Kyndryl Launches Agentic AI Framework and Services for the Mainframe

Rhea-AI Summary

Kyndryl (NYSE: KD) on Nov 24, 2025 launched agentic AI mainframe services and an Agentic AI Framework to bring AI-enabled automation, orchestration and analytics to IBM z/OS environments. The offering integrates with Kyndryl Bridge and deploys IBM watsonx Assistant for Z to speed decision-making, reduce latency and address skills gaps.

The company's 2025 State of Mainframe Modernization Survey cites 88% AI adoption intent, 70% talent shortages, and projects $12.7B in cost savings plus $19.5B revenue uplift over three years.

Positive

• Integration with Kyndryl Bridge and IBM watsonx Assistant for Z
• Survey: 88% implemented or planning AI on mainframes
• Survey projects $12.7B cost savings over three years
• Survey projects $19.5B revenue increase over three years

Negative

• 70% of respondents report difficulty finding multi-skilled mainframe talent
• AI adoption depends on partner platforms and ecosystem integrations

Insights

Mainframe Services Strategist

Kyndryl expands mainframe-managed services with agentic AI, strengthening operational automation and skills support for IBM Z customers.

Kyndryl combines decades of mainframe delivery with an agentic AI framework and integrates offerings into Kyndryl Bridge to automate workflows, accelerate issue resolution, and embed institutional knowledge via Kyndryl AI Assistant for Z. This directly targets routine operational work and lifecycle tasks, shifting human effort to higher-value activities and enabling faster remediation and compliance actions.

Benefits rely on two dependencies: customers must connect core mainframe data to the AI layer, and staff must adopt agentic workflows. The announcement cites 88% adoption intent and a $12.7B cost-savings estimate, but those figures derive from the company's survey and should be treated as vendor-provided context rather than independent proof.

Watch adoption metrics and integration milestones over the next 6–18 months, such as customer deployments of IBM watsonx Assistant for Z, measurable reductions in mean-time-to-resolution, and concrete case studies showing operational savings. These will determine whether the service converts interest into durable revenue and differentiated delivery capabilities.

AI Operational Risk Analyst

The new services promise automation and resilience gains, but outcomes depend on data access, governance, and skills integration.

Kyndryl positions agentic AI to reduce latency and improve real-time use cases like fraud detection and claims processing by bringing inference closer to mainframe data. Tighter coupling of AI with core systems can improve responsiveness and operational metrics if implemented with clear data flows and orchestration.

Key risks include data governance, change management, and skills shortfalls; the release notes 70% of organizations struggle to find multi-skilled talent. Without explicit governance and operator training, agentic automation can create operational blind spots. The collaboration with IBM Z software supplies platform tooling but does not remove the need for controlled rollout and monitoring.

Monitor proof points over the next 12 months: verified reductions in incident counts, specific latency improvements for named workloads, and customer references showing realized portions of the cited $19.5B revenue opportunity. These indicate whether the offering moves from vendor promise to measurable customer impact.

AI-powered capabilities enhance managed services delivery for IBM Z customers

NEW YORK, Nov. 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Kyndryl (NYSE: KD), a leading provider of mission-critical enterprise technology services, today announced new AI-powered services that combine the Company's deep mainframe expertise with agentic AI and hybrid IT computing capabilities to accelerate application and solutions development, increase operational agility and unlock new business insights by expanding customers' AI usage on the platform.

Kyndryl's agentic AI mainframe services are designed to enable IBM z/OS customers to embrace innovative technology, expertise and AI-infused delivery of services, speeding decision making and simplifying complex processes across application and infrastructure management.

"Kyndryl is leading the way in providing world-class agentic AI-enabled delivery services to customers that will instill confidence in the mainframe's role as an engine of innovation for global enterprises," said Hassan Zamat, Global Practice Leader for Core Enterprise & zCloud at Kyndryl. "We are committed to combining the power of our skilled delivery practitioners with agentic AI to provide differentiated experiences and outcomes to help drive growth for our customers."

The new agentic mainframe services can be combined with the agentic ingestion capabilities of Kyndryl's Agentic AI Framework to enable seamless orchestration of agents and workflows. Customers will benefit from:

• Smarter decision-making and faster, proactive issue resolution.
• Improved reliability and smoother software lifecycle compliance.
• Access to deep expertise and AI to overcome skills gaps, while utilizing their internal organizational knowledge.
• Quicker response to emerging opportunities and threats, reducing risk and enabling more resilient, modernized IT environments.

Kyndryl's AI-powered mainframe services are integrated with the Kyndryl Bridge open integration platform to deliver intelligent automation, predictive analytics and insights across mainframe infrastructure and applications. To further drive transformation of mainframe delivery for customers, Kyndryl is deploying IBM watsonx Assistant for Z and other AI ecosystem platforms that can enable intelligent automation, orchestration and lifecycle management.

"Through our collaboration with Kyndryl, we're helping enterprises bring powerful AI capabilities to the core systems that run their business," said Skyla Loomis, General Manager of IBM Z Software. "Kyndryl's newest AI services empower clients to deploy advanced AI on the mainframes that form the backbone of their operations to accelerate decision-making and drive operational agility."

Kyndryl's new agentic AI-powered mainframe delivery services include Kyndryl AI Assistant for Z, an AI-powered knowledge base of Kyndryl's decades of mainframe experience, which is integrated within Kyndryl Bridge and helps to address customer challenges with skills development and retention. Collectively, the new capabilities can proactively prompt and accelerate execution of platform management.

Kyndryl's approach also taps into the Company's intellectual property and deep expertise in mainframe transformation with complementary technologies from the cloud hyperscalers and other global partners to unlock innovation for customers.

With decades of mainframe services know-how and new solution designs that bring AI inferencing closer to mainframe data, Kyndryl can help customers speed and scale AI processing capabilities across their mainframe environments. Doing so reduces latency, enhances performance in applications like real-time fraud detection, insurance claim processing and end-customer buying patterns, while improving the overall customer experience.

According to Kyndryl's 2025 State of Mainframe Modernization Survey, 88% of respondents have implemented or plan to implement AI, including agentic and generative AI, in their mainframe environment. They state that the use of AI on the mainframe will increase business agility (37%), create faster, repeatable operational actions less prone to human error (32%), and save money (31%). However, 70% have difficulties finding the right multi-skilled talents within their organization. The study shows AI is expected to drive $12.7B in cost savings and $19.5B of increased revenues over the next 3 years, with the top use cases including enhanced performance and resource allocation, fraud detection and security and threat assessment/detection.

Learn more about the use of AI on the mainframe.

About Kyndryl
Kyndryl (NYSE: KD) is a leading provider of mission-critical enterprise technology services offering advisory, implementation and managed service capabilities to thousands of customers in more than 60 countries. As the world's largest IT infrastructure services provider, the Company designs, builds, manages and modernizes the complex information systems that the world depends on every day. For more information, please visit: www.kyndryl.com.

Kyndryl Press Contact
press@kyndryl.com

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements often contain words such as "aim," "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "intend," "may," "objectives," "opportunity," "plan," "position," "predict," "project," "should," "seek," "target," "will," "would" and other similar words or expressions or the negative thereof or other variations thereon. All statements other than statements of historical fact, including without limitation statements concerning the Company's plans, objectives, goals, beliefs, business strategies, future events, business condition, results of operations, financial position, business outlook and business trends and other non-historical statements, are forward-looking statements. These statements do not guarantee future performance and speak only as of the date of this press release. Except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Actual outcomes or results may differ materially from those suggested by forward-looking statements as a result of risks and uncertainties, including those described in the "Risk Factors" section of the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, and may be further updated from time to time in the Company's subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. 

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SOURCE Kyndryl

FAQ

What did Kyndryl (KD) announce on November 24, 2025 about mainframe AI?

Kyndryl launched agentic AI mainframe services and an Agentic AI Framework integrated with Kyndryl Bridge and IBM watsonx Assistant for Z.

How does Kyndryl's new service for KD customers improve mainframe operations?

The services enable intelligent automation, predictive analytics, faster issue resolution and reduced latency for z/OS workloads.

What survey metrics did Kyndryl report about AI adoption on mainframes?

Kyndryl's 2025 survey found 88% plan to implement AI, 70% face talent gaps, and projected $12.7B cost savings and $19.5B revenue uplift in three years.

Will Kyndryl (KD) use IBM technology in its agentic AI mainframe offering?

Yes; the offering deploys IBM watsonx Assistant for Z and integrates other AI ecosystem platforms.

What immediate benefits does Kyndryl claim for KD customers using agentic AI?

Faster decision-making, proactive issue resolution, improved software lifecycle compliance, and access to deep mainframe expertise.

How does the announced service address mainframe skills shortages for KD clients?

Kyndryl AI Assistant for Z provides an AI-powered knowledge base of Kyndryl's mainframe experience to help with skills development and retention.