Strategies for Successful Mainframe Modernization

Recently, Astadia's CEO Scott Silk joined Steven Dickens from The Futurum Group on the Six Five “Infrastructure Matters” podcast. Their conversation focused on how mainframe modernization has emerged as a critical focus for enterprises looking to future-proof their IT infrastructures.

The mainframe talent shortage is growing increasingly acute, aging mainframe systems are becoming more and more expensive to maintain, and integration with modern technologies acts as a barrier to innovation. Many organizations are finally making the choice to modernize. That’s good news because today’s automation tools make modernization easier, less expensive, and practically risk free.

The Importance of Application Modernization

Mainframes have served as the backbone for large enterprise workloads for decades, yet for most organizations, they have become a liability. Mainframe shops are grappling with aging technology and a dwindling workforce, which adds urgency to modernization efforts. The COVID pandemic prompted a wave of retirements, including many mainframe experts with highly specialized skills.  Yet very few college grads are stepping in to replace them, putting legacy systems at considerable risk.

Mainframe development processes were born in an age when waterfall development processes were the norm. While many organizations have adapted to more agile methodologies, the complexity and procedural nature of mainframe technologies makes it difficult to develop and deploy new features rapidly. By migrating to modern programming languages and relational databases, mainframe shops can open the door to new developers and expand their opportunities to innovate around their core applications.

At the same time, operating costs have continued to rise, as mainframe vendors seek to remain profitable even as the number of customers continues to decline. A perfect storm of high costs, limited talent, and technological obsolescence is driving more and more mainframe shops to make the move to the cloud.

In his conversation with Steven Dickens, Scott Silk noted a surge in demand, particularly over the past 90 days, as companies are realizing that the risks of remaining on outdated systems now outweigh the risks of modernization.

Overcoming Challenges During the Transition

One of the primary hurdles in mainframe modernization is the complexity of these systems, which have been in operation for decades. Transitioning to a cloud-based infrastructure requires careful planning, risk mitigation, and expertise. Astadia’s approach stands apart from its competitors because the company’s sophisticated automation suite, known as the Astadia FastTrack Migration Factory.

The FastTrack Migration Factory combines automated code conversion, database migration, exhaustive testing, and validation into a single toolset.  That allows organizations to move from COBOL to Java or C# faster and at a lower cost. Although Astadia initially anticipated a 50/50 demand between refactoring and replatforming, refactoring now dominates the market, as customers see significant savings with minimal risk.  That’s the power of fully automated processes.

Astadia’s expertise is not limited to COBOL, nor is it confined to IBM systems. The company has successfully modernized some of the largest, most challenging legacy systems in the world, including numerous Unisys mainframes.  With over three decades in the business, Astadia has seen it all.

Leveraging Technology Relationships

Partnerships play a crucial role in enhancing modernization strategies. Astadia's long-standing relationship with Micro Focus has been important for both organizations, and the company has worked closely with other leading companies in the mainframe space to maximize the value they deliver to their clients.

Astadia’s recent acquisition by Amdocs has helped the company establish an even stronger presence, significantly bolstering its ability to offer end-to-end solutions for clients. Today, Astadia can offer a vertically integrated approach, handling everything from mainframe migration to managed services, DevSecOps, and predictive analytics. As Scott Silk explains, this full-suite service has turned Astadia into a trusted advisor for major enterprises navigating the very complex transition to the cloud.

GenAI and the Future of Mainframe Modernization

Generative AI is quickly becoming a game-changer in mainframe modernization. While some competitors are only 60-70% automated, Astadia’s automation in migrating COBOL to Java is an impressive 99.996%. Silk stresses that their focus is not just on automating the migration process, but also on enhancing code discovery, modernization, and automated test case development, – areas where AI is proving invaluable.

Silk predicts that the recent acceleration in mainframe modernization will hold for the next five years, driven by the continued wave of retirements among mainframe experts and the increasing risks of remaining reliant on legacy systems. With the backing of Amdocs and a highly automated, scalable approach, Astadia is set to lead this new wave of digital transformation.

For organizations grappling with the decision to modernize, the message is clear: the time to act is now. As businesses navigate the intricacies of mainframe modernization, they need partners like Astadia whobring a wealth of experience, cutting-edge technology, and a proven track record of success.

The best place to start is with a comprehensive mainframe assessment. No two mainframe environments are exactly the same, and many systems have grown incomplexity over the years. Astadia’s experts take a deep dive into legacy code, applications, and relationships, emerging with a clear understanding of the unique attributes of your mainframe systems. With that information in hand, Astadia can recommend modernization options that align with your organizational priorities. The assessment process provides a solid foundation for a success ful modernization project.

Want to start the conversation? Contact our experts today to discuss your project.

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