In this episode of The Vertali Podcast, host Ed Nell is joined once again by Chris Harvey, Technical Delivery Manager at Vertali, this time to explore how managed services help organizations reduce operational risk, protect against single points of failure, and build lasting resilience.
From aging workforces and undocumented processes to disaster recovery testing and the challenge of scaling a team up for a major project and back down again, Chris covers the full scope of what a long-term mainframe managed service actually involves—and what organizations should look for in a provider.
Key Takeaways
A team of four or five people is a single point of failure waiting to happen.
When that team has been doing the same job for 20 or 30 years and one or two members retire, a third of the experience and knowledge walks out the door. A managed service partner ensures that knowledge remains, even when individuals leave.
Most mainframe shops have almost no documentation—and that is a serious risk.
When Vertali asks clients what documentation they have when starting a new service, “next to none” is the most common answer. Building a runbook and capturing institutional knowledge are among the most valuable things a managed service provider can do.
Disaster recovery has to be tested, not just planned.
Having a second site means nothing if nobody knows how to fail over to it, whether the license keys will work on different hardware, or who to call at two in the morning. The irony is that the more risk-averse an organization is, the more important it is to conduct a real test.
Incident management and change management are inseparable.
Changes create incidents. That is not a failure—it is the nature of working on live, critical systems. What matters is that escalation paths are clear, the technical team can focus on fixing the problem, and someone else is keeping the client informed.
Key Moments
“The knowledge stays with Vertali, not a person.”
“You hope you never need to use it—but you need to know it’s there and that it works.”
“If something goes wrong in that window, it is going to be fixed. That is what they are paying for.”
About The Vertali Podcast
The Vertali Podcast explores the world of cybersecurity and how businesses can protect their most valuable assets. From cutting-edge technologies and the latest cybersecurity trends to practical insights on securing critical infrastructure, each episode brings expert knowledge and real-world experience to help organizations stay ahead of evolving threats and build resilient systems.
How to Get in Touch
To learn more about Vertali or schedule a consultation:
Website: vertali.com
If you found this episode useful, subscribe and share it with anyone responsible for mainframe operations in their organization.
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