Mainframe Modernization

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AI-led mainframe modernization

Your mainframe remains essential—but it also requires reinvention. See how AI can accelerate modernization and unlock innovation.

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<h3>The mainframe modernization imperative</h3> <p>Mainframes remain an essential part of the global economy—but most struggle to match the speed, transparency, and efficiency of modern technology environments. While there is no quick fix, there is a clear path forward. </p> <p>Cognizant helps enterprise organizations realign the mainframe within the enterprise’s wider digital, cloud, AI and operational ecosystem. Our AI-first, microservices approach allows organizations to retain the strength, security and resiliency of their existing mainframe, while breaking free of legacy constraints that challenge innovation, agility and efficiency.</p>

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Overview

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<h3>Cut mainframe modernization time by 50-70% with AI</h3> <p>For years, enterprises avoided modernization because it was too risky, slow, and expensive. AI is changing that equation.</p> <p>Instead of long, manual transformation programs, generative and agentic AI can automate large parts of the process, such as analyzing legacy codebases, orchestrating migration tasks, and validating outputs—accelerating transformation and enabling the system to evolve continuously over time.</p> <p>With Cognizant, organizations can use AI to modernize in motion, ensuring core systems remain relevant, resilient, and ready to support what the business needs now and next.</p>

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Advantage

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<h3>Results we delivered to 500+ customers through 10,000+ mainframe specialists</h3>

<h2>99.99% </h2> <p>uptime maintained throughout modernization</p>

<h2>5M </h2> <p>lines of code successfully<br> modernized in one project</p>

<h2>+$10B </h2> <p>in annual digital sales successfully processed by one platform</p>

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Outcomes

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<h3>From isolation to integration: End-to-end mainframe modernization, powered by AI</h3> <p>Cognizant delivers end-to-end mainframe modernization services, spanning infrastructure, consulting, managed services, and mainframe-as-a-service to help enterprises break free from legacy system constraints while minimizing the disruption of traditional transformation programs. </p> <p>With 500+ successful engagements and more than 10,000 specialists backed by advanced AI capabilities, tools and partnerships, our team brings unmatched depth to every stage of your modernization journey.</p>

AI & automation-first model

We integrate cutting-edge generative AI capabilities at every stage of the modernization lifecycle, compressing timelines while reducing costs and risk.

Outcome-focused approach

Flexible methodology and deep domain specialization allow us to adapt strategies to meet clients’ unique needs and maximize business value.

Strategic partnerships

Partnerships with Anthropic and Cognition bring best-in-class AI and agentic coding into our modernization workflow—accelerating code understanding, transformation, and validation.

Multi-cloud expertise

Our partnerships with hyperscalers, including AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure, combined with Cognizant's Skygrade platform ensure optimal cloud placement and effective multi-cloud management at scale.

Self-funding model

Our sequenced modernization approach generates early operational savings through automation, right-sizing, and productivity gains, creating a self-funding cycle that reduces upfront investment.

Platform-based accelerators

Our proprietary suite of accelerators work seamlessly together to deliver accelerated, holistic transformation, increasing modernization speed by up to 70%.

Risk-managed transitions

Our Neuro AI platform provides autonomous operations, root-cause AI, and self-healing capabilities that de-risk transition periods and maintain business continuity.

Domain specialization

Deep banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI), retail, healthcare, and public sector expertise ensures modernization plans reflect business needs and compliance requirements.

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Approach

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<h3><b>Mainframe Services:</b></h3>

Consulting
In platform modernization
Maintenance & enhancements

Re-platform/ re-engineer
Mainframe hosting
Infrastructure engineering

Testing
Industry & platform-based services
System engineering & upgrade

<h3 class="mt-1">Mainframe modernization services</h3>

Cognizant mainframe modernization framework

Cognizant’s framework provides a structured, outcome-driven approach to mainframe transformation, guiding enterprises from current-state assessment through cloud-native deployment. Choose from three flexible options—rebuild, refactor or rehost—each sequenced to maximize value, reduce risk, and self-fund modernization

Rebuild

Replace legacy apps with commercial off-the-shelf solutions (COTS), using gen AI to interpret business logic and define requirements.

Refactor

Leverage GenAI to update legacy code and prepare it for cloud-native environments.

Rehost

Stable apps can run on virtual mainframes to replace hardware or coexist; AI maps dependencies and integrations for clean scoping.

Batch optimization

Cognizant's AI-powered batch optimization capability uses intelligent technology to analyze dependencies, identify inefficiencies, re-sequence workloads, refactor code, and continuously monitor performance—helping organizations reduce mainframe compute use while maintaining business continuity.

Mainframe optimization-in-place

For stable mainframe applications, our mainframe optimization-in-place capability allows companies to improve performance without replacement. We leverage gen AI, DevSecOps practices and AIOps to enhance code understanding, accelerate development, and reduce operating costs—freeing up budget and capacity for higher priorities.

<h3><b>A unified view of Cognizant’s mainframe service offerings:</b></h3>

Mainframe managed services

Cognizant resources will manage the mainframe infrastructure end to end
Customer to own mainframe hardware, software licenses, datacenter and DR assets
Cognizant remotely and securely connects to customer network
Short transition period for support
Managed services can be offered in dedicated and shared services model
Performance CSI and provides transformation solution

Mainframe hosting services

Near Zero CAPEX for customer
Cognizant to provide mainframe hardware, software licenses, datacenter, DR and managed services as part of the offering
Pure pay per use model as customer will only be charged for “MIPS consumed” against the “installed MIPS” in any given month
Proven methodology for hassle free mainframe migration
Managed services can be offered in dedicated and shared services model

zModernization

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Scalable, cloud-native architectures
Real-time analytics
Seamless integrations

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z/OSMF; z/OS Connect, API
Data virtualization
ZOWE; analytics on Z
Open-Shift, Linux on Z, Ansible

zDevOps -- m-0

CI/CD pipeline
Smart tools
Environment provisioning
Test automation
Continuous monitoring

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Services

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<h3>From Innovation to Optimization—Modernized by AI</h3> <p>An AI‑first approach to innovate boldly, modernize intelligently, and optimize continuously—across the full technology lifecycle.</p>

INNOVATE

Flowsource™: Elevating full-stack engineering to new heights

Flowsource is our unified, full-stack modern engineering platform—Al-led to accelerate innovation, reduce risks and boost productivity across your SDLC.

MODERNIZE

Cognizant Skygrade™: Cloud-native modernization platform

Enable scalable cloud transformation, risk mitigation, fast delivery and precise business rule extraction across cloud estates.

OPTIMIZE

Cognizant Neuro® AI: Autonomous Operations

Monitors, diagnoses, and self-heals with AI to reduce operating costs, fund modernization and de-risk transition.

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Enablers

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<h3>We’re helping clients cut complexity, de‑risk change, and fast‑track AI‑driven cloud and mainframe modernization at enterprise scale</h3>

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RETAIL

Re-engineering a cloud-native, AI-enabled OMS

RETAIL

Re-engineering a cloud-native, AI-enabled OMS

Modernized 5 million lines of legacy code into a microservices-based platform on Google Cloud, enabling $10B+ digital sales processing, new marketplace capabilities and auto-scaling, self-healing operations.

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FINANCIAL SERVICES

Modernizing core banking with AI and cloud-native architecture

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Modernizing core banking with AI and cloud-native architecture

Applied Cognizant’s AI-first framework, plus Flowsource and Neuro, to refactor COBOL systems—reducing MIPS costs, accelerating releases and delivering digital-ready banking at scale.

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INSURANCE

Transforming policy systems with AI-driven modernization

INSURANCE

Transforming policy systems with AI-driven modernization

Leveraged Gen AI and Skygrade to decode millions of lines of undocumented COBOL, dramatically accelerating product launches while reducing compliance risk.

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PUBLIC SECTOR

Modernizing citizen services with phased, zero-disruption transformation

PUBLIC SECTOR

Modernizing citizen services with phased, zero-disruption transformation

Executed in-place optimization to generate immediate cost savings, followed by a phased migration to hybrid cloud to meet digital accessibility mandates with zero disruption.

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Case studies

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<h3>Featured work</h3>

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AI has changed the economics of mainframe modernization

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Rethinking Mainframe Modernization

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AI in mainframe modernization

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3 reasons legacy IT may thwart AI success

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Generative AI for mainframe modernization

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Featured work

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Take the first step

Serving customers by looking forward as well as back is a big promise, but the power of today’s new digital capabilities is vast and growing.

Let’s talk about how digital can work for your business.

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