated that organizations are also demonstrating a pragmatic approach to AI, with respondents being more comfortable allowing AI to provide insight and recommend actions than allowing it to execute independently.

Additional key findings include:

• AI as advisor: The research suggests that mainframe practitioners and decision makers are adopting a cautious realism, turning to the technology to act as an advisor rather than an executor. For example, 40% are willing to have AI recommend code-management actions, but just 23% are willing to allow AI to complete them. Similarly, for database reorganizations, 43% want AI to recommend action compared to just 37% last year, while 21% feel comfortable letting AI complete the action.

• Use cases are increasing: From performance tuning and problem detection to database reorganizations, IMS queue management, and documentation generation, enterprises are prioritizing AI initiatives that improve productivity, simplify operations, preserve knowledge, and accelerate modernization.
• Concerns remain: Respondents note high implementation costs (41%), security/privacy (39%), data integration (37%), and regulatory/compliance (22%) as significant AI implementation concerns.
• Agents are coming: Agentic mainframe management is a top investment strategy. The survey shows that 36% plan to invest in creating agents to manage the mainframe, while 32% plan to invest in third-party agents.
• Digital certificates are an area to embrace: With the new requirements for reducing the standard digital TLS certificate lifecycle to 88% by 2029, mainframe shops will face increased work and potential disruptions without a plan in place. The survey shows that certificate management remains fragmented, as 43% use in-house automated solutions, 31% use product-based automated solutions, and 25% still rely on manual effort.

"Our latest mainframe survey shows an industry moving beyond AI experimentation toward trusted, operational adoption," said John McKenny, senior vice president and general manager of Intelligent Z Optimization and Transformation at BMC. "When trust and reliability are essential, enterprises start with BMC first. We are seeing a significant shift as organizations have gone from asking how they can use AI to asking where they can trust it, how it can be governed, and where it delivers measurable value. It's becoming clear that the path to greater AI autonomy on the mainframe will be earned through trust, with the option of humans remaining in the loop to oversee and implement AI recommendations."

Additional Resources:

• View the full 2026 BMC Mainframe Survey Report.
• Register for the September 23, 2026, survey webinar.
• Read additional thoughts on the findings in a BMC blog post.
• Learn what's new in BMC mainframe solutions.
• Discover why businesses start with BMC first when failure is not an option.

¹2026 BMC Mainframe Survey Report, a study conducted by BMC among more than 1,300 mainframe practitioners and decision makers globally, with responses gathered March 24 – April 20, 2026, via email invitations to an online survey.

About BMC

BMC is the automation company for the AI era. The world's leading enterprises trust BMC to automate and orchestrate the systems on which their businesses depend. Across cloud, mainframe, and hybrid environments, BMC enables enterprises to operate with AI-driven speed, resilience, and governance at scale. When businesses run what cannot fail, they start with BMC first. 

BMC, BMC Software, the BMC logo, and other BMC marks are the exclusive properties of BMC Software, Inc. and are registered or may be registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office or in other countries.

©Copyright 2026 BMC Software, Inc.
https://www.bmc.com/

Editorial contact:
Sheila Watson
BMC
[email protected]

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SOURCE BMC Software, Inc.