Fujitsu and IBM Japan expand COBOL modernization collaboration

Fujitsu Limited and IBM Japan, Ltd. announced an expansion of their collaboration on business system modernization, building on a partnership established in September 2025.

The companies said they will focus on rewriting COBOL programs running on Fujitsu mainframes and UNIX servers into Java, as well as refactoring converted code to improve application structure. IBM Japan will serve as the primary solution provider, with Fujitsu offering technical support.

The collaboration combines Fujitsu's source code conversion tool, Fujitsu PROGRESSION, with IBM's AI-powered development platform, IBM Bob. Fujitsu PROGRESSION automates the conversion of COBOL source code into Java, while IBM Bob is designed to handle code correction, validation of business logic, and testing following conversion.

Fujitsu has previously announced a roadmap to end sales of its mainframes by fiscal year 2030 and cease maintenance by fiscal year 2035. For UNIX servers, sales are scheduled to end in fiscal year 2029, with maintenance ending in fiscal year 2034. The companies cited an aging workforce of engineers skilled in legacy technologies as an additional factor driving demand for modernization services.

IBM Japan has received skill transfer from Fujitsu regarding Fujitsu PROGRESSION as part of the arrangement. The companies said the collaboration is intended to support modernization of Fujitsu mainframes and UNIX servers, as well as other legacy systems operating in Japan, targeting hybrid-cloud environments not tied to specific infrastructure.

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