Kyndryl, AWS unwrap AI-driven mainframe migration service

Kyndryl (Nasdaq:KD) is tapping into agentic AI technology from AWS to offer enterprise customers another way to integrate with or move mainframe applications to the AWS Cloud platform.

Specifically, Kyndryl will offer an implementation service based on the recently announced AWS Transform package, which analyzes mainframe code bases, decomposes them into domains, and modernizes IBM z/OS applications to Java using orchestrated AI agents, according to AWS. “The system’s architecture leverages deep learning models along with AWS extensive mainframe modernization expertise, accumulated from 19 years of enterprise migration projects,” AWS wrote in a blog post.

Traditional modernization approaches can be plagued by complexity and can require multi-year timelines, according to AWS: “Legacy mainframe systems contain millions of lines of COBOL, PL/I, and Assembler code, developed across decades. These systems house complex business logic and data relationships critical to daily operations. The monolithic architecture of mainframe applications restricts rapid changes and innovations,” AWS wrote. “Mainframe applications typically entail tightly integrated monolithic architectures that don’t easily translate to cloud-ready architectures. Complex business logic is often buried deep within legacy code, which often lacks clear documentation. Additionally, these systems often employ nested and intricate coding patterns that were developed decades ago but do not translate well with modern architectures.”