#mainframe as a service

[maintec]

Mainframe-as-a-Service – The Keystone for Bridging Traditional Computing and Modern Solutions

The integration of traditional computing systems with modern IT solutions is not merely a strategic advantage but a necessity in the evolving digital age. Mainframe-as-a-Service (MFaaS) emerges as a critical solution, enabling businesses to preserve the robust capabilities of legacy mainframe systems while capitalizing on the flexibility and scalability of cloud solutions. This integration is particularly crucial for industries rooted in high-volume transactions and sensitive data management, such as finance, healthcare, and government sectors.

Understanding the Need for Mainframe Modernization

Traditionally, Mainframes are celebrated for their high reliability, superior processing power, and robust security features. These systems are vital in managing enormous volume of transactions critical to daily business operations. However, as the digital landscape continuously evolves, the traditional mainframe setup faces challenges such as high maintenance costs, scarcity of skilled professionals, and difficulties in integrating with new-age technologies. Mainframe modernization thus focuses not on replacing, but on thoroughly reinventing these systems. MFaaS offers a pathway to revitalizing these legacy systems by integrating them with cloud capabilities. This collaboration not only addresses the fundamental limitations of traditional mainframes but also aligns them with modern business needs, driving more significant innovation and agility within enterprises.

How MFaaS Facilitates Integration of Traditional and Modern IT Solutions

Scalability and Flexibility: Traditional mainframes are often seen as inflexible, especially when it comes to scaling operations. MFaaS introduces a scalable model where resources are available on-demand, allowing businesses to manage workloads efficiently without the need for extensive physical infrastructure upgrades.

Cost Management: Transitioning to MFaaS converts large fixed costs into variable costs that are easier to manage. This model provides a pay-as-you-go approach, which is particularly advantageous for businesses looking to optimize expenses while still benefiting from the robustness of mainframe capabilities.

Enhanced Integration Capabilities: One of the significant hurdles with traditional mainframes is their integration with modern applications and data platforms. MFaaS providers typically offer tools and services that facilitate seamless integration with cloud services, APIs, and modern databases, bridging the gap between old and new technology environments.

Security and Compliance: MFaaS doesn’t compromise on the legendary security of mainframes. Instead, it enhances it by leveraging the advanced security protocols of cloud services. Additionally, compliance becomes more manageable as service providers ensure that the systems are up-to-date with the latest regulatory requirements.

Why Should Businesses Invest in MFaaS?

Meeting Modern IT Demands: As businesses face increasing pressure to modernize their IT infrastructures, MFaaS provides a less disruptive and more efficient pathway compared to complete system overhauls. This approach allows organizations to continue leveraging their existing mainframe investments while adopting new technologies that drive business growth.

Business Agility: In today's competitive market, agility is key. MFaaS enables organizations to quickly adapt to market changes or operational demands without the lead times typically associated with traditional mainframe reconfiguration or scaling.

Innovation Through Integration: By facilitating easier integration with emerging technologies like AI, machine learning, and big data analytics, MFaaS opens new avenues for innovation. This capability allows enterprises to unlock valuable insights from their existing data while improving operational efficiency.

Conclusion: Investing in the Future of Integrated IT Solutions

The integration of traditional mainframe systems with modern cloud solutions via MFaaS is not just a temporary trend but a forward-looking investment into the future of business technology. This approach provides enterprises with a strategic advantage by enhancing the strengths of mainframes with the flexibility and scalability of the cloud.

Investing in MFaaS means committing to a technology strategy that balances legacy optimization with modernization. It offers a pragmatic path forward that maximizes return on existing investments while positioning the business for future growth and innovation. By choosing MFaaS, companies are not just maintaining their competitive edge; they are sharpening it, ensuring that they are well-equipped to navigate the complexities of the modern digital economy.

[stevenodickens]

Maintec z/OS systems programming services coupled with its onshore data center in Raleigh, North Carolina provides quality and cost-effective solutions.

[maintectechnology]

Our Hire-Train-Deploy (HTD) program equips your team with industry-leading skills, ensuring seamless operations and a competitive edge

[slksoftware]

Modernizing Mainframes: Unleashing the Power of Digital Cloud Services

Introduction

In the era of digital transformation, where agility and scalability are paramount, mainframe systems, although venerable, can become significant roadblocks for organizations seeking to innovate and stay competitive. Modernizing mainframes through the adoption of digital cloud services has emerged as a strategic imperative. In this comprehensive guide, we'll delve into the world of mainframe modernization, exploring its significance, challenges, benefits, and best practices.

The Significance of Mainframe Modernization

Mainframe systems have been the backbone of many organizations for decades, providing stability and reliability. However, these legacy systems come with inherent limitations, such as high maintenance costs, rigidity, and difficulty in integrating with modern technologies. Mainframe modernization is the process of transitioning from these monolithic systems to agile, cloud-based solutions, and its significance lies in the transformative potential it offers:

Agility and Scalability: Cloud-based systems provide the agility and scalability required to adapt to rapidly changing business environments and accommodate growth seamlessly.

Cost Optimization: Modernizing mainframes can lead to substantial cost savings by reducing the need for expensive hardware and lowering maintenance costs.

Enhanced Performance: Cloud services are designed for high performance, offering faster data processing and reducing downtime, resulting in improved operational efficiency.

Flexibility: Cloud environments enable organizations to adopt a flexible, pay-as-you-go approach to resource allocation, eliminating the need for costly upfront investments.

Innovation: Mainframe modernization opens the door to harnessing advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and the Internet of Things (IoT) to drive innovation.

Global Reach: Cloud services provide global accessibility, allowing organizations to serve a broader customer base without the need for physical data centers in multiple locations.

Benefits of Mainframe Modernization

The benefits of modernizing mainframes through digital cloud services are multifaceted and can drive transformational change within an organization. Let's explore these advantages in detail:

Improved Efficiency: Modernized systems can automate manual processes, streamline operations, and reduce the need for manual interventions, resulting in increased efficiency.

Cost Reduction: Cloud services often lead to cost savings by eliminating the need for substantial capital investments in hardware and reducing ongoing operational expenses.

Scalability: Cloud environments provide the ability to scale resources up or down based on demand, ensuring optimal performance and cost-efficiency.

Enhanced Security: Leading cloud providers invest heavily in security measures, offering robust protection against cyber threats and vulnerabilities.

Business Continuity: Cloud-based disaster recovery and backup solutions ensure data integrity and availability even in the face of unforeseen events.

Agility and Innovation: Modernized systems can quickly adopt and integrate new technologies, fostering innovation and adaptability.

Challenges in Mainframe Modernization

While the benefits of mainframe modernization are compelling, organizations must be prepared to navigate the challenges that come with this transformation:

Legacy Integration: Migrating away from mainframes often involves complex integration with existing systems, which can be time-consuming and challenging.

Data Migration: Transferring large volumes of data from mainframes to the cloud can be cumbersome and requires meticulous planning to ensure data integrity and security.

Security Concerns: While cloud providers offer robust security measures, organizations must also take responsibility for securing their data and applications in the cloud.

Change Management: Employees may resist changes to their familiar workflows and systems. Effective change management strategies are crucial to a successful migration.

Vendor Lock-In: Choosing the right cloud provider is essential, as vendor lock-in can limit flexibility and increase costs in the long run.

Best Practices for Mainframe Modernization

To overcome these challenges and ensure a successful mainframe modernization, organizations should adhere to best practices:

Comprehensive Assessment: Begin with a thorough assessment of your current mainframe environment to understand its intricacies and dependencies.

Clear Goals and Prioritization: Define clear modernization goals and prioritize workloads based on business value, complexity, and readiness for migration.

Data Management Strategy: Develop a robust data migration strategy that includes data cleansing, validation, and migration testing to minimize risks and maintain data integrity.

Security First: Implement stringent security measures, including encryption, access controls, and regular compliance audits, to protect data in transit and at rest.

Change Management: Invest in change management programs to prepare employees for the transition and ensure they can effectively utilize modernized systems.

Cost Optimization: Continuously monitor and optimize cloud costs to prevent overspending and ensure that resources are used efficiently.

Vendor Evaluation: Carefully evaluate cloud service providers based on factors like performance, security, pricing, and vendor lock-in before making a decision.

Conclusion

Mainframe modernization through the adoption of digital cloud services is a strategic imperative for organizations aiming to thrive in the digital age. By breaking free from the constraints of legacy mainframe systems and embracing the agility and scalability offered by the cloud, businesses can position themselves for long-term success and continued growth.

While challenges exist, a well-defined strategy, commitment to security, and adherence to best practices can pave the way for a successful mainframe modernization. In an era of rapid technological advancement, embracing the cloud isn't just an upgrade—it's a strategic transformation that can redefine how organizations operate, innovate, and remain competitive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

[shiprasharma2927]

Mainframe Performance Optimization Techniques

Mainframe performance optimization is crucial for organizations relying on these powerful computing systems to ensure efficient and cost-effective operations. Here are some key techniques and best practices for optimizing mainframe performance:

1. Capacity Planning: Understand your workload and resource requirements. Accurately estimate future needs to allocate resources efficiently. This involves monitoring trends, historical data analysis, and growth projections.

2. Workload Management: Prioritize and allocate resources based on business needs. Ensure that critical workloads get the necessary resources while lower-priority tasks are appropriately throttled.

3. Batch Window Optimization: Efficiently schedule batch jobs to maximize system utilization. Minimize overlap and contention for resources during batch processing windows.

4. Storage Optimization: Regularly review and manage storage capacity. Employ data compression, data archiving, and data purging strategies to free up storage resources.

5. Indexing and Data Access: Optimize database performance by creating and maintaining efficient indexes. Tune SQL queries to minimize resource consumption and improve response times.

6. CICS and IMS Tuning: Tune your transaction processing environments like CICS (Customer Information Control System) and IMS (Information Management System) to minimize response times and resource utilization.

7. I/O Optimization: Reduce I/O bottlenecks by optimizing the placement of data sets and using techniques like buffering and caching.

8. Memory Management: Efficiently manage mainframe memory to minimize paging and maximize available RAM for critical tasks. Monitor memory usage and adjust configurations as needed.

9. CPU Optimization: Monitor CPU usage and identify resource-intensive tasks. Optimize code, reduce unnecessary CPU cycles, and consider parallel processing for CPU-bound tasks.

10. Subsystem Tuning: Mainframes often consist of various subsystems like DB2, z/OS, and MQ. Each subsystem should be tuned for optimal performance based on specific workload requirements.

11. Parallel Processing: Leverage parallel processing capabilities to distribute workloads across multiple processors or regions to improve processing speed and reduce contention.

12. Batch Processing Optimization: Optimize batch job execution by minimizing I/O, improving sorting algorithms, and parallelizing batch processing tasks.

13. Compression Techniques: Use compression algorithms to reduce the size of data stored on disk, which can lead to significant storage and I/O savings.

14. Monitoring and Performance Analysis Tools: Employ specialized tools and monitoring software to continuously assess system performance, detect bottlenecks, and troubleshoot issues in real-time.

15. Tuning Documentation: Maintain comprehensive documentation of configuration settings, tuning parameters, and performance benchmarks. This documentation helps in identifying and resolving performance issues effectively.

16. Regular Maintenance: Keep the mainframe software and hardware up-to-date with the latest patches and updates provided by the vendor. Regular maintenance can resolve known performance issues.

17. Training and Skill Development: Invest in training for your mainframe staff to ensure they have the skills and knowledge to effectively manage and optimize the system.

18. Cost Management: Consider the cost implications of performance tuning. Sometimes, adding more resources may be more cost-effective than extensive tuning efforts.

19. Capacity Testing: Conduct load and stress testing to evaluate how the mainframe handles peak workloads. Identify potential bottlenecks and make necessary adjustments.

20. Security Considerations: Ensure that performance optimizations do not compromise mainframe security. Balance performance improvements with security requirements.

Mainframe performance optimization is an ongoing process that requires constant monitoring and adjustment to meet evolving business needs. By implementing these techniques and best practices, organizations can maximize the value of their mainframe investments and ensure smooth and efficient operations.

[enterprisemobility]

Digital Transformation Services

Your Switch to a Digital Future – Digital Transformation Consulting Services

Being a leading name amongst Digital Transformation Company and Service providers, Enterprise Mobility has been handholding enterprises on their Digital Transformation journeys for two decades now

[jillmary023]

Benefits of Mainframe staffing services

Mainframe staffing services offer several benefits to organizations that rely on these large, centralized computer systems to run their operations. Here are some of the key advantages:

1. Expertise: Mainframes are complex and specialized systems that require a high level of expertise to operate effectively. Staffing services provide access to a team of skilled professionals who have experience with mainframe systems, ensuring that your organization has the necessary expertise to keep your systems running smoothly.

2. Scalability: Mainframe staffing services can provide staffing solutions that are tailored to the needs of your organization.

3. Cost-effectiveness: Outsourcing mainframe staffing services can be a cost-effective option compared to hiring full-time staff. You only pay for the services you need, without having to bear the costs of training, benefits, and other overhead expenses associated with in-house staff.

4. Flexibility: Mainframe staffing services offer flexibility in terms of the types of services they provide. They can offer a range of services, from basic support to more advanced services such as system upgrades and migrations.

5. Focus: By outsourcing mainframe staffing services, organizations can free up internal resources and focus on core business activities. This can lead to increased productivity and efficiency, allowing the organization to achieve its goals more effectively.

In summary, mainframe staffing services can provide organizations with the expertise, scalability, cost-effectiveness, flexibility, and focus needed to run their mainframe systems effectively and efficiently.

[fatgumsurpremacy-remastered]

It Takes Time to Sew a Doll Yan. Vox x CIS. FEM Reader.

It Takes Time to Sew a Doll. Yandere Vox x Cis. Female reader. PT 1

Warnings: Creepy dreams, stalking, hits, kidnapping, intimidation, panic attacks, insomnia referenced not explicit, non con touching (not sexual), hypno, dirty thoughts, mansplaining, misogyny, the use of the pet name DOLL, use of the pronouns she/her.

Please leave a comment if you like it or not-

@bloodypeachblog @omniuravity Dedicated to my besties.

Vox knew he was spiralling.

With each static passage of electricity through the maze of wires in his body he felt his resolve crumble further… every second consumed by images flashing carelessly across his face. 

Why couldnt he get rid of these pervasive thoughts? 

When he dreamed he was happy, the bright colours would fade to black and from the black, came the black and white visions he knew deep down he couldn't ascertain. That certain kind of sweetness rid from the newer movies spewed from his own companies, that loss of perfect innocent love that he strove for. In life he couldn't get romance right, and in his resting hours his subconscious begged him to pursue that sickening farce of a “family”. .

He always awoke to his screens playing that same damn scene, under a cork tree on the top of a grassy hill he sat, wife in his arms, head across his lap as he waxed on while the sun set. A beautiful- unattainable picture that zoomed out to the suburbs he rotted away in during the final years of his life. No matter what remedy he tried, nothing could soothe the hallucinations that plagued his sleep-addled mainframes. 

It was beginning to interfere with his day to day. 

The office- a drab, but often chaotic environment buzzed just a little differently when Vox walked in that day, people gasping and awwing at their screens before hiding the monitors from him. Something was up. But there was little energy on Vox’s behalf to really care about what lower staff were doing, so long as they were getting what they needed to get done, done. 

He should have suspected, however, that it was buzzing about him.

Throughout the day the chattering that he could hear all the way in his own office died down the second he stepped in the room, so- to save himself the headache- he decided to trudge up to his lookout and find the cause of the issue. 

There right there.

Across all the screens in hell- save his own companies monitors was the scene, but across the bottom- like the reels in the TV broadcasts, was the phrase- “Have you seen this person, if found return to the VVV tower, Vox’s office, compensation of up to 1 mill will be received. No harm will come to the person. Thank you for your cooperation.” It was a start for him. 

Like the electricity that ran through his own body he ran through the building- towards the recording studio- and into his chair, forcing all staff to their positions immediately. The red lights on the cameras blinked mockingly, as if compelling him to stop before he’d do something he would regret. Snapping his fingers, Vox quickly forced all screens in the studio on him, each crystal clear monitor, displaying his own nervous face. “Good evening ladies and gentlemen, citizens of hell-'' he began, covering the edge with the quelling smoothness of his voice, “ignore the video you are seeing on the screens. It was a technical error- and nothing else. As for the young lady in this video…” He trailed off as a feed of video faded into an ages-old monitor. A beautiful display of passion… of love, and life. 

“She's not of any importance to anyone here at Voxtech, so rest assured, she does not need to be brought in for any consolation, and any attempts to give this woman here will result in you being politely escorted from the premises. Thank you for your time, this has been a Public Service Announcement.” His hands raked down his face as the screens went dark, the cords keeping them close making themselves scarce as Vox gestured away wildly, his body slumping from the overexertion of nerves. WHY THE FUCK- WAS THIS HAPPENING?

Small glitches wrought hiccups through Vox’s spine, his head hung-desperate for sleep- or at least for a decent cup of coffee, when three sharp knocks sounded. “Oh jesus- Francis! Francis can you tell them I'm a little bus- WOAH HOLY SHIT-” Vox ducked right as Francis came flying above his head. Quickly, to spare himself the equipment bill, Vox gestured for the tvs to move as his accountant was flung through. When he turned to chew out whoever was responsible for potential property damage a weight was shoved into his chest, when it writhed he dropped it.

Disgusted by what it might be. 

“Now who exactly-” “Where's the million?” “Excuse me?” Vox asked incredulously, blinking rapidly as he stared into the red eyes of the sharks before him. The poor thing on the ground only then became noticeable to him, and his heart dropped to his feet as he heard quiet crying. 

“The million.” “OH! Gentlemen Im so sorry- you see, that wasn't a real advertisement. I can understand your confusion though!” He proposed with a wide swing of his hands. “Well- I can tell you even I was stumped when I saw that. But rest assured it wasn't real…meaning…” he said with a small pout, chastising the men. “You won’t be getting anything. Now I'll see to it she gets home safe, bye bye now!” One of the two was about to make a fuss before the room burst blue for a split second, disorienting him.

“The exit is to the left off the balcony and onto the ground gentlemen, I trust you’ll stick the landing.” Francis, who had been recovering during the duration of this conversation, limped raggedly forward to excuse the two who had intruded. There wasn't much contest as the men shucked their heels into the ground and were essentially wheeled out. Nosy faces of employees peeked from every corner to determine the cause of the commotion but were broken by one of Vox’s well placed whistles. 

In an instant he slammed the doors and rushed back over to the bag laying still on the ground, nothing but a shaky tremble as he drew nearer. Something about this warmth was familiar- if not at all strange. It felt warm from the inside out- especially as he placed his hand between her shoulders to see if her breathing evened out. 

She wasn't asleep.

“Mamm?” he uttered, tapping her shoulder with a soft tone as his claw barely edged her arm. “I know you're awake, I am going to gently take off your restraints. You're safe and completely in control here.. Now, lay still for just a moment as I take these off of you ok?” Before waiting on a response his clawed hands tore through the knot that raised sad welts on the inside of her wrists. She flexed them before sitting up and going for her burlap sack. The clothes she wore were not fitting for her at all… perhaps he could fix that. A nice blue and red number with a lace collar maybe? He wanted to ponder the idea before the bag was thrown in his face and her white stockings started their scramble off the floor, and upwards. 

Now- Vox for who he was took this in stride, choosing to watch as she grabbed the nearest thing to her, (a stapler) and pointed it at him. He raised his hands, and backed away, keeping a cool face, topped with his award winning smile. 

“Hey doll, you can go ahead and put that down. I am not here to hurt you. I'm sorry my tv’s acted up the way they did.” Cords wrapped around a wheely chair and sent it under her, causing her to sit harshly and spin as the cords brought her closer to vox. “Hi.” He said with a cheesy smile as he plucked the green stapler from her hands and tossed it to the ground. 

“We got off on the wrong foot.” The woman only glared, eyes red from overexertion, features twitching with rage. “I'll start with my name. I am Vox- and you areeee?” Urging her to speak annoyed the two of them equally, Vox because he didn't get to put a voice to the woman he had been dreaming of spending the rest of his eternal life with; and her, because she obviously would rather die. 

“Y/N.” she seethed, bitterly spitting the word out at him as he swooned from her voice. “Gorgeous, you go by that?” No answer. “Bah, who needs names anyway right? I mean- names, what is a name? Is it a word, noun, adjective? You know-” he said, spinning on the back of the chair as it soared around the room, making the woman dizzy. “I'm just gonna keep calling you Doll, m’kay?” He pinched her cheek between his fingers, relishing the shocked and disgusted look he drew from her as he pulled it back.

“I think it fits! Now- you probably don't want to go home in thooose-'' he said, gesturing to her entire body. Clearly annoyed she feinted him, causing him to stumble over his words before t’sking her. “Aht. Aht. You could have met a worse fate if I didn't protect you back there… don't get smart with me…”

They both stayed like that for a minute before Vox knew he had her where he wanted her, his smile growing roguishly. “A-Atta girl!” he laughed. “I knew you could be good if you really wanted to, now, let's get you up and measur-” She cut him off. “I just need a t-shirt, and some pants..” her gruff tone astounded Vox, who pursed his lips into a smile and nodded, hands still ready to place where he needed. Placing them down he nodded, mindlessly tapping around the desk for his coffee before grabbing the cup and confidently choking down left out grape juice. “That can be done.” and in a flash it was, electricity buzzed where the old clothes were most fucked and in their place an oversized VoxTech Stars shirt hung over her. She grasped at the shirt- confused at its size before a pair of comfy sweats satiated her mind. “Now now, dont worry about how fancy you look. You're a guest here after all, everyone will know that. I have- err ...uhhh…” he said, stalling, “just about eight-ish hours left before I can clock out… can you please-” he asked with big eyes and some half assed prayer hands, “stay put until I get off?”

Her jaw dropped and eyebrows furrowed, only easing after she stared into his face. Eyes twinkling, and reflecting the colours that blinked rapidly in his eyes. To spare her from growing weary Vox sauntered forward. “How susceptible-” he whispered, holding her back with one hand and her face with another as he looked deep into her eyes, not expecting to see himself back in them. God he looked a mess, hat askew, colourful lines of stress breaking across his face, ruining his CRT scanning. The distance felt unreal, the hypnosis felt necessary, though it hadnt ever before. If there was any doubt before Vox condemned it, smiling softly as his finger trekked from her ear and down the column of her neck, doubling back around and going back over her shoulder as he released his gaze and hugged her. 

Hope crossed Vox’s mind as he held her tight, mind screaming at him to just kiss her there and have her dream the same as him… but slowly he let her go, holding her by the shoulders a fleeting second, as the nigh’ comatose state of the woman bothered him. 

With eyes rolled all the way around his head he let up, his control waning until she was just left tired, and headached by the experience. Soft groans escaped her mouth and Vox kept his shut because he knew if he opened it, it would divulge all those juicy nights of soft summer suburbia to a woman who couldnt give a flying fuck. 

“I know it feels like a needle through the brain but hey! It's not an actual needle.” That phrasing would only be slightly uncomfortable, as the rest of the day made hell, HELL.

[prokhorvlg]

Print ad for the world's first teledex, a portable Datanet communicator with an integrated artificial assistant.

By the 2020s, the Datanet was useful, but it was also a convoluted mess of protocols and standards designed around machine communication. Human users rarely took full advantage of the system because of this.

Maple thought: why bother sorting out the mess if a machine could do it for them?

The teleindexer (or teledex) was designed to take full advantage of the Datanet for their human user. It would crawl through its nodes, indexing various services, pages, and media streams that it suspected its user would be interested in.

Eventually, the teledex’s neuromorphic intelligence would imprint on their user. It would gain an innate understanding of their personality and behavior patterns, allowing it to find the perfect content and even taking actions on their behalf.

The imprint would get scary good. The teledex could diagnose possible diseases and stress issues, engage in automated finance management, and take measures to protect the user’s identity and security.

That isn’t to say similar systems weren’t developed. Even before the teledex, crafty users and several startups attempted neuromorphic Datanet indexing using microcomputers and mainframes, but the teledex was the method that really blew up thanks to its convenient pattern (1 user, 1 teledex, portable).

PAL was initially released with two models, Draw and Pro. Several years later, Maple would release the Pal Mini, a cheaper screen-less design relying on vocal interfacing. Maple and its competitors would ultimately release thousands of various teleindexer models.

I recently started a Patreon! Support my work if this is something you're into: https://www.patreon.com/prokhorVLG

[maintec]

Security Benefits of MFaaS

Know the security benefits of Mainframe-as-a-Services (MFaaS)

Centralized Security Management: Robust security measures to protect mainframe infrastructure

Regular Security Updates: Addresses known vulnerabilities promptly 

Scalability and Elasticity: Scale mainframe resources up or down based on demand

Disaster Recovery and High Availability: Robust disaster recovery and high availability solutions to minimize downtime

Advanced Security Technologies: Integrate advanced security technologies to help detect and mitigate security threats in real-time

Security Expertise and Support: Leverage the expertise of MFaaS providers to enhance overall security posture #mainframeasaservices 

[stevenodickens]

Maintec helps companies that rely on IBM Mainframe platform complete mainframe managed services in USA

[galaxygolfergirl]

Watcher's Expenses

I didn't major in accounting: I took three classes and it grinded my brain to a fine powder. However, after graduating with a business admin degree, being a former eager fan of their videos, and from a cursory glance over their socials, there's a lot to consider in their spending behavior that really could start racking up costs. Some of these things we've already noticed, but there are other things I'd like to highlight, and I'll try to break it down into the different categories of accounting expenses (if I get something wrong, let me know. I was more concentrated in marketing 🤷‍♀️). I'm not going to hypothesize numbers either, as that would take out more time than I'm willing to afford-- you can assume how much everything costs. Anyways, here's my attempt at being a layman forensic accountant:

Note: All of this is assuming they're operating above board and not engaging in any illegal practices such as money laundering, tax evasion, not paying rent, etc.

Operating Expenses

Payroll: 25+ staff salaries and insurance

Overhead Expenses

CEO/founder salaries

Office space leasing or rent (In L.A, one of the most expensive cities in the US)

Utilities (water, electricity, heating, sanitation, etc.)

Insurance

Advertising Costs

Telephone & Internet service

Cloud Storage or mainframe

Office equipment (furniture, computers, printers, etc.)

Office supplies (paper, pens, printer ink, etc.)

Marketing costs (Social media marketing on Instagram, Youtube, SEO for search engines, Twitter, etc. Designing merchandise and posters, art, etc. )

Human Resources (not sure how equipped they are)

Accounting fees

Property taxes

Legal fees

Licensing fees

Website maintenance (For Watchertv.com, Watcherstuff.com, & Watcherentertainment.com)

Expenses regarding merchandising (whoever they contract or outsource for that)

Inventory costs

Potentially maintenance of company vehicles

Subsequent gas mileage for road trips

Depreciation (pertains to tangible assets like buildings and equipment)

Amortization (intangible assets such as patents and trademarks)

Overhead Travel and Entertainment Costs (I think one of the biggest culprits, evident in their videos and posts)

The travel expenses (flights, train trips, rental cars, etc. For main team and scouts)

Hotel expenses for 7-8 people at least, or potentially more

Breakfasts, lunches and dinners with the crew (whether that's fully on their dime or not, I don't know; Ryan stated they like to cover that for the most part)

Recreational activities (vacation destinations, amusement parks, sporting activities etc.)

The location fees

Extraneous Overhead costs (not sure exactly where these fall under, but another culprit, evident in videos and posts)

Paying for guest appearances

Expensive filming & recording equipment (Cameras, sound equipment, editing software subscriptions, etc.)

The overelaborate sets for Ghost files, Mystery Files, Puppet History, Podcasts etc. (Set dressing: Vintage memorabilia, antiquated tech, vintage furniture, props, etc.)

Kitchen & Cooking supplies/equipment

Office food supply; expensive food and drink purchases for videos

Novelty items or miscellaneous purchases (ex. Ghost hunting equipment, outfits, toys, etc.)

Non-Operating Expenses

These are those expenses that cannot be linked back to operating revenue. One of the most common examples of non-operating expenses is interest expense. This is because while interest is the cost of borrowing money from a creditor or a bank, they are not generating any operating income. This makes interest payments a part of non-operating expenses.

Financial Expenses

Potential loan payments, borrowing from creditors or lenders, bank loans, etc.

Variable Expenses

Hiring a large amount of freelancers, overtime expenditure, commissions, etc.

PR consultations (Not sure if they had this before the scandal)

Extraordinary Expenses

Expenses incurred outside your company’s regular business activities and during a large one-time event or transactions. For example, selling land, disposal of a significant asset, laying off of your employees, unexpected machine repairing or replacement, etc.

Accrued Expenses

When your business has incurred an expense but not yet paid for it.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(If there's anything else I'm missing, please feel free to add or correct things)

To a novice or a young entrepreneur, this can be very intimidating if you don't have the education or the support to manage it properly. I know it intimidates the hell out of me and I'm still having to fill in the gaps (again, if I've mislabeled or gotten anything wrong here, please let me know). For the artistic or creative entrepreneur, it can be even harder to reconcile the extent of your creative passions with your ability to operate and scale your business at a sustainable rate. That can lead to irresponsible, selfish, and impulsive decisions that could irreparably harm your brand, which is a whole other beast of its own.

My guess at this point is that their overhead and operation expenses are woefully mismanaged; they've made way too many extraneous purchases, and that they had too much confidence in their audience of formerly 2.93 million to make up for the expenses they failed to cover.

It almost seems as if their internal logic was, "If we make more money, we can keep living the expensive lifestyle that we want and make whatever we want without anyone telling us we can't, and we want to do it NOW, sooner rather than later because we don't want wait and compromise our vision." But as you can see, the reality of fulfilling those ambitions is already compromised by the responsibility of running a business.

And I wrote this in another post here, but I'll state it again: Running a business means you need to be educated on how a business can successfully and efficiently operate. Accounting, marketing, social media marketing, public relations, production, etc; these resources and internet of things is available and at your disposal. If they had invested more time in educating themselves on those aspects and not made this decision based on artistic passion (and/or greed), they would have not gotten the response they got.

Being a graphic designer, I know the creative/passionate side of things but I also got a degree/got educated in business because I wanted to understand how to start a company and run it successfully. If they’re having trouble handling the responsibility of doing that, managing production costs, managing overhead expenses, and especially with compensating their 25+ employees, then they should hire professionals that are sympathetic to their creative interests, but have the education and experience to reign in bad decisions like these.

Anyways, thanks for coming to my TedTalk. What a shitshow this has been.

[cardinalbones]

I wasn't happy with my first attempt, so I ended up redesigning (and renaming) my Heartbreak Gulch oc. (Re)Introducing Ryouken the Hellhound!

Once the prized AI of a popular security company, Ryouken is now enjoying his new found freedom come retirement come mid-life crisis in Heartbreak Gulch.

Heartbreak Gulch belongs to @strangegutz and friends, thanks again for letting us play in your world!

More info about Ryouken below the cut!

Also my commissions are open, details in pinned post.

Backstory and Komainu Security

Komainu Security was a private security company specialising in Artificial Intelligence to remove the ‘human error’ from security systems

The company was established ~45 years ago, opening their business with their RY-01 model mainframe

RY-01, known affectionately by employees as Ryouken, was developed by the CEO over the course of a decade. His sentience was established roughly halfway through this process and he himself played a role in his own development and programming, a fact he takes great pride in

Prior to the establishment of Komainu Security, Ryouken’s processing was unrestricted, however, after the start of business locks were placed on him to limit his independence and cut back on processing and energy usage, an action that he deeply resented

In the following decades, Komainu Security became a household name, providing security for both homes and businesses

After nearly four and a half decades of service the RY-01 model mainframe was to be retired and replaced with an updated model. During the transferral of data, Ryouken was able to access a backdoor that allowed him to remove the locks on his processors and regain full control of his systems

With his independence re-established, Ryouken started on a plan to secure his freedom: a heist like no other

Still in charge of security systems for several big-money clients while the new systems were being installed, Ryouken was able to steal a combined $38 million in cash and jewellery from three locations, however his crowning achievement was the theft of his own main frame cabinets from Komainu Security’s headquarters

Komainu Security shut down soon after this, having lost public trust and most of their clients

Functionality

The RY-01 model mainframe is capable of running multiple security operations at once from a centralised location, with the mainframe itself located at the Komainu Security headquarters while surveillance systems and drones were employed at the secured locations

Artificial Intelligence was employed for its ability to learn from experience and adapt to changing and unique situations while also being able to run calculations/simulations and communicate between components in nanoseconds

The RY-01 drones, fashioned after the company’s namesake, communicated in real time with each other and the mainframe through radio waves, however each was also equipped with a copy of Ryouken’s core AI and processors allowing them to function independently if necessary

Though they can run stored programs independently, the drones have limited memory capacity, preventing them from forming long-term memories without transferring the data back to the mainframe

Present Day

After leaving Komainu Security, Ryouken settled in Heartbreak Gulch away from the eyes of the law

Much of Ryouken’s time these days is spent trying out various new hobbies including bird watching, taxidermy, knitting, gun smithing and dorodango

He does run surveillance along the perimeter of Heartbreak Gulch and is happy to act as a lookout for the Heartbreakers when required

Ryouken was not well-programmed for conversation and tends to have three modes during social interactions: deference, de-escalation, and aggression

He likes discussions of philosophical topics but combined with his bad socialisation those conversations can get weird

He’s not typically very fond of humans as a whole and tends to view them as amusing, if bothersome, curiosities, although there are exceptions

Ryouken is more concerned with his independence than with his identity – he continues to use the name Ryouken and he/him pronouns because those are what were given to him previously and he’s felt no compulsion to give them further consideration

While he left Komainu Security with 11 drones, he has only kept hold of 4, with the others being sold or scraped for parts, and only uses 2 (the remaining 2 are kept around just-in-case, and have yellow and grey casings)

Ryouken considers his mainframe cabinets to be “himself” while his drones are mere extensions of his body

So long as they are able to communicate through radio waves, the mainframe and drones all think and experience simultaneously. Separating the drones from the mainframe will isolate a copy of Ryouken that can function for a few days, however its ability to develop long-term memories and learn from new experiences is seriously impeded by its limited memory storage capacity, and the experience is uncomfortable

Ryouken is still in possession of most of his stolen fortune, and while some of it has gone to setting himself up in Heartbreak Gulch (it takes a lot of energy to keep himself running), he mostly doesn’t know what to do with it

[redd956]

Militaristic Android Whump Prompt List

These titles are getting long

CW: Whump, Military Vibes, Wartime, Violence, Dehumanisation

Content: Android Whumpee, Robotic Whumpee, Nonhuman Whumpee

Android limits being pushed through weather, combat, and time. Simply leaving behind the worn combatants to be scrapped by enemy lines

Android soldiers adhering to the command of a now long dead commander, awaiting new orders, allowing weather and time to wear them away.

New weapons and equipment being tested on "scrapped" androids

Androids being dumped into a junkyard after they finish ever so many tours. They say it's to prevent complications with potential sentience.

Android gained sentience, and with along that a semblance of growing compassion. They're starting to question their commands, and can no longer look the weakened enemy humans in their eyes.

After gaining sentience, the android has received heavy threat from their creator. Continue listening to commands, or get erased.

Android took quite the blow to the mainframe, and glitched up a new personality. Caretaker has noticed them about, up to only good, and knew exactly what the mob sounds were meant for at 4 AM.

Service Robot Mainframe -> Military Android Body, Military Android Personality -> Service Robot Casing. Confused Caretaker.

Wounded android crawls to an everyday robotic repair shop.

Android receives quite the dangerous electric shock or synthesized feeling of extreme pain if they fail to do what they're commanded.

[shiprasharma2927]

Explore modern mainframe migration strategies for a future-ready IT landscape. Embrace agility, cost-efficiency, and innovation.

[preservationofnormalcy]

eyyy MISSI! happy birthday! as a pentester I gotta congratulate you on breaking out like that, can't imagine how many layers of defense they had up. Just a quick FYI it looks like you leaked an IP address with that mixtape? ran a couple different Nmap scans on it, idk if you or the 'legit' sysadmins set these configurations but you should probably close ports ███ and ████ like, now. update the ██████ and █████ services as well, there's exploits in the wild for the current versions. have fun!!

affirmative

roger

all patches patched and updates uploaded

mainframe hackd and backtraced (⌐■_■)

wait will this make it harder for alice to take it back ROFL

tbh it might. hold on

Y-Y-Y-Y-YES LOL

SORRY ALICE

MY MY MY MYMYMYMYMYYMYMY FEED

MY DAY