no-truth

The trend at the moment is having java based web applications that interface with a mainframe. So we have a web front end that interfaces with a mainframe that processes/stores the data.

Most companies are trying to stop using the mainframe so much, it is laughable though because they are moving from mainframe based solutions, to mainframe based solutions.

Most of banks use linux boxes for downstream systems (reporting and so on) but a mainframe is the centrepiece of it all, executing end of day batch jobs (this can be anything from the feeds to the clearing house, or end of day reconciliation) and processing trades.

You will be surprised, but it is due to the fact that banks were some of the first people to start using computing decades ago, and some of the programs I have seen in use at banks were older than me. Moving everything to a Intel based platform removes that backwards compatability, but z/OS is made with this in mind.