IBM z/OS has been the foundation for enterprises that need unmatched reliability, scalability and security. In 2025, IBM is building upon this strong foundation with z/OS 3.2, the next release of the IBM flagship mainframe operating system, designed to unlock the value of the new IBM z17.

By Kelly Pushong, Director, IBM Z and LinuxONE, SW Product Management, IBM

This latest version of z/OS is engineered to allow clients to integrate their applications and data into hybrid cloud environments, while leveraging the strengths of the mainframe to support today’s AI-driven workloads.

As enterprises confront the explosive growth of data and transactions, the urgency to modernize and integrate AI while still prioritizing performance, security and compliance has never been greater. z/OS 3.2 rises to this challenge by introducing support for the new AI acceleration technologies in IBM z17, which is built to help organizations run both traditional and generative AI models directly on sensitive data in-place, which minimizes the risks associated with data movement while accelerating time-to-insight.

With advanced encryption and sophisticated threat detection, organizations can process growing volumes of data, maintaining their highest levels of security and operational efficiency. By leveraging AI capabilities within the operating system, z/OS 3.2 is built to automate and simplify IT operations.

Fueling innovation and growth with AI

z/OS is designed for organizations who want to leverage AI to enhance decision-making, uncover new opportunities for growth and extract greater value from existing data and applications. z/OS 3.2 helps clients unlock the value of their data on the system of record through modern APIs, engineered to make z/OS data accessible in hybrid cloud and AI environments without resorting to Extract-Transform-Load (ETL) which can be costly and error-prone.

DFSMSdfp Cloud Data Access (CDA) and DFSMS Object Access Method (OAM), through industry standard REST APIs, integrate core business data with hybrid cloud by modernizing the access and management of unstructured data on z/OS, and allowing distributed environments access to existing z/OS data.

Enhancements to EzNoSQL APIs allow applications to now utilize Python on z/OS, in addition to COBOL, C and Java, allowing clients to build scalable, accessible NoSQL databases directly on z/OS to enable data analysis and predictive modeling for enterprise applications.

Behind these integrated AI capabilities is a robust technology stack that includes open-source frameworks, zDNN libraries and AI tooling, all optimized for the IBM z17’s Telum II processor, Integrated Accelerator for AI, and Spyre Accelerator¹. These components work together and are built to enable real-time, high-speed inferencing and model execution directly on the platform, minimize latency and eliminate the need to move sensitive data.

AI can now be embedded into mission-critical workloads, supporting advanced use cases like fraud detection, supply chain optimization and automated decision-making with high performance and security.

Cyber resiliency and securing the most important data

z/OS 3.2 provides a highly securable and scalable platform for running mission-critical applications, to protect sensitive data and systems from cyber threats and other disruptions. IBM’s commitment to cyber-resilience is reflected in the platform’s robust security features, including designated quantum-safe cryptographic algorithms, pervasive encryption, advanced authentication methods and integrity scanning. With IBM Threat Detection for z/OS (TDz) and the new quarantine functionality through RACF userid containment, clients have additional protection against potential cyberthreats.

z/OS 3.2 continues our focus to protect client data from emerging quantum threats and data breaches by implementing National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) quantum-safe algorithms. The enhanced security features in z/OS 3.2 help businesses address the risk of yet unseen cyber threats and data breaches. These enhancements are engineered to help clients and businesses protect the integrity and confidentiality of their data, address their regulatory requirements and compliance mandates.

Transforming and automating for efficiency 

In addition, z/OS 3.2 streamlines management tasks to provide a more intuitive and user-friendly experience for IT teams. The platform’s advanced automation capabilities and APIs is engineered to help organizations simplify their IT operations, reduce costs and improve productivity. z/OS 3.2 leverages AI-infused tooling and capabilities such as the AI-powered Workload Manager (WLM) to predict workload spikes and proactively adjust to meet the demand². These AI-powered data-driven predictions helps organizations continue to access critical applications and services, without interruption.

To help further simplify operations, z/OS 3.2 introduces a z/OSMF Storage Management Plugin which leverages the enhanced functionality of storage management REST APIs to provide displays of Storage Management Subsystem (SMS) structures as well as non-active Control Data Sets (CDSs). This simplified, modern interface allows storage administrators to quickly get up to speed on performing mainframe storage management tasks. By modernizing the user experience and making core tasks more accessible, IBM is equipping the next generation of mainframe talent with the tools and skills they need to succeed. This enhancement builds on IBM’s continued efforts to simplify z/OS management and make the platform more intuitive and efficient for all users.

A milestone in mainframe computing

z/OS 3.2 represents a significant milestone in mainframe computing. Its innovative AI features, enhanced security and streamlined management capabilities make it an essential platform for organizations looking to drive business growth, improve operational efficiency and stay ahead of the competition. By investing in z/OS 3.2, businesses can unlock the potential of their mainframe assets and position themselves for long-term success in an increasingly complex and rapidly changing digital landscape.

z/OS 3.2 is planned to become generally available on 30 September 2025. Learn more about z/OS and get started. Join the IBM z/OS Community to stay connected with the newest features, discussions, and events around z/OS.

We invite you to learn more about this exciting new release through our announcement letter and upcoming webinar on 29 July 2025 at 1:00pm ET for a deep dive technical overview of the new features and capabilities z/OS 3.2 has to offer. Register here. 

Experience z/OS 3.2 in person and hear from subject matter experts at our upcoming TechXchange conference in Orlando, FL from 6-9 October 2025.