Dell remains on an acquisition binge. The latest deal involves Dell acquiring Clerity Solutions, which helps customers to migrate applications from IBM mainframes to x86 servers running Linux and Windows.

The VAR Guy

April 3, 2012

1 Min Read
Dell-Clerity: Shifting IBM Mainframe Apps to Linux, Windows

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Dell remains on an acquisition binge. The latest deal involves Dell acquiring Clerity Solutions, which helps customers to migrate applications from IBM mainframes to x86 servers running Linux and Windows. More than a decade ago, Michael Dell personally told The VAR Guy that he wanted x86 servers to gut the mainframe business. Will Dell’s buyout of Clerity fulfill that vision statement?

At first glance, Dell gently describes Clerity Solutions as a “leading global provider of application modernization and legacy system re-hosting solutions and software.”

Translation, please? Read between the lines and Clerity Solutions helps customers to…

  1. Modernize applications on IBM mainframes, moving them to Linux on IBM System Z platforms.

  2. Migrate and modernize legacy mainframe workloads to run on Linux, Windows and UNIX.

The Real Path Forward

Under Dell’s ownership, it’s a safe bet Clerity will offer more of item two and less of item 1. Sure, Clerity wants to remain platform agnostic. But Dell’s core business involves selling Windows and Linux servers. So you can safely assume Dell Services will use Clerity to accelerate mainframe application migrations onto x86 systems.

So what’s the opportunity here for smaller VARs and MSPs? At first glance, not much. Still, The VAR Guy will be watching to see if Dell extends the Clerity migration services into the Dell PartnerDirect channel.

Parting note: Yes, The VAR Guy really did speak with Michael Dell about his intent to gut IBM’s mainframe business. The conversation happened back in 1996 or so, when The VAR Guy was working under a different alias for Windows Magazine. Fast forward to the present and IBM’s mainframe business remains strong… though application migrations to x86 servers offer fertile ground for Dell and Clerity.

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