Computing infrastructures have evolved from mainframe to server to cloud to managed services to hybrid. But in many cases, the constant has been mainframe even though it has been a platform destined for extinction for more than twenty years. Why has it been scorned, why has it been resilient and how could a little Software Asset Management attention bring it back into the fold of flexible and affordable platforms? This presentation will present the history, the benefits and the opportunities for cost savings that can be exercised throughout its lifetime, even though that may be short.