IDG Contributor Network: Mainframes, the military, and me
It starts with Basic Training – boot camp – where raw recruits are rousted from their beds early in the morning to begin a daily regimen designed to instill discipline and order. From how to make their beds and fold their clothes to hours of physical fitness training to learning to march in step with their fellow recruits, the objective is to prepare the mind and body of each soldier for service. Perhaps even more importantly, it conditions recruits to work together as a team to achieve their shared goals – quickly, efficiently, and precisely.
Perhaps that’s why I have such an affinity for mainframe computers. They are characterized by these same principles of speed, efficiency, and precision, making them the optimal platform for many important computing tasks today – from managing banking transactions to routing airplane traffic. When military officers give orders, they must have absolute confidence that the men and women serving under them will carry it out. Many businesses and other institutions rely on their mainframes for exactly the same reason.
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