FNTS
TECHNOLOGY DAN CHICOINE, VP OF MARKETING AND PRESIDENT KIM WHITTAKER OF FNTS
Transition Partner
FNTS ACCELERATES MAINFRAME-TO-CLOUD MIGRATIONS Omaha-based First National Technology Solutions, a 26-year-old subsidiary of First National of Nebraska, is aiming to double its revenues as a provider of managed informational technology services to about 160 national clients, most of the firms doing over $1 billion annually in highly regulated industries. In order to achieve this, FNTS has launched a partnership with Jacksonville, Florida-based Astadia, a mainframe-to-cloud software, consulting and systems integration boutique, specializing in moving IBM and Unisys mainframe applications and databases to cloud platforms.
Guiding Innovation FNTS President Kim Whittaker said the idea is to help organizations with legacy technology unlock the agility and savings that mainframe migration to the cloud has to offer. Mainframe operations and maintenance expenses are the fastest growing IT expenses for businesses, and there is a growing talent workforce and skills gap challenging organizations to support these antiquated but mission-critical systems. “These challenges create extreme business risk, especially for enterprises running core, decades-old legacy applications,” she said. “Migrating
applications to contemporary cloud platforms provides the ability for businesses to innovate, reduce operating costs, and extend the life of their investment.” FNTS, headquartered in 25,000 square feet at 201 N. 16th St. in Omaha, has grown from 85 to 100 employees in the past couple of years. Most of the new jobs have been in cloud and mainframe engineering. Whittaker, a Kearney native who has been with FNTS since 1996 and who became president in 2017, said mainframe-to-cloud migrations can result in savings of at least 15% on operational costs. Operating mainframes is one of the fastest growing IT expenses for firms. There is a growing legacy technology skills gap among professionals supporting such complex and mission-critical systems. Plus, many mainframes have limitations when integrated with modern technologies. FNTS’s partnership with Astadia will enable clients a fast-track mainframe-to-cloud migration and opportunities for innovation into the future as well as a long-term reduction in operating costs. Whittaker said while FNTS serves customers ranging from Metropolitan Utilities District in Omaha and regional manufacturers to Milwaukee County (Wisconsin), the firm differentiates itself with
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