One of the most interesting aspects in technology is the varied applications put in play and their impact on businesses, whether it’s the local hardware store or the giant electronics conglomerate.

And even more interesting is the fact that one technology endeavor can do so much beyond helping one company or enterprise.

That’s exactly the case at the University of Bari in Italy. Tech leaders have deployed an IBM System z mainframe to build a cloud offering heavy-duty computing power that is helping truck companies, fishermen and local winemakers advance their business with minimal cost.

The cloud is built on a System z9 Business Class mainframe running on Linux and using DB2, WebSphere and Tivoli middleware.

Just consider how the system is changing long-time business practices. It used to be that fishermen went trolling, brought their catch back to the dock and then started haggling with wholesalers to make the day’s sale.

Now, with the university system, those same fisherman can communicate in real time with wholesalers, while fishing, and let them know what they’ve caught and make the sales connection happen minutes after the catch.

The fishermen are using a touch screen system that also lets them determine market demand at local fish markets while at sea. They enter the type of fish and get instant information on the daily auction price.

What this mean is that if a certain catch isn’t in high demand, they can alter their fishing strategy or donate caught fish that isn’t selling to local organizations once back on the pier.

If they decide an auction price is good, they make the sale and have the fish packed for distribution on the return trip.

The system helps fishermen make more money, gets needed product to market quicker than ever and also plays a role in fish conservation. Not a bad catch, as some might say.