Richard Pape, mainframe systems executive at IBM Asia-Pacific, told ZDNet Asia in an email interview that the company is <A HREF="http://news.zdnet.com/2424-9595_22-216741.html?tag=nl.e539">witnessing a resurgence in the mainframe.</A> "We saw a range of all-new mainframe clients this year across the world, particularly in emerging markets [such as China and India]," he said.

During the release of its second-quarter results last month, IBM reported a 32 percent year-on-year increase in revenue from the System z mainframe server products. There are several drivers for customers wanting or continuing to invest in mainframes, said Pape.