AI-Augmented Code Modernization for COBOL and PL/I Applications

Rocket Software recognized as Challenger in the 2026 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for AI-Augmented Code Modernization Tools.

What is AI-augmented code modernization? 

Goal: Modernize core applications while managing risk to required business behavior
AI-augmented code modernization uses artificial intelligence alongside application analysis, engineering tools, testing, and human review to help teams understand, assess, transform, validate, and maintain existing applications. Rocket connects AI-assisted understanding to application context, engineering review, testing, and validation so enterprises can modernize how teams build, test, deploy, and operate applications while managing risk to required business behavior.
 
Choose the right path: platform modernization, application replatforming, code refactoring, COBOL development modernization, language transformation, or a combination.

How Rocket helps: 

Trustworthy AI output

Connect AI-assisted understanding to application context: Explain code, identify candidate business rules, summarize dependencies, and document applications using code facts and structured application models.

The right-fit modernization path

Match the modernization path to the workload: Support platform modernization, application replatforming, code refactoring, COBOL development modernization, language transformation, or a combination.

Confidence before every change

Validate before production change: Use traceability, testing, regression comparisons, and human review to evaluate required behavior.

Why enterprises trust Rocket Software for mission-critical application modernization

 

Proven track record

35+ years helping enterprises modernize mission-critical systems.

Deep COBOL & PL/I expertise

Support for COBOL and PL/I application estates across batch processing, transaction workloads, data dependencies, and distributed deployment models.

AI-powered, context-aware insight

AI-assisted analysis grounded in application context, traceability, and validation.

How Rocket helps enterprises modernize code 
while managing risk to required business behavior

Challenge: Limited application understanding 

Understand COBOL and PL/I application behavior before you change it 

Mission-critical applications carry rules across programs, copybooks, files, databases, batch schedules, transaction flows, and operations. Rocket helps teams analyze that estate, explain unfamiliar code, identify candidate business rules, and connect modernization plans to required business behavior.
 

  • Analyze programs, data, jobs, transactions, and interfaces across COBOL and PL/I estates
  • Use AI-assisted explanations to shorten code discovery and review
  • Identify and draft candidate business rules for subject matter expert validation
  • Help teams trace selected outputs and impact areas to relevant programs, data elements, dependencies, and application models
  • Enterprise Analyzer - Provides application-analysis and dependency context that teams can use to assess change impact across mainframe application estates
  • COBOL Analyzer - Uses static analysis and AI-assisted insights to help developers navigate and understand COBOL applications
  • Enterprise Developer - Supports mainframe application development, analysis, testing, and change workflows in a contemporary development environment
Illustration of limited application.
Illustration of modernization path.

Challenge: Unclear modernization path 

Choose among platform modernization, application replatforming, code refactoring, COBOL development modernization, and language transformation

Modernization risk grows when teams treat every project as the same motion. Rocket helps teams evaluate the right path: update the supporting platform, replatform workloads, refactor code, modernize COBOL development workflows, transform an implementation language where appropriate, or combine paths where the application estate requires it.

  • Modernize platforms while accounting for required runtime behavior and operational controls
  • Replatform workloads to distributed or cloud infrastructure with disciplined validation
  • Refactor code to improve maintainability without intentionally changing business outcomes
  • Modernize COBOL development workflows with contemporary tooling, testing, automation, and supported deployment targets
  • Enterprise Server - Supports execution of replatformed enterprise workloads on distributed or cloud infrastructure
  • Enterprise Developer - Supports mainframe application-development and modernization workflows in a contemporary integrated development environment
  • Visual COBOL - Supports contemporary COBOL development, testing, CI/CD practices, and deployment to supported JVM or .NET environments

Challenge: Unverified AI output

Use AI where it can explain, summarize, and guide review 

AI can accelerate modernization, but teams need access to relevant evidence and context when reviewing AI-assisted explanations and recommendations. Rocket combines AI with static analysis, application models, product documentation, and modernization context so engineers can inspect and validate results.
 

  • Explain COBOL and PL/I programs for engineer review
  • Draft candidate business-rule summaries from code and application context
  • Summarize dependencies and potential impact areas
  • Keep human oversight central to modernization decisions
  • COBOL Analyzer -  Helps developers navigate, visualize, and assess COBOL code and potential change areas
  • Enterprise Analyzer - Provides application-analysis context that teams can use when reviewing AI-assisted explanations, dependencies, and impact summaries
  • Visual COBOL - Supports COBOL development, testing, and deployment workflows that teams can use to review and validate application changes
Illustration of ai prompt.
Illustration of change risk.

Challenge: Unverified production behavior

Validate required application behavior before changing production workloads

Modernization decisions are more credible when teams can demonstrate, through defined tests and comparisons, that changed applications continue to produce required outcomes. Rocket supports testing, regression comparison, CI/CD workflows, and runtime validation so organizations can modernize with evidence.
 

  • Test for defined functional equivalence using unit tests, regression tests, and output comparisons
  • Evaluate transaction behavior, batch timing, performance, recovery, and operational readiness
  • Integrate validation into developer workflows and release pipelines
  • Connect recommendations to code, dependencies, and expected business outcomes
  • Visual COBOL - Supports COBOL testing, CI/CD workflows, and deployment to supported target environments
  • Enterprise Server - Supports execution and validation of replatformed workloads in distributed or cloud environments
  • Enterprise Developer - Supports development, testing, debugging, and release workflows for mainframe application teams

Proven results

What customers say about working with Rocket Software

Rocket customers modernize core application environments while preserving business logic, improving delivery speed, and validating behavior before production change. 

Rocket® Enterprise Server enabled us to modernize our entire development environment. Replatforming our payroll application in AWS without changing our COBOL code was the fastest way to do the migration while minimizing the risk of logical application issues.

Jesper Plantener Chief Architect, Visma Enterprise
CASE STUDY

Visma Enterprise: Replatforming COBOL applications to AWS with Rocket Enterprise Server

Visma Enterprise used Rocket Enterprise Server to modernize core COBOL applications, move to AWS, improve release frequency, and reduce infrastructure costs without rewriting application logic.

Logo of visma
https://www.rocketsoftware.com/en-us/case-studies/visma-enterprise
CASE STUDY

Modernizing enterprise applications with Rocket Enterprise Suite

Jove Informática used Rocket Enterprise Suite to modernize application delivery, improve agility, and support ongoing innovation across critical enterprise systems.

Logo of Jove.
https://www.rocketsoftware.com/en-us/case-studies/jove-informatica

Insights

Explore guidance on AI-augmented modernization, application understanding, path selection, and validation. 

INSIGHT

Gartner Recognizes Rocket Software as a Challenger in the 2026 Magic Quadrant for AI-Augmented Code Modernization Tools

Rocket Software was recognized as a Challenger in the 2026 Gartner Magic Quadrant for AI-Augmented Code Modernization Tools. Read the full Gartner® report. 

https://www.gartner.com/doc/reprints?id=00ThR000008etCUUAY&ct=260804&st=sb

Frequently asked questions

Source: Gartner, Magic Quadrant™ for AI-Augmented Code Modernization Tools, by Prasanna Lakshmi Narasimha, Deacon D.K Wan, Erin Khoo, Wei Jin., August 3, 2026.

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