Capgemini leads paradigm shift in mainframe application modernisation powered by gen AI and agentic AI

Paris, May 14, 2025 – Capgemini is leading a paradigm shift in mainframe modernisation with the launch of a new offering that will enable organisations to unlock greater value from their legacy systems at unprecedented speed and accuracy. Capgemini’s new approach, powered by generative and agentic AI, gives those organisations that have been wedded to complex mainframe environments the ability to gain cost savings and agility, as well as a significant improvement in data quality. It converts legacy mainframe applications into more modern, agile, and cloud-friendly formats that can run more efficiently either on or outside of a mainframe.

Automated mainframe application refactoring involves using tools and techniques to automatically convert legacy mainframe applications, such as those written in COBOL and their respective databases and data files. Embedded with a set of generative AI assistants and AI agents, Capgemini’s new offering automates legacy code analysis and extraction of business rules, quickly transforming them into modern architecture. It is also supported with rigorous automated testing for faster, higher-quality transformations and reduced risk for businesses.

“Many organisations have already explored various mainframe migration approaches like rehosting, but none of these lead to a mainframe exit option,” said Franck Greverie, Chief Portfolio & Technology Officer, Head of the Global Business Lines, and Group Executive Board Member at Capgemini. “Our new automated approach, built on a combination of gen AI assistants and AI agents, provides a comprehensive understanding of an enterprise’s existing legacy landscape. This approach enables the automation capabilities needed to completely refactor mainframe applications, driving greater efficiency in migrating and converting core mainframe-based systems. Designed to give enterprises opportunities to achieve greater cost efficiencies, quality and agility, it will open new business perspectives for those that have been relying on their mainframes for years.”

Underpinned by Capgemini’s extensive experience of delivering large and complex mainframe modernisation programmes, market leadership in AI, deep domain knowledge and broad understanding of complex industry regulations, Capgemini’s offering has already delivered tangible results for a number of blue-chip clients including, a major life insurance firm in the USA: by intelligently extracting legacy product requirements logic for a complex life product from their mainframe code base, Capgemini significantly accelerated their conversion to a modernised Policy Admin System, achieving higher quality and accuracy with remarkable speed compared to traditional methods.

In a recent report, The Forrester Wave™: Application Modernisation and Multicloud Managed Services, Q1 2025, Capgemini was named a leader. Find out more here.

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