Mainframe Modernization Services

We move mainframe workloads in planned waves, with each wave proven in a parallel run before cutover.
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Definition

What are mainframe modernization services?

Mainframe modernization services are the assessment, planning, and engineering work that moves COBOL, PL/I, and assembler workloads off IBM z/OS, or opens them to newer systems where they stay. We choose a path for each workload: retain it and integrate through APIs, rehost it on a mainframe-compatible runtime, refactor the code to Java, rewrite the domain, or replace it with a package. Each move group carries its data, batch jobs, and interfaces, and it cuts over only after a parallel run shows the new system produces the same results as the old one.

Programs usually start from a date: a hardware lease or IBM contract renewal, an outsourcing agreement that expires, the retirement of the people who know the batch schedule, or a product the business cannot launch on the current code. The planning question is which workloads move first. Under IBM's traditional sub-capacity pricing, the software bill follows the peak four-hour rolling average of processor use, so savings arrive when the workloads that create the peak leave.

Mainframe programs run with our Andersen Consulting colleagues, including SPR's custom software and cloud modernization teams, under one plan and one accountable lead. BD Emerson's security and compliance practitioners sit on the same team, so access controls, audit trails, and the evidence examiners ask for move with each workload.

Services

What our mainframe modernization services include

Assessment and cost model
Retain and integrate
Rehost and refactor
Domain rewrite
Data and batch conversion
Parallel run and exit

Assessment and cost model

We inventory every program, copybook, JCL member, dataset, and transaction, build the call and data dependency graphs from the code, and attribute processor use to workloads from SMF records. The result is a move-group plan and a five-year cost model built from your contract terms and your usage data.

Retain and integrate

Where a workload should stay on z/OS, we put documented APIs and data replication in front of it and bring its code into current source control and deployment tooling, so newer systems can use it without new screen-scraping or file transfers.

Rehost and refactor

For workloads that must leave the hardware, we rehost COBOL on a mainframe-compatible runtime on Linux or in a public cloud, or convert it to Java with automated tooling. The engineers who will maintain converted code review it before it moves, because code that keeps COBOL's structure is cheap to produce and expensive to own.

Domain rewrite

Where the business plans to change how a process works, we rebuild that domain as new software and route one capability at a time to it with the strangler fig approach, retiring mainframe code as each capability moves.

Data and batch conversion

We convert EBCDIC text, packed decimal fields, and REDEFINES layouts from VSAM, IMS, and Db2 into the target databases, and rebuild the JCL job streams and scheduler dependencies so downstream teams get their files on time.

Parallel run and exit

Each move group runs on the old and new systems side by side until balances, notices, and files match across daily, month-end, and year-end cycles. Then the mainframe code is switched off, and the final exit is timed to a hardware or contract renewal date.

Our approach

Assess it, prove it, move it, switch it off

01

Assess the estate

We inventory the code and data, attribute processor use to workloads, and map every contract renewal and notice period. BD Emerson's planning range for a large estate is 8 to 12 weeks.

02

Prove one domain

We carry one domain of moderate complexity through conversion, parallel run, and the shutdown of the mainframe code it replaced, which calibrates the estimate for every later wave.

03

Move in waves

Waves follow data dependencies and economics. Peak-driving workloads and whole logical partitions leave early, so the bill falls in steps the business case can count.

04

Switch it off

A wave counts as finished only when the old code is switched off. The final exit lands on a hardware or contract date, and your team owns the code, the runbooks, and the tests.

contact us

Is a mainframe contract renewal inside three years?

Bring your contract dates, a month of SMF data, and the applications you worry about most. In one working session we will sketch the move groups, the first wave, and the dates that drive the business case.

Our Advantage

Why BD Emerson for mainframe modernization services

Andersen Consulting depth

Mainframe programs run with our Andersen Consulting colleagues, including SPR's custom software and cloud modernization teams, under one plan and one accountable lead.

Cost model before code

We model the bill from your contract and your usage data before anyone picks a tool, so the wave plan follows the workloads that drive cost and the dates that end contracts.

Security built in

BD Emerson's security and compliance practitioners join the program, so access controls, audit trails, and the evidence auditors and examiners ask for are designed into each target environment.

Reviews

What our customers say

Great consulting firms for scaling security, compliance, and appsec.

Outstanding partner in Technical and Cyber Due Diligence

Appsec maturity and application hardening.

BD Emerson helped us simplfiy our compliance management.

BD Emerson did such a phenomenal job. What started as privacy support quickly became a full partnership across compliance, engineering, and even business operations. They’re embedded with our team. They understand our product. They move fast. They’re simply invaluable.

Adam Ben Jacobs

CTO @ OneStep GPS

Great consulting firms for scaling security, compliance, and appsec.

Outstanding partner in Technical and Cyber Due Diligence

Appsec maturity and application hardening.

BD Emerson helped us simplfiy our compliance management.

BD Emerson did such a phenomenal job. What started as privacy support quickly became a full partnership across compliance, engineering, and even business operations. They’re embedded with our team. They understand our product. They move fast. They’re simply invaluable.

Adam Ben Jacobs

CTO @ OneStep GPS

We had a hard time finding the right company to partner with in support of our compliance journey. Some vendors sell the idea that they do the work, but then you end up doing everything. The ambiguity is what killed our last project. BD Emerson’s team has such great technical knowledge and understands the standard so well that they made us comfortable with moving fast. This has led to us closing major enterprise customers that were previously out of reach because of security and compliance.

Tom Watkins

CEO @ AMI AssetTrack

Lead an enterprise initiative to overhaul the organization's technology stack from ecommerce, corporate tech, and corporate security.

Supported ISO 42001 exercise and served as internal auditor.

Rubrik's privacy and compliance team began with the backbone of BD Emerson. BD Emerson supported building out the privacy program, GRC (ISO 27001, SOC 2, CMMC, FedRAMP), and the appsec function.

We needed a partner who could move quickly, without sacrificing precision. BD Emerson brought the expertise, structure, and speed we were looking for. Their team became an extension of ours, embedding themselves across the organization, guiding us step by step, and giving us confidence in areas we hadn’t tackled before. The internal audit they conducted was so detailed that even the external auditors called it out. Achieving ISO 27001 with zero nonconformities says everything you need to know about the quality of the partnership.

Walid Souilem

CTO @ FGI Worldwide

We had a hard time finding the right company to partner with in support of our compliance journey. Some vendors sell the idea that they do the work, but then you end up doing everything. The ambiguity is what killed our last project. BD Emerson’s team has such great technical knowledge and understands the standard so well that they made us comfortable with moving fast. This has led to us closing major enterprise customers that were previously out of reach because of security and compliance.

Tom Watkins

CEO @ AMI AssetTrack

Lead an enterprise initiative to overhaul the organization's technology stack from ecommerce, corporate tech, and corporate security.

Supported ISO 42001 exercise and served as internal auditor.

Rubrik's privacy and compliance team began with the backbone of BD Emerson. BD Emerson supported building out the privacy program, GRC (ISO 27001, SOC 2, CMMC, FedRAMP), and the appsec function.

We needed a partner who could move quickly, without sacrificing precision. BD Emerson brought the expertise, structure, and speed we were looking for. Their team became an extension of ours, embedding themselves across the organization, guiding us step by step, and giving us confidence in areas we hadn’t tackled before. The internal audit they conducted was so detailed that even the external auditors called it out. Achieving ISO 27001 with zero nonconformities says everything you need to know about the quality of the partnership.

Walid Souilem

CTO @ FGI Worldwide

BD Emerson didn’t just help us meet our compliance goals; they integrated security and privacy into the core of our operations. I highly recommend BD Emerson to anyone seeking SOC 2 or GDPR compliance, or simply looking to enhance their security team and boost customer trust in their product and services. Their dedication and expertise have been invaluable to our success.

Padraig Reilly

CEO, Boxcore

BD Emerson understood our business requirements and worked side-by-side with us. The policies and controls we developed together not only meet compliance standards but improve how we operate day to day.

Matt Meierdierks

IT Manager, Lincoln Industries

From day one, BD Emerson brought urgency, clarity, and a sharp understanding of what truly matters to our business — earning and keeping customer trust. They went beyond helping us meet compliance requirements; they helped build a foundation for secure, scalable growth. That kind of partnership is rare.

Jason Marker

CEO @ LifeLenz

BD Emerson didn’t just help us pass an audit—they helped us build a sustainable culture of security.

Alexey Indeev

CTO Spare

BD Emerson was essential in helping our company navigate the daunting process of leveling up our security infrastructure. BD Emerson’s impressive expertise and confidence throughout the process helped our team exceed HIPAA and SOC 2 Type 1 standards quickly, distilling what can be an overwhelming process into a streamlined, organized effort. From day one they began adding value and getting us on course. With their help we delivered on a massive security overhaul with both extreme efficiency and thorough attention to details. Because of BD Emerson’s support, we’ve increased our clients’ trust in Titan Intake and the life-changing work it accomplishes for those seeking specialist referrals.

Patrick Bruce

CEO, Titan Intake

BD Emerson didn’t just help us meet our compliance goals; they integrated security and privacy into the core of our operations. I highly recommend BD Emerson to anyone seeking SOC 2 or GDPR compliance, or simply looking to enhance their security team and boost customer trust in their product and services. Their dedication and expertise have been invaluable to our success.

Padraig Reilly

CEO, Boxcore

BD Emerson understood our business requirements and worked side-by-side with us. The policies and controls we developed together not only meet compliance standards but improve how we operate day to day.

Matt Meierdierks

IT Manager, Lincoln Industries

From day one, BD Emerson brought urgency, clarity, and a sharp understanding of what truly matters to our business — earning and keeping customer trust. They went beyond helping us meet compliance requirements; they helped build a foundation for secure, scalable growth. That kind of partnership is rare.

Jason Marker

CEO @ LifeLenz

BD Emerson didn’t just help us pass an audit—they helped us build a sustainable culture of security.

Alexey Indeev

CTO Spare

BD Emerson was essential in helping our company navigate the daunting process of leveling up our security infrastructure. BD Emerson’s impressive expertise and confidence throughout the process helped our team exceed HIPAA and SOC 2 Type 1 standards quickly, distilling what can be an overwhelming process into a streamlined, organized effort. From day one they began adding value and getting us on course. With their help we delivered on a massive security overhaul with both extreme efficiency and thorough attention to details. Because of BD Emerson’s support, we’ve increased our clients’ trust in Titan Intake and the life-changing work it accomplishes for those seeking specialist referrals.

Patrick Bruce

CEO, Titan Intake

Certificates

Our accreditations

Our practitioners hold security, privacy, cloud, and AI governance certifications, and the people who earned them do the work on your engagement.
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What do mainframe modernization services cost?

How long does mainframe modernization take?

Should we rehost or refactor our COBOL?

Can we keep the mainframe and still modernize?

Do you use AI to convert COBOL?

How do you prove the new system matches the mainframe?

What happens to our mainframe team?

Who delivers mainframe modernization at BD Emerson?

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