AWS enlists partners to encourage mainframe-to-cloud migration

AWS has turned up the drumbeat to move workloads off of the mainframe and into its cloud. 

At its weeks-long re:Invent virtual event, Amazon Web Services said it would soon expand its AWS Competency Program to include even more services to migrate mainframe workloads to the cloud. The services are an expansion of mainframe migration services AWS has had on its menu for the past few years.

AWS says its Competency Program is designed to identify, validate, and promote AWS partners with demonstrated technical expertise in a given area.  In this case users looking to migrate will have access to products and services from core AWS partners, the company wrote in a blog about the new service.

“Recognizing the complexity of a mainframe migration, our customers seek proven methodologies, tools, and best practices to empower successful migrations,” AWS stated.

“Coupled with high upgrade and development costs and expensive usage fees, CIOs with mainframes are well aware of the business risks to their enterprise. As a result, a growing number of companies are looking to modernize and migrate their mainframe workloads to AWS. These migrations enable companies to realize business benefits like an average +70 percent savings in IT infrastructure costs,” AWS wrote. 

As part of the program, AWS said it had approved four companies—Micro Focus, Blu Age, Advanced – Modern Systems,and TRSI in its AWS Mainframe Migration Technology category. In addition, AWS said it had added Infosys, Deloitte and Tata as consultancy services prequalified as mainframe-migration experts. 

The AWS program is just the latest in a number of programs offered by cloud companies to absorb mainframe operations. 

Earlier this year Google Cloud bought mainframe cloud-migration service firm Cornerstone Technology with an eye toward helping Big Iron customers move workloads to public and private cloud.  Google said the Cornerstone technology—found in its G4 platform—will shape the foundation of its future mainframe-to-Google Cloud offerings and help mainframe customers modernize applications and infrastructure.

Mainframe software migration vendor LzLabs said in July it was setting up shop in North America to help mainframe users move legacy applications—think COBOL—into the more modern and flexible cloud-application environment. The company says it works closely with cloud providers such as AWS, and its service can be implemented on Microsoft Azure, which as its own competitive mainframe-migration offering.