Application modernization is a critical priority for enterprises striving to remain competitive in today’s fast-paced digital landscape. Businesses are actively seeking efficient ways to modernize legacy applications, migrate workloads to the cloud, and harness AI-powered insights. However, one major roadblock persists: seamless access to enterprise data — especially from systems that weren’t built for modern integration.
This is where the powerful synergy of no-code platforms and VirtualZ Computing comes into play. Leading no-code platforms empower enterprises to develop, deploy, and manage applications without writing a single line of code — dramatically simplifying modernization efforts. VirtualZ addresses one of the most challenging aspects of these projects: providing secure, high-performance access to enterprise data — whether it lives on the mainframe, in the cloud, or across distributed systems.
Together, no-code platforms and VirtualZ offer the power of no-code innovation and multi-platform data access, delivering a streamlined, efficient approach to application modernization without compromising data security, speed, or compliance.
The Growing Need for No-Code Application Modernization
Organizations relying on legacy applications often face significant challenges, including:
- Skills shortages: Finding experienced mainframe developers is increasingly difficult
- Complex codebases: Legacy applications often contain decades-old custom code that is costly and time-consuming to refactor
- Slow modernization efforts: Traditional modernization projects can take years, delaying business agility
- Data access bottlenecks: Modern applications require real-time or secure access to enterprise data, yet traditional approaches like ETL and CDC are expensive, slow, and resource-intensive
No-code development platforms solve many of these issues by enabling rapid application delivery without traditional coding. However, for many enterprises, the challenge isn’t just building modern applications — it’s ensuring seamless, secure, and governed access to all the data they need, wherever it resides.
How No-Code Platforms and VirtualZ Computing Work Together
The combination of no-code development and VirtualZ’s flexible, multi-platform data access — whether it’s no-copy access to data that must stay on the mainframe, or high-speed movement of data to the cloud — removes the most common obstacles to application modernization.
No-Code Development Platforms enable organizations to:
- Build, deploy, and manage applications without writing code
- Rapidly develop and modify applications using intuitive drag-and-drop interfaces
- Automate workflows, analytics, and reporting
- Reduce dependency on expensive development resources
Some examples of no-code platforms that pair well with VirtualZ include:
- Unqork – For highly regulated, enterprise-grade app development
- OutSystems – For hybrid-cloud modernization and deep integrations
- Mendix – For enterprise process automation and legacy modernization
- Creatio – For CRM and workflow-heavy apps
- Quickbase – For operational and departmental workflows
- Kissflow – For scalable, low-complexity business apps
- Appian – For process automation and AI-enhanced workflows
While these platforms accelerate application development, enterprises still need a way to connect those apps to data across mainframes, cloud platforms, and distributed systems. That’s where VirtualZ comes in.
VirtualZ: Seamless, Multi-Platform Data Access
VirtualZ’s portfolio of no-code solutions supports enterprise-wide data movement and access — from cloud to mainframe, and vice versa:
- PropelZ™ — Secure, no-code ELT that moves structured data (e.g., SMF, VSAM, tapes) from mainframes to analytics platforms like Snowflake, watsonx, and Splunk
- FlowZ™ — Lightweight file movement between mainframes, cloud, and distributed systems — ideal for sharing, AI pipelines, or hybrid workflows
- Lozen™ — Real-time, bidirectional read/write access to live data on the mainframe, enabling cloud-native applications to interact with enterprise systems as if the data were local
- Zaac™ — Cloud or SAN-based storage that allows mainframe applications to read and write data from modern external storage systems, including AI-generated data
By combining no-code development with VirtualZ’s seamless data access across platforms, enterprises can eliminate traditional ETL, replication, and integration delays — without sacrificing performance or security.
Benefits of the No-Code + VirtualZ Combination
By leveraging no-code platforms for application development and VirtualZ for multi-platform data access, organizations achieve:
- Faster modernization: Build, test, and deploy apps in days, not years
- No-code data integration: Skip complex migration pipelines and custom ETL
- Lower costs: Avoid middleware, manual coding, and data duplication
- Flexible access: Real-time, file-based, or scheduled movement based on business needs
- Compliance-ready: Keep sensitive data on IBM Z or securely move it as needed
- Cloud-ready infrastructure: Integrate with AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and Snowflake
The Future of Modernization is Here
Modernizing enterprise applications no longer requires costly and complex transformations. With no-code platforms and VirtualZ Computing, enterprises can:
- Rapidly deliver new business functionality
- Ensure secure, compliant access to data across legacy and modern platforms
- Unlock digital transformation without disrupting core operations
This approach breaks down traditional silos and removes the biggest barriers to innovation — by giving enterprises access to the data they already own.
Ready to Modernize Without Code?
Discover how no-code platforms and VirtualZ Computing can help your enterprise move forward — without code, without complexity, and without data bottlenecks.
Learn More
- Watch the on-demand briefing.
- Watch demos of PropelZ, FlowZ, Lozen, and Zaac.
- Try PropelZ, FlowZ, Lozen, and Zaac.
- Visit our Customer Briefing Center.
- Review all VirtualZ Solutions.
- Explore our Thought Leadership papers, YouTube channel, podcasts, and blog.
- Still have questions? Contact us.
