One other important survey discovering is that mainframe modernization plans are extra dynamic than they’ve been up to now resulting from altering market circumstances: 80% of organizations reported that their modernization technique has shifted up to now 12 months, “indicating widespread re-evaluation and a level of agility not generally related to expertise initiatives of such important measurement, scope and complexity,” Kyndryl acknowledged.
Mainframe modernization can take a number of types; enterprise prospects can hold information on the mainframe, migrate workloads off, or create a hybrid surroundings.
Amongst organizations that stated they’ve shifted their modernization strategy, 43% are extra centered on modernizing straight on the mainframe, and 50% are transferring extra in direction of a hybrid technique, Kyndryl discovered. Amongst these which can be transferring in direction of a hybrid IT strategy, 34% are prioritizing integration with cloud platforms, and 16% are rising the tempo of transferring purposes off the mainframe. Just one out of 500 respondents reported plans to maneuver solely off the mainframe.
The explanations for altering their migration methods differ broadly amongst respondents and embrace elements such because the success of earlier initiatives, funds shifting to new applied sciences, and exterior elements akin to geopolitical, macroeconomic and regulatory issues, Kyndryl acknowledged.
Price is one other motivator: The common value of modernizing on the mainframe dropped from $9.1 million in 2024 to $7.2 million in 2025, and the ROI on such a transfer greater than doubled, Kyndryl acknowledged.
Different developments famous within the mainframe modernization report embrace:
