Data is becoming the world's new "natural resource," transforming industries and professions across the board. Smart, innovative organizations know that data is the new basis of gaining a competitive advantage. DB2 for z/OS remains the leading database for storing mission-critical data. This book explains how DB2 for z/OS and supporting products enable businesses to use their data to gain a competitive advantage. Jane Man is a Senior Software Engineer in the DB2 for z/OS development team, and has worked on various features of DB2 for z/OS. Surekha Parekh is IBM’s World-Wide Marketing Program Director. She has more than 25 years' experience in B2B Market Management across a broad range of IT products and solutions with proven results. Pallavi Priyadarshini is an Architect and Product Manager at IBM India. Maryela Weihrauch is an IBM Distinguished Engineer. IBM DB2 for z/OS: The Database for Gaining a Competitive Advantage! By Shantan Kethireddy, Jane Man, Surekha Parekh, Pallavi Priyadarshini, Maryela Weihrauch MC Press Online, LLC Copyright © 2015 IBM All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-58347-437-2 Contents About the Authors, Introduction by Surekha Parekh, DB2 for z/OS and Cloud Computing by Surekha Parekh and Maryela Weihrauch, Could Your Analytics Strategy Cost Your Business $100M? Learn How New Technologies Can Help Protect Your Analytics, Data, and Your Bottom Line by Shantan Kethireddy, Predictive Analytics Using IBM SPSS Modeler in DB2 for z/OS by Jane Man, Lei Tian, and Liang Wang, Maximizing Mobile Initiatives with IBM DB2 for z/OS by Surekha Parekh and Mark Simmonds, DB2 for z/OS and Spark Integration DB2 and Spark — the Perfect Partner for Big Data by Pallavi Priyadarshini, CHAPTER 1 DB2 for z/OS and Cloud Computing by Surekha Parekh and Maryela Weihrauch Highlights Highly virtualized server that supports mixed workloads Self-serving capabilities in private, membership or hybrid cloud environments Divisional support of responsibilities Customized implementations to suit your business Platform foundation services for cloud use cases Introduction What Is Cloud Computing, and What Is Driving This Market Trend? Cloud computing is a platform that allows on-demand, pay-for-use access to applications or computing resources, as services, from the Internet. The era of cloud computing is a paradigm shift that is occurring as the result of severe market competition and a dramatically changing business environment. Firms are being prompted to adopt various state-of-the-art information solutions to improve their business operations. The drivers for implementing cloud computing services are: Improve speed of business Reduce costs Improve customer communications Facilitate mobilization Manage the increase in the variety, velocity and type of data IBM Cloud Computing Is Designed for Business Many industry-leading companies use IBM cloud computing. Why? With the IBM cloud, you can unlock more value in your business and in the technology you already have. The cloud can integrate enterprise-grade services and help speed up the way you innovate. What Is Data as a Service, and What Are the Drivers? According to the analyst firm Ovum, data as a service (DaaS) is a natural and logical evolution of the as-a-service model. As the volume, variety, and complexity of data continue to increase, the skills that are necessary to master them become proportionally scarcer. Transferring the burden of data sourcing and management, and allowing users to focus on finding value in its use, require little endorsement for many organizations. DaaS for business empowers businesses to use data as a standalone asset and to connect with partner data to make smarter decisions. IBM® DB2® for z/OS® DaaS is a service in the IBM cloud that is designed to offer variety, scale, and connectivity. It includes cross-channel, cross-device, and known and anonymous data without compromising reliability, availability and security. DB2 for z/OS Many of the world's top banks, retailers, and insurance providers store mission-critical operational data in IBM z Systems™ and DB2 for z/OS. DB2 for z/OS and z Systems are designed to handle rapidly changing, diverse, and unpredictable workloads while maximizing resource utilization and investment. Simply put, DB2 for z/OS is among the most scalable, reliable, and cost-effective data servers available. The mainframe was originally designed to handle a complete range of applications, from small to large, both commercial and scientific. Virtualization of hardware and efficiency of operation have now become significant areas of impact in technology today. IBM DB2 for z/OS includes a cloud solution that offers organizations the opportunity to remove expensive hardware and move to a responsive, virtual environment ( Figure 1 ). With DB2 for z/OS on the cloud, you can reduce cost and complexity in your IT infrastructure, simplify compliance, and g