Modernization vendors

The original platform vendor

IBM still owns the compilers and the hardware most COBOL, PL/I, RPG, and HLASM code runs on. Its own consulting arm pairs migration and refactoring services with tooling for code analysis and COBOL-to-Java transformation on IBM Z, alongside watsonx Code Assistant for Z, an AI-assisted code explanation and conversion tool launched in 2024.

Automated COBOL, RPG, Natural, and PowerBuilder to Java or C# conversion

Blu Age was founded in France in 2000 and acquired by Amazon Web Services in November 2021; its automated conversion platform now ships as part of AWS Mainframe Modernization. It converts COBOL, RPG, Natural, and PowerBuilder source into Java or C#, and is the vendor behind one of the largest publicly documented conversions in the industry: 12 million lines of COBOL converted to Java for an insurance client in roughly six months.

Legacy language tooling and modernization products

Rocket builds developer tooling, DevOps pipelines, and modernization products specifically for mainframe languages, generally aimed at keeping and improving existing code rather than replacing it outright.

Cross-platform COBOL and PL/I compilers and tooling

Micro Focus was founded in the UK in 1978 and was acquired by OpenText for roughly 5.8 billion dollars in a deal that closed in early 2023. It sells COBOL and PL/I compilers that run off the mainframe (Windows, Linux, cloud), along with modernization and application analysis tooling, now operating as a OpenText brand.

Mainframe-to-cloud migration specialist

Astadia supports major mainframe environments including IBM z/OS and applications built in COBOL, Assembler, Natural, and Adabas. Its FastTrack Migration Factory has been used to migrate databases from IDMS to DB2 and convert Enterprise COBOL to Micro Focus COBOL running off the mainframe.

Automated code transformation preserving business logic

TSRI's JANUS Studio automatically analyzes and converts COBOL, JCL, CICS, IMS, Assembly, and more than 30 other languages into Java, C#, or C++ on multi-tier or microservices architectures, aiming to preserve the original business logic rather than reinterpret it. TSRI holds the AWS Mainframe Modernization Competency.

Deterministic COBOL-to-Java transformation

Founded in New York in 2015 by Venkat Pillay, CloudFrame focuses specifically on deterministic transformation of COBOL applications into object-oriented Java while preserving functional equivalence and numeric precision, aiming to make the output auditable rather than a black-box conversion.

IBM i application lifecycle management and modernization

Founded in 1992 by Philippe Magne in Chavanod, France, ARCAD Software specializes in managing and modernizing IBM i application development environments, with version control and code quality analysis for RPG, COBOL, CL, and other IBM i languages, combining application modernization and DevOps tooling in one product line.

API-led legacy integration

OpenLegacy generates APIs directly from existing mainframe programs and data, letting new applications call legacy systems without touching or rewriting the underlying code.

Large-scale enterprise modernization consulting

A large systems integrator with a broad mainframe modernization practice, typically engaged for enterprise-wide transformation programs rather than a single application.

AI-assisted mainframe modernization consulting

Capgemini has introduced a mainframe modernization platform built on generative and agentic AI aimed at converting COBOL applications into cloud-native architectures, and has publicly cited work helping a major US insurer migrate its policy administration system.

Offshore-heavy delivery at scale

Large Indian IT services firms with deep bench strength in COBOL, RPG, and PL/I maintenance and modernization work, typically engaged for ongoing managed services or staffing gaps.

PowerBuilder's current owner and modernizer

Appeon has owned PowerBuilder's development and support since a 2016 agreement with SAP, and sells tooling to modernize PowerBuilder applications' UI and deployment model without a full rewrite.

Delphi's current owner

Idera owns Embarcadero, which develops Delphi (RAD Studio) itself, including migration tooling for older Delphi codebases onto current compiler versions.

Open-source CFML runtime

Lucee is an open-source CFML engine, often adopted by ColdFusion shops looking to cut licensing costs while keeping the existing CFML codebase largely as-is.

CFML consulting, tooling, and open-source ecosystem

Ortus Solutions builds widely used open-source CFML tooling (ColdBox, TestBox, CommandBox) alongside consulting services covering audits, risk assessment, and modernization strategy for existing ColdFusion and Lucee codebases.

ColdFusion modernization and managed support

A longstanding ColdFusion-focused consultancy offering modernization of existing codebases (updated frameworks, architecture, security posture) rather than defaulting to a rewrite in another language.

Adobe ColdFusion Solution Partner

An Adobe ColdFusion Solution Partner since 1998, offering migration, security, and ongoing support services for legacy CF systems.

PowerBuilder to .NET or Angular migration

Focuses specifically on migrating PowerBuilder applications to .NET or Angular-based front ends, aimed at minimizing disruption to the underlying business logic during the move.

PowerBuilder support and modernization at scale

An enterprise services firm with dedicated PowerBuilder practice serving clients across the US, India, UK, Australia, and UAE, covering both ongoing support and modernization work.

Automated code and database conversion across many legacy languages

A longstanding conversion-tooling vendor covering a wide range of source languages, including Delphi versions from 5 through the current release, converting to Java, C#, Python, or VB.NET, alongside separate database migration tooling.

HLASM to Java or C# migration

Offers turnkey modernization of HLASM assembler code and its associated mainframe databases to relational models, converting to Java or C# for cloud or on-premises deployment.

HLASM migration to Linux and cloud, output stays readable

Specializes specifically in HLASM assembler migration, aiming to produce natural, readable, maintainable code on the target platform rather than a literal line-for-line translation.

Deep source-code analysis and custom-goal translation

Uses its DMS Software Reengineering Toolkit to parse and deeply analyze source code (including Assembler), producing translations tuned to the customer's specific goals for the resulting code structure and quality, rather than a one-size-fits-all conversion.

Fortran and HPC consulting, training, and refactoring

A consultancy focused specifically on Fortran and high-performance computing: training, performance and optimization work, and code refactoring, generally aimed at improving existing Fortran rather than replacing it.

Fortran modernization: integrate or rewrite

Specializes in modernizing legacy Fortran codebases via two distinct paths: integrating the existing Fortran directly with C, C++, or Python rather than replacing it, or a complete rewrite of the codebase, chosen based on the specific system.