Rocket Software Named a Challenger in the 2026 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for AI-Augmented Code Modernization Tools

Recognition highlights Rocket’s ability to execute and completeness of vision

Rocket Software, a global technology leader in modernization software, today announced it has been named a Challenger in the 2026 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for AI-Augmented Code Modernization Tools. We feel this recognition highlights Rocket Software’s ability to help enterprises modernize mission-critical applications with AI-assisted analysis, business-rule extraction, application transformation, and validation, while supporting customer choice in how and where applications evolve.

As organizations accelerate application modernization initiatives, many are under increasing pressure to evolve mission-critical applications while maintaining business continuity. Built to support complex enterprise modernization initiatives, Rocket Software helps organizations understand, modernize, test, and evolve mission-critical COBOL and PL/I applications across mainframe and distributed environments, as well as through broader transformation initiatives. By combining application analysis, AI-assisted modernization, validation, and runtime capabilities, Rocket enables customers to pursue the modernization path that best fits their business while preserving critical business and architectural logic including deterministic accuracy and transaction integrity while maintaining operational continuity.

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Customers using Rocket’s code modernization solutions have achieved measurable outcomes, including:

• 30% gains in developer productivity
• 50% reductions in testing cycles
• 40% reductions in redundant code
• Millions of dollars in annual cost savings
• Maintained operational continuity throughout modernization efforts
• Minimized transformation risk while preserving business-critical functionality

“Application modernization has become increasingly complex, especially in regulated industries, as organizations work to balance innovation with the demands of running mission-critical systems,” said Neil Fowler, SVP of Hybrid Cloud Engineering at Rocket Software. “Organizations need more than AI-assisted modernization. They need a trusted approach that precisely addresses architectural nuance and dependencies that helps them move faster without introducing unnecessary risk. This recognition, we believe, reflects our commitment to helping enterprises modernize mission-critical systems while preserving the business knowledge and capabilities that power their operations.”

Application Modernization in the Age of AI

Modernizing enterprise applications requires more than applying AI to code. Organizations need a trusted approach that combines AI-assisted analysis with deterministic tooling, unit testing, and validation to reduce risk while preserving valuable business logic and operational integrity. Rocket Software’s application modernization portfolio helps enterprises:

• Accelerate application understanding through AI-assisted code analysis, business-rule extraction, and dependency analysis that simplify modernization planning while addressing skills shortage.
• Modernize according to business objectives by supporting multiple modernization strategies, including modernization on the mainframe, in distributed and cloud environments, and through application replatforming and code refactoring based on customer requirements rather than technology constraints.
• Reduce operational risk by combining AI-assisted capabilities with deterministic analysis, automated testing, and validation to help preserve critical business logic and improve confidence in modernization outcomes.
• Prepare mission-critical applications for future innovation by enabling integration with modern architectures, cloud services, APIs, AI initiatives, and new digital experiences while maintaining operational continuity and transaction integrity.

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