PKUTECH Launches COBOL-to-Java Tool with Watsonx

PKUTECH Corporation announced on the 6th that it has developed “Egeria-NextCode,” a solution utilizing IBM Japan’s watsonx. This solution visualizes the numerous COBOL assets present in Japan’s core systems and improves migration accuracy, enabling automatic conversion to the general-purpose programming language, Java. [Image] Benefits of Implementation:

PKUTECH is engaged in the migration of existing assets, including COBOL, and has responded to diverse migration needs through its proprietary asset analysis, visualization, and conversion tools. It also currently offers its own AI solution, the “Egeria Series,” developed by a group of AI experts. Meanwhile, IBM Japan supports company-wide digital transformation, including IT and business transformation, through its “watsonx” series, an AI for business. The two companies have leveraged their respective areas of expertise to jointly develop a new solution in the migration field. Egeria-NextCode was developed by combining PKUTECH’s accumulated migration technology and AI with IBM Japan’s AI agent and advanced AI coding support technology.

PKUTECH will serve as the distributor, providing the solution to domestic companies, particularly those in the financial and manufacturing industries, and the public sector, that operate large-scale COBOL assets on mainframes. The two companies conducted a three-step verification process to develop the solution. First, they conducted verification using IBM’s AI agent product, watsonx Orchestrate, to streamline asset analysis, which involves asset inventory, inventory list creation, conversion targets, and policy formulation . Next, they conducted a conversion verification using PKUTECH’s code conversion tool combined with IBM’s coding assistance product, watsonx Code Assistant. Finally, they verified the testing process across individual, composite, and comprehensive domains. By introducing watsonx Orchestrate and applying it to document creation and other tasks, Egeria-NextCode was able to significantly improve productivity by reducing the time and effort required for asset analysis and visualization during migration work. Furthermore, by combining PKUTECH’s conversion tool and AI tuning technology with IBM’s coding assistance product, watsonx Code Assistant, the combination of the two companies’ technologies increased the conversion rate to 97.4% and improved conversion accuracy.

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In addition, the improved readability has also made subsequent modifications and feature additions easier. Egeria-NextCode covers everything from COBOL asset visualization to migration to the latest Java. Companies and organizations that adopt it can achieve accurate and precise conversion of proprietary COBOL, which was difficult with conventional generative AI, and significantly streamline documentation creation and code conversion. Compared to manual migration, it is expected to reduce migration efforts by approximately 70%, enabling organizations to restructure aging systems that were previously unmaintainable into new assets that can be flexibly and continuously utilized. Going forward, PKUTECH, with technical support from IBM Japan, plans to develop an agent-based AI solution specifically for system development, aiming to utilize AI agents in every phase of the development process, including requirements definition and test automation.

PKUTECH will provide Egeria-NextCode implementation support, migration consulting, and maintenance support to support mainframe modernization, primarily for customers in the financial, public, and manufacturing industries. In addition, through Egeria-NextCode, the company aims to create a more flexible and continuously usable system environment, thereby contributing to users’ digital transformation.

SOURCE: Yahoo