Agentic AI for Smarter Mainframe Modernization with IBM watsonx Code Assistant for Z
IBM has announced the 2.8 release of watsonx Code Assistant for Z, its AI-powered, end-to-end modernization tool for mainframe developers and architects. The update reflects broader industry momentum toward agentic AI, with IBM Institute for Business Value research projecting AI-enabled workloads to grow from 3% in 2024 to 25% by 2026.
Key updates in the 2.8 release include:
- Unified agentic experience: Previously separate capabilities are now converged into a single, intuitive workflow designed to accelerate modernization and reduce risk.
- Prompt-driven, multi-step tasks: Developers can initiate complex actions, such as updating Db2 tables or refactoring monolithic code, using natural language prompts.
- Automated analysis and validation: The agentic workflow identifies dependencies, performs impact analysis, generates standards-compliant code, and completes build and compile verification.
- MCP-based toolset: Built on the Model Context Protocol (MCP), the solution integrates with mainframe-specific tools for metadata retrieval, impact analysis, code generation, and documentation.
- Improved documentation generation: New capabilities address decades of fragmented or missing documentation by producing scalable, business-aware application insights.
- Business Rule Discovery: Designed for large, complex Z applications, this feature delivers precise, intent-aligned explanations with code-aware segmentation.
- Client-context enrichment: Integration with data dictionaries and business glossaries ensures outputs reflect enterprise-specific terminology and meaning.
Together, the 2.8 release positions watsonx Code Assistant for Z as a more integrated and practical modernization solution for enterprises with complex mainframe environments. By combining agentic workflows, deeper system awareness, and business-context enrichment, IBM is aiming to help organizations modernize faster, reduce risk, and extend the value of their existing applications while preparing for more AI-driven operations.
Source: IBM
The Open Mainframe Project’s Zowe 3.4
As part of the journey to modernize and open up the mainframe ecosystem, Open Mainframe Project’s Zowe 3.4 introduces a wave of improvements, refinements, and foundational updates that aim to make enterprise development and operations smoother, more transparent, and easier to contribute to.
The Zowe 3.4 release brings major simplification to the configuration and operations on the server side:
- The API Mediation Layer fully supports and by defaults uses authentication directly with SAF instead of through z/OSMF.
- The API Mediation Layer changes by default and runs as a single service adding less operational overhead and making it easier to understand potential issues.
- The configuration scripts use far more JCL instead of shell scripts in backend.
To take a look at what’s new and what’s coming next, read the summary of key changes and plans in this Medium article or you can watch the full recording of the system demo and planning, available on Zoom.
Zowe 3.4 is available to download via zowe.org/download, through the relevant marketplaces for Explorer for VS Code and Explorer for Intellij.
PopUp Mainframe Announces Even Greater Delivery Flexibility For Mainframe Developers
PopUp Mainframe Ltd. has announced the general availability of a new mainframe modernization product: PopUp Mainframe Flex Edition. The new product provides an instantly available mainframe environment to help mainframe delivery teams accelerate urgent development, testing, and training activities, with a flexible commercial model to suit occasional usage.
PopUp Mainframe Flex Edition offers:
- Flexibility to only pay for what you use, managed on a daily or monthly basis.
- Flexibility to install and use on premise, in your data center or, by arrangement, hosted at an accredited partner’s data center.
- Flexibility to support modern, rapid application development, test, and training processes to help accelerate delivering value to clients.
- Flexibility to support your preferred mainframe tools, subsystems and versions that match your technology strategy and customer requirements.
Key facilities in Flex Edition include:
- z/OS Equivalency – The product behaves the same as physical mainframe environments, and supports all mainframe subsystems, applications, and data stores
- Integration – Supporting IBM, open source, and 3rd party development tools, PopUp fully supports today’s mainframe delivery processes
- Data Compliance – The product supports full, compliant data masking capabilities through a variety of 3rd party integrations
- Flexibility and Productivity – PopUp includes facilities to automate sharing and restarting environments, and streamlined administration using Ansible playbooks
- Instantaneous Availability – The product can be initiated and shut down in minutes, ensuring rapid availability and resource efficiency.
“As fantastic as the mainframe is as a production environment, there remain struggles and bottlenecks in how quickly change can be delivered, which brings a high cost of change. Our vision with PopUp Mainframe is to revolutionize the mainframe delivery process by offering a ready-to-use mainframe environment, instantly, to anyone, including the option to use the product on an as-needed basis,” said CEO and Founder, Gary Thornhill.
Source: PopUp Mainframe
Precisely Achieves FedRAMP Authorization
Precisely has announced that the Precisely Data Integrity Suite has achieved FedRAMP® Moderate Impact Level authorization and is now officially listed on the FedRAMP Marketplace. The certification from the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) applies to the Suite’s Data Governance Service.
With over 475 authorized service offerings listed on the FedRAMP Marketplace, the federal government continues to build momentum in cloud and SaaS adoption with a growing emphasis on robust and standardized security frameworks. The inclusion of Precisely among these authorized providers strengthens its position as a trusted partner to federal agencies looking to securely and efficiently modernize data governance in the cloud, with a solution that advances data integrity, transparency, and compliance across all levels of government.
Secure, Collaborative Data Governance for the Government Sector
The Data Integrity Suite provides agencies with the essential capabilities to securely access, catalog, and manage critical data. As part of the Suite, the Data Governance Service delivers a trusted environment where users can modernize their data governance initiatives and scale their data integrity journey, strengthening collaboration, visibility, and compliance across programs.
It provides a flexible, no-code framework that helps establish clear ownership, policies, and workflows, making it easier for teams to collaborate and manage data with confidence.
“Government sector organizations have long faced the challenge of managing sensitive data scattered across a complex, hybrid environment with numerous legacy and cloud-based systems,” said John Guedel, Vice President of Government, Precisely. “By achieving FedRAMP authorization, Precisely is helping government agencies overcome those barriers, resulting in greater collaboration, accountability, and faster decision-making, enabling these organizations to achieve data integrity at scale.”
Source: Precisely
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