downsizing

In the 1990s, mainframe technology dominated. Due to the rapid increase in performance of personal computers(PCs), workstations and transmission networks, there are interesting cost-effective alternatives. This can be seen in client- server architectures.

There has been a further surge in development as a result of organizational restructuring in user companies. These increasingly rely on flatter hierarchical structures and form decentralized, independently operating business units whose specific DP requirements can only be inadequately mapped in central applications.

In conceptual terms, downsizing means a complete replacement of mainframe systems with smaller computer units. Cooperative structures are becoming increasingly common, with mainframes taking over overarching functions such as database management, information management, resource management and security management. In this respect, the term rightsizing is an adequate description of the facts of such strategies.