The enterprise IT landscape is experiencing a seismic shift as organizations grapple with increasing complexity across hybrid infrastructures, cloud-native applications, and legacy mainframe systems. With 81% of surveyed executives believing that reducing IT complexity creates competitive advantage, choosing the right observability platform has become mission-critical. What’s changed the game entirely is the emergence of OpenTelemetry as the bridge between mainframe and modern observability ecosystems.
This analysis examines the evolving mainframe observability landscape, where traditional vendors are adapting to modern requirements while new integration patterns emerge. Rather than declaring winners and losers, we’ll explore how different approaches serve varying enterprise needs in this complex ecosystem.
The OpenTelemetry project and The Open Mainframe Project established the Special Interest Group (SIG) “OpenTelemetry on Mainframe” at the beginning of 2024, focusing on enabling OpenTelemetry on the mainframe for improved end-to-end observability and supporting mainframe participation in hybrid cloud applications.
This development represents a paradigm shift. For decades, mainframe observability existed in isolation, using proprietary protocols and tools. With OpenTelemetry Collector release v0.86.0, precompiled binaries and container images are now provided for linux/s390x as part of the regular release cycle, finally bridging the gap between mainframe and modern observability ecosystems.
The OMEGAMON Foundation: The OMEGAMON products are a suite of products used to monitor and manage sophisticated mainframe applications and environments, sharing a common technology, Tivoli Management Services on z/OS. This represents decades of Z platform evolution and intimate hardware-software integration.
IBM’s Comprehensive Z Observability Portfolio:
Z Application Performance Management Connect: IBM Z Application Performance Management Connect provides transaction tracking information from z/OS subsystems to APM solutions, enabling OpenTelemetry integration while leveraging IBM’s unique hardware-level access.
BMC has acquired Compuware, indicating that consolidation in the mainframe software market is not over. The two companies believe the newly combined portfolio will help IT organizations more easily transition their legacy applications over to the cloud-based DevOps world.
BMC’s Comprehensive Mainframe Observability Suite:
Traditional BMC AMI (Automated Mainframe Intelligence):
Acquired Compuware Portfolio:
Integrated Observability Approach: The strategic combination builds on the success of BMC AMI and Compuware’s Topaz suite, ISPW technology, and classic product portfolios to modernize clients’ mainframe environments, enabling automation and intelligent operations with agile development and delivery
Operations management solutions from Broadcom provide end-to-end visibility and in-depth diagnostics to help you improve customer experience and operational efficiency.
Broadcom’s WatchTower Observability Platform: Today’s mainframe observability solutions must expand mainframe observability to multi-platform, enterprise-wide tools so that SREs can zero in on and fix critical alerts.
Key Broadcom Capabilities:
Rocket Software offers a variety of products that provide critical mainframe modernization and infrastructure solutions for organizations around the world.
Rocket’s Mainframe Observability Focus: Rocket Software survey finds only 28% are highly confident in addressing mainframe vulnerabilities. Choose Rocket Software for unmatched protection against rising cyber threats with hybrid cloud solutions built to meet evolving market needs — in any environment
Application-Centric Approach:
Deep System Integration: IBM’s Z-native advantage allows access to system internals that external tools cannot reach:
OpenTelemetry Implementation: IBM Instana enhances OpenTelemetry by seamlessly integrating with the OpenTelemetry Collector, ensuring comprehensive monitoring for cloud-native applications while maintaining deep mainframe integration.
Modern Development Integration: BMC’s approach focuses on making mainframe development accessible to modern DevOps teams:
OpenTelemetry Utilization: BMC Helix AIOps connects with OpenTelemetry to help site reliability engineers solve application errors, with BMC Helix OpenTelemetry dashboards allowing organizations to track and analyze trace data of services constituting applications.
Multi-Platform Observability: Broadcom emphasizes enterprise-wide visibility that includes but extends beyond mainframes:
Application Security Integration: Rocket’s approach prioritizes security observability within mainframe environments:
Different Vendor Approaches:
Varied Implementation Models:
Diverse Data Flows:
Alert Management Strategies:
| Capability | IBM Z-Native | BMC+Compuware | Broadcom | Rocket Software |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardware-level insights | Comprehensive | Limited | Moderate | Limited |
| z/OS internals visibility | Complete | Good | Good | Moderate |
| System performance tuning | Expert | Good | Good | Moderate |
| Developer accessibility | Moderate | Excellent | Good | Good |
| Modern UX/UI | Moderate | Excellent | Good | Good |
| Capability | IBM Z-Native | BMC+Compuware | Broadcom | Rocket Software |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenTelemetry compliance | Native | Strong | Good | Moderate |
| DevOps toolchain integration | Good | Excellent | Good | Moderate |
| Multi-platform correlation | Excellent | Good | Excellent | Moderate |
| Cloud-native workflow | Good | Excellent | Good | Good |
| Enterprise scalability | Excellent | Good | Excellent | Good |
| Capability | IBM Z-Native | BMC+Compuware | Broadcom | Rocket Software |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Implementation complexity | High | Moderate | Moderate | Low |
| Learning curve | Steep | Moderate | Moderate | Gentle |
| Time to value | Long | Medium | Medium | Short |
| Ongoing maintenance | Complex | Moderate | Moderate | Simple |
| Total cost of ownership | High | Medium | Medium | Lower |
Key Requirements: Maximum performance accuracy, regulatory compliance, system-level insights Considerations:
Key Requirements: Application performance, modern development workflows, cost optimization Considerations:
Key Requirements: Security, compliance, audit capabilities, system reliability Considerations:
Key Requirements: Regulatory compliance, system reliability, data privacy Considerations:
Many organizations find success with multi-vendor strategies:
Phase 1: Foundation
Phase 2: Integration
Phase 3: Optimization
The mainframe software market continues to consolidate, with acquisitions like BMC-Compuware reshaping vendor capabilities and market dynamics.
As OpenTelemetry adoption grows, vendor differentiation will shift from connectivity to value-added analytics and automation capabilities.
Generative AI integration is becoming a key differentiator, with vendors like BMC leading in conversational interfaces while IBM focuses on predictive analytics.
The future belongs to platforms that can seamlessly blend mainframe reliability with cloud-native agility, requiring vendors to excel at both traditional and modern paradigms.
The mainframe observability landscape offers multiple viable paths to success. Rather than seeking a single “best” solution, organizations benefit from understanding how different vendor approaches align with their specific requirements:
IBM’s Z-native approach provides unmatched technical depth for organizations requiring maximum system visibility and performance optimization. Their intimate hardware knowledge creates unique capabilities, though often with higher complexity and cost.
BMC’s expanded portfolio (including Compuware) offers excellent developer productivity and modern workflow integration. Their focus on making mainframes accessible to DevOps teams addresses a critical modernization challenge.
Broadcom’s enterprise-scale solutions deliver comprehensive operational management across diverse technology portfolios. Their multi-platform approach serves organizations with complex, heterogeneous environments.
Rocket Software’s focused offerings provide targeted solutions for specific use cases, particularly around security and application-centric monitoring.
The optimal strategy often involves multiple vendors, each serving different aspects of mainframe observability requirements. OpenTelemetry’s standardization enables this multi-vendor approach whhttps://mainframe-apis.dir.octopod.in/2025/08/19/mainframe-observability-revolution-navigating-the-evolving-vendor-landscape-in-the-opentelemetry-era/ile maintaining integration flexibility.
Success depends not on choosing the “right” vendor, but on understanding how different approaches complement organizational needs, technical requirements, and strategic goals. The key is starting with your most critical observability challenges and expanding from proven success patterns.
Ready to explore these options? All major vendors offer comprehensive evaluation programs, proof-of-concept opportunities, and OpenTelemetry integration support. Consider starting with pilot projects that demonstrate value before committing to enterprise-wide implementations.
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