Mainframe computer

mainframe computer A data processing system employedmainly in large organizations for various applications, including bulk data processing, process control, industryand consumer statistics, enterprise resource planning, and financial transaction processing. Mainframes use proprietaryoperating systems, most of which are based on Unix, and a growing number on Linux. Over the years they have evolved from being room-sized to networked configurations of workstations and servers that are an extremely competitiveand cost effectiveplatforms for e-commerce developmentand hosting. Mainframes are so called because the earliest ones were housed in large metalframes.