US House Decommissions its Last Mainframe

The US House of Representatives has taken its last mainframe offline, signaling the end of a computing era in Washington, DC. The last mainframe supposedly enjoyed quasi-celebrity status within the House data center, having spent 12 years keeping the House’s inventory control records and financial management data, among other tasks. But it was time for a change, with the House spending $30,000 a year to power the mainframe and another $700,000 each year for maintenance and support