Mainframe Modernization Services

Global Mainframe Modernization Services Market to Reach US$73.1 Billion by 2030

The global market for Mainframe Modernization Services estimated at US$36.6 Billion in the year 2024, is expected to reach US$73.1 Billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 12.2% over the analysis period 2024-2030. Application Modernization Services, one of the segments analyzed in the report, is expected to record a 13.9% CAGR and reach US$45.1 Billion by the end of the analysis period. Growth in the Cloud Migration Services segment is estimated at 9.4% CAGR over the analysis period.

The U.S. Market is Estimated at US$10.0 Billion While China is Forecast to Grow at 16.7% CAGR

The Mainframe Modernization Services market in the U.S. is estimated at US$10.0 Billion in the year 2024. China, the world`s second largest economy, is forecast to reach a projected market size of US$15.5 Billion by the year 2030 trailing a CAGR of 16.7% over the analysis period 2024-2030. Among the other noteworthy geographic markets are Japan and Canada, each forecast to grow at a CAGR of 8.7% and 11.0% respectively over the analysis period. Within Europe, Germany is forecast to grow at approximately 9.7% CAGR.

Global Mainframe Modernization Services Market – Key Trends & Drivers Summarized

Why Is Mainframe Modernization Becoming an Urgent Priority Across Industries?

Mainframe modernization services are rapidly gaining prominence as enterprises across sectors seek to revitalize their legacy IT systems without sacrificing the stability, security, and processing power for which mainframes are known. Despite the emergence of cloud-native infrastructures and distributed computing environments, mainframes continue to run mission-critical operations in banking, insurance, government, and healthcare sectors. However, these systems often rely on outdated programming languages, rigid architectures, and high operational costs, making it difficult for organizations to keep pace with digital transformation demands. As customer expectations evolve and regulatory compliance becomes more complex, legacy environments must become more agile and integrated. Mainframe modernization addresses this challenge by updating core systems through rehosting, refactoring, reengineering, or even complete re-platforming strategies. Organizations are increasingly under pressure to accelerate time to market, reduce total cost of ownership, and improve system scalability. Modernization also enables integration with modern applications, APIs, and cloud services, ensuring that enterprises can harness emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data analytics, and machine learning. In this context, mainframe modernization is not just an IT upgrade but a strategic initiative aimed at achieving business agility, operational efficiency, and future-readiness. The shift reflects a growing recognition that legacy infrastructure, when modernized intelligently, can serve as a powerful foundation for digital innovation and enterprise resilience.

How Are Modern Technologies and Methodologies Transforming Mainframe Modernization Strategies?

Technological advances and contemporary IT methodologies are profoundly reshaping how organizations approach mainframe modernization, making the process more dynamic, modular, and results-driven. Cloud computing plays a pivotal role, with hybrid and multi-cloud environments enabling organizations to extend or migrate legacy workloads without complete system overhauls. Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) models allow mainframe functions to be mirrored or partially moved to modern environments, facilitating greater scalability and cost predictability. Meanwhile, containerization technologies like Docker and orchestration tools such as Kubernetes are being used to modularize mainframe workloads and deploy them more flexibly. DevOps and Agile practices are further enhancing modernization efforts by promoting continuous integration, automated testing, and iterative deployment, allowing changes to be made more safely and rapidly. Low-code and no-code platforms are enabling the conversion of legacy applications into more user-friendly, maintainable formats, reducing dependency on hard-to-find mainframe specialists. AI-driven tools are being employed to analyze codebases, suggest optimization paths, and automate large portions of the migration process. In addition, robust API frameworks are bridging mainframes with contemporary applications, enabling smoother interoperability between old and new systems. Cybersecurity remains a core consideration, and modern tools offer enhanced data protection, identity management, and threat detection that align with current compliance mandates. Through these innovations, mainframe modernization is becoming more accessible and less disruptive, empowering businesses to extract more value from their legacy investments while aligning with modern IT ecosystems.

What Market Shifts and Enterprise Needs Are Driving Demand for Mainframe Modernization Services?

A confluence of market shifts and changing enterprise needs is fueling demand for mainframe modernization services across global industries. One major factor is the aging workforce of mainframe specialists, which is creating a skills gap that makes maintenance and updates of legacy systems increasingly difficult and costly. Organizations are recognizing that reliance on aging platforms not only limits innovation but also exposes them to operational risk. The demand for real-time data processing, customer personalization, and integrated digital experiences is growing, yet many traditional mainframes lack the flexibility to support these demands without substantial adaptation. The expansion of global business operations, mergers, and regulatory changes require systems that are adaptable and interoperable across multiple regions and platforms. In parallel, the rise of data-driven decision-making is prompting organizations to extract actionable insights from mainframe-hosted data, something that requires better integration with analytics platforms and cloud ecosystems. From a strategic perspective, the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath have reinforced the importance of IT agility, as businesses that were slow to digitize found themselves at a competitive disadvantage. Industries such as finance, retail, manufacturing, and logistics are particularly keen on modernization to improve system performance, reduce latency, and enhance customer-facing digital services. Additionally, as cybersecurity threats become more sophisticated, older systems are increasingly viewed as liabilities without the protections afforded by modern infrastructure. These business drivers are compelling companies to shift from maintaining to modernizing their mainframe environments as part of broader digital transformation agendas.

What Are the Key Factors Accelerating Growth in the Global Mainframe Modernization Services Market?

The growth in the global mainframe modernization services market is driven by several interconnected factors that span technology trends, enterprise priorities, and market dynamics. A major driver is the need to reduce operational expenses associated with maintaining legacy infrastructure, which often includes high licensing fees, energy consumption, and specialized labor costs. The rise of scalable, cloud-native alternatives is offering a clear financial incentive to migrate or modernize legacy workloads. Another significant factor is the increasing adoption of digital transformation strategies at the boardroom level, where mainframe modernization is seen as a foundational step toward broader organizational agility. Regulatory compliance and data governance mandates across sectors are also playing a role, as modern systems allow for easier data auditing, traceability, and real-time reporting. Technological enablers such as AI-assisted code conversion, robotic process automation, and cloud orchestration platforms are making modernization more feasible and less risky. Global IT service providers and system integrators are expanding their offerings and expertise in mainframe modernization, offering end-to-end services that include assessment, planning, execution, and managed support. Additionally, industry-specific factors such as the need for 24/7 uptime in banking or precision control in manufacturing are prompting organizations to modernize without disrupting core operations. Strategic partnerships between legacy vendors and cloud giants are creating hybrid models that appeal to enterprises unwilling or unable to fully abandon mainframes. Together, these drivers are positioning mainframe modernization services not just as an IT solution but as a strategic imperative for long-term competitiveness and innovation readiness in a digital-first economy.

SCOPE OF STUDY:

The report analyzes the Mainframe Modernization Services market in terms of units by the following Segments, and Geographic Regions/Countries:

Segments:
Service (Application Modernization Services, Cloud Migration Services, Data Modernization Services); Organization Size (SME, Large Enterprises); End-Use (IT & Telecom End-Use, BFSI End-Use, Retail End-Use, Healthcare End-Use, Government End-Use, Manufacturing End-Use, Other End-Uses)

Geographic Regions/Countries:
World; United States; Canada; Japan; China; Europe (France; Germany; Italy; United Kingdom; Spain; Russia; and Rest of Europe); Asia-Pacific (Australia; India; South Korea; and Rest of Asia-Pacific); Latin America (Argentina; Brazil; Mexico; and Rest of Latin America); Middle East (Iran; Israel; Saudi Arabia; United Arab Emirates; and Rest of Middle East); and Africa.

Select Competitors (Total 42 Featured) -

• Accenture plc
• Amazon Web Services, Inc.
• Atos SE
• Capgemini SE
• Cognizant Technology
• Dell Technologies (EMC)
• DXC Technology
• EPAM Systems, Inc.
• Ensono
• Fujitsu Limited
• HCL Technologies Ltd
• IBM Corporation
• Infosys Limited
• Microsoft Corporation
• Mphasis Ltd.
• NTT DATA
• Oracle Corporation
• Software AG
• Tata Consultancy Services
• Wipro Limited

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