DETROIT – Compuware Monday announced the release of its Workbench, a new open environment for managing mainframe application development. Through an Eclipse-based graphical user interface with a single-launch point for Compuware’s mainframe products, the Workbench increases productivity and addresses the training challenge arising from the retiring mainframe workforce phenomenon.

“Increased efficiencies achieved through a GUI interface and product integration let us devote the saved resources to new and existing projects that have meaningful business impact,” said Carsten Andersen, System Designer, Jyske Bank A/S. “Our job is to help the business unit achieve the goals of the company. Improved efficiencies help us do that through realized cost savings and productivity increases, resulting in greater responsiveness to the business’s needs.”

The Workbench helps IT improve efficiencies through both the GUI environment and tighter product integration. This combination appreciably minimizes the time it takes to accomplish particular tasks, allowing IT to more quickly meet service level agreements and deliver business-critical projects on time, while controlling costs.

As the current workforce looks ahead to retirement, IT organizations face the daunting challenge of training new programmers. The “next generation” workforce is accustomed to a GUI interface and has not had experience with the mainframe TSO/ISPF (character-based) interface. Providing these new workers with the modernized, point-and-click interface through the Compuware Workbench significantly reduces the time associated with what would otherwise be a longer, more expensive learning curve.

The Workbench also continues to support IT’s more proficient developers by offering both a character-based and GUI environment, giving these skilled programmers the option of using whichever platform best suits their needs.

The Workbench entered its beta testing phase earlier this year, receiving positive customer reviews, and is now available to all current Compuware mainframe customers at no additional cost.

To learn more, click on Compuware.Com

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