IBA Group lands in ISG’s Top 25 for mainframe modernization

ISG named IBA Group among the Top 25 providers in Europe and the US for mainframe application modernization in its 2026 Provider Lens research. The ranking underscores demand for vendors that can modernize legacy mainframes without disrupting critical business operations.

Why it matters: - Mainframe modernization is a high-stakes task because many enterprises still run core business processes on these systems. - ISG’s ranking signals that IBA Group is being recognized for helping companies update legacy environments while preserving business logic, security and operational continuity. - The recognition also reflects growing interest in AI-assisted modernization, reverse engineering and hybrid integration.

What happened: - ISG selected IBA Group for the Top 25 in Europe and the US in Mainframe Application Modernization Services. - The recognition is part of ISG Provider Lens® Mainframes — Services and Solutions 2026. - ISG described IBA Group as a specialist provider with long-standing mainframe engineering experience. - The firm’s portfolio spans application understanding, modernization, migration and ongoing support.

The details: - ISG identified three competitive advantages for mainframe modernization providers: governed, business-aware engineering; multiple modernization paths with lifecycle continuity; and skills, ecosystem and regional execution. - IBA Group said it stands out for legacy engineering and code recovery, AI-enhanced support and reverse engineering, business-aware modernization, hybrid integration, lifecycle breadth, ecosystem depth and security. - The company’s experience includes recovery of missing COBOL sources with added business semantics. - IBA Group also has experience with Zowe-based development modernization and a DevOps program. - Oliver Nickels, principal analyst and executive advisor at ISG, said IBA Group combines platform engineering with AI-assisted reverse engineering, COBOL source recovery, DevOps and API-led integration. - Nickels said that approach addresses missing knowledge, skill shortages and slow release processes while supporting a phased modernization path. - Andrei Lepeyev, chief growth officer, delivery transformation at IBA Group, said the recognition validates the company’s investments in AI tooling. - Lepeyev said IBA Group uses AI for system analysis, reverse engineering, code assistance and test assistance to help clients transform applications for a hybrid mainframe platform. - Aleh Lapushanski, deputy director of the Department for System Z Architecture at IBA Group, said the inclusion reinforces the company’s focus on practical, scalable modernization solutions. - Sergei Zhmako, executive vice president at IBA USA, said modernization must connect mainframe systems with modern digital ecosystems and align with business priorities. - IBA Group is headquartered in Prague and has offices and development centers across Eastern Europe, North America and Central Asia. - The company says it provides software development, migration, maintenance, support and IT consulting services. - IAOP recognizes IBA Group as one of The Global 100 in the Leaders category. - IBA Group has also won IT Europa Channel Awards, CEE Business Services Awards and GSA Awards. - The company directs readers to Byte-Sized Insights by ISG for details. - IBA Group’s website is ibagroupit.com.

Between the lines: - The ranking suggests ISG sees mainframe modernization less as a lift-and-shift exercise and more as an engineering problem that depends on domain knowledge, lifecycle planning and integration skills. - IBA Group’s emphasis on AI, COBOL recovery and phased transformation points to the market’s need to modernize without rewriting critical systems from scratch.

What's next: - IBA Group is likely to continue positioning itself around hybrid mainframe transformation, AI-assisted engineering and business-aware modernization. - The ISG recognition may help the company market its services to enterprises that are still dependent on legacy mainframe environments. - Readers can review the ISG research through Byte-Sized Insights by ISG.