Freight Leader Achieves Real-Time Operations and Major Speed Gains with Cloud-Connected Mainframe
Allyship Snapshot
Use Cases
Mainframe latency reduction
Solutions
- Ensono’s Modern, Cloud-Connected Mainframe
- Remote infrastructure management
- Remote hosting and IBM software ownership
Partners
Microsoft
AHEAD
Outcomes Achieved
The Challenge
High Latency Affects Rail Operator Efficiency
This leading North American freight transportation company operates one of the continent’s most extensive rail networks, spanning the United States and parts of Canada.
In recent years, the company modernized much of its IT infrastructure by migrating distributed systems to Microsoft Azure. However, its mainframe remained in a distant data center—hundreds of miles from Azure’s presence in Virginia—creating a serious operational bottleneck.
This physical separation introduced up to 40 milliseconds of latency between systems, slowing critical applications used daily by rail operators to keep freight moving nationwide. The result: sluggish response times, delayed workflows, and frustrating user experiences.
The company’s existing managed services provider couldn’t resolve the issue. Another provider attempted to emulate mainframe applications in Azure, but this required extensive reprogramming, introduced new risks, and failed to deliver the performance needed. Fed up with years of latency pain, the company was ready for a new approach.
The Journey
A New Perspective: Move the Mainframe, not the Workloads
After an introduction from AHEAD, a trusted technology partner that had successfully led the company’s Azure migration, Ensono recommended a different approach. Instead of replicating mainframe applications in Azure, the rail operator could move its mainframe platform to Ensono’s cloud-adjacent data center in Virginia—just five miles from Azure’s node.
This recommendation became the foundation of Ensono’s Modern, Cloud-Connected Mainframe (MCCM) offering—a solution that places the system of record (the mainframe) in close proximity to systems of engagement (cloud workloads). The result: dramatically reduced latency, simplified architecture, and seamless performance.
Ensono partnered with Microsoft to present the solution and demonstrated a real-time ping test showing sub-5 millisecond latency. Finally seeing a light at the end of its latency tunnel, the company greenlighted the project to move forward.
Ensono deployed its MCCM solution in three phases:
- Remote Infrastructure Management (RIM):
Ensono replaced the client’s existing MSP and began managing the mainframe and disaster recovery environments remotely. - Remote hosting and IBM software ownership:
Ensono took over IBM software licensing and mainframe hardware, delivering cost savings and simplifying vendor management. - Full MCCM migration:
The mainframe is being relocated to Ensono’s data center, with disaster recovery moved to Omaha, Nebraska—near Azure Central. The new platform includes high availability, disaster recovery, and scalability tailored to the client’s needs.
The Outcomes
Real Results for Rail Operators
This mainframe migration delivers measurable business and customer benefits. The company’s rail operator clients now experience fast, seamless access to the data they need. Internal teams no longer need to work around delays. And the business is positioned for long-term agility and growth.
- Latency reduced by over 85%, from 30–40ms to under 5ms
- 20–22% cost savings on IBM software and infrastructure
- Improved user experience for frontline teams
- Simplified vendor landscape and stronger partnerships
- Future-ready architecture with high availability and DR aligned to Azure Central
Frequently Asked Questions:
How did Ensono reduce mainframe latency for a freight transportation company?
Ensono deployed its Modern, Cloud-Connected Mainframe (MCCM) solution, relocating the client’s mainframe to a cloud-adjacent data center in Sterling, Virginia—just five miles from Microsoft Azure’s node. This proximity reduced latency by over 85%, from 30–40 milliseconds to under 5 milliseconds. Unlike previous attempts to emulate mainframe applications in Azure, Ensono’s approach moved the mainframe itself closer to cloud workloads, eliminating the need for risky reprogramming while delivering seamless performance.
What cost savings can companies achieve with a cloud-connected mainframe solution?
The freight rail company achieved 20–22% cost savings on IBM software and infrastructure through Ensono’s MCCM solution. These savings came from Ensono taking over IBM software licensing and mainframe hardware ownership, simplifying vendor management and consolidating partnerships. The phased approach also replaced an underperforming managed services provider, further streamlining operations and reducing total cost of ownership.
What is Ensono’s Modern, Cloud-Connected Mainframe (MCCM) solution?
Ensono’s MCCM is a mainframe-as-a-service platform that positions the mainframe (system of record) in close physical proximity to cloud workloads (systems of engagement). The solution is deployed in three phases: remote infrastructure management, IBM software and hardware ownership, and full migration to Ensono’s cloud-adjacent data center. It includes high availability, disaster recovery, and scalability—all designed to eliminate latency bottlenecks between mainframe and cloud environments.
Get more Client Success Stories like this
Florida Streamlines Software Spend and Saves $8.3M
Learn how the State of Florida consolidated its mainframe software stack to save $8.3M, simplify procurement, and improve performance through licensing optimization and vendor consolidation.
Oklahoma Future-Proofs Vital Citizen Services Running on IBM Power
Oklahoma partnered with Ensono to modernize IBM i infrastructure across three state agencies, reducing downtime from 72 hours and enhancing disaster recovery for vital citizen services.
Bolstering Confidence Across 10 Million People While Combating Fraud
Learn how Ensono’s identity specialists helped enhance the security and reliability of a government-run company register while reducing fraud and increasing information accuracy for over 10 million people.
State Future Proofs Mainframe to Safeguard Critical Services for Over 5 Million Citizens
Learn how a U.S. state secured 24/7 public service delivery by modernizing its mainframe with Ensono MFaaS, eliminating risk, ensuring compliance, and enabling scale.
Your relentless ally
You want customers that are thrilled, operations that hum, iron-clad resilience and a limitless future. Ensono makes it happen with the expertise, flexibility, and level of commitment you never thought possible.