Accelerating Legacy Modernization with Generative AI on Microsoft Azure

In today’s digital-first world, legacy systems are often the biggest barrier to agility, innovation, and growth. Enterprises across industries are under pressure to modernize aging applications and infrastructure, but the journey is fraught with complexity, risk, and cost. At Publicis Sapient, we are redefining what’s possible in legacy modernization by harnessing the power of generative AI—delivered in partnership with Microsoft Azure—to accelerate transformation, reduce costs, and unlock new business value.

The Challenge of Legacy Modernization

Legacy systems, from mainframes to monolithic applications, underpin critical business operations but are notoriously difficult to update. Challenges include:

• Complex, undocumented codebases that are hard to analyze and refactor
• High maintenance costs and technical debt
• Limited agility to respond to market changes or regulatory demands
• Risk of business disruption during migration

Traditional modernization approaches are often slow, resource-intensive, and prone to error. Enterprises need a smarter, faster, and more reliable way to future-proof their technology landscape.

Generative AI: A Game-Changer for Modernization

Generative AI, powered by large language models (LLMs), is transforming the modernization process. By automating code analysis, refactoring, and migration, generative AI dramatically accelerates the journey from legacy to modern cloud-native architectures. When combined with the scalability and security of Microsoft Azure, the result is a robust, enterprise-grade solution for legacy transformation.

How Publicis Sapient Leverages Generative AI on Azure

Our approach integrates generative AI across the entire modernization lifecycle:

• Automated Code Analysis: AI models rapidly scan and interpret legacy code, generating detailed documentation and identifying optimization opportunities.
• AI-Powered Refactoring: Generative AI suggests and implements code improvements, making applications more modular, maintainable, and cloud-ready.
• Seamless Migration: Automated tools generate target-state code and facilitate the transition to modern architectures, reducing manual effort and risk.
• Test Automation: AI creates and executes test cases, ensuring quality and reliability throughout the migration process.

All of this is delivered on Microsoft Azure, leveraging its secure, scalable infrastructure and advanced AI capabilities.

Proprietary Tools and Methodologies: PSChat, Bodhi, and More

What sets Publicis Sapient apart is our investment in proprietary accelerators that streamline and de-risk modernization:

• PSChat: An AI-powered conversational interface that enables developers and business users to interact with legacy code, ask questions, and receive instant insights or code suggestions.
• Bodhi: Our enterprise-grade MLOps platform, supporting the deployment, monitoring, and governance of generative AI models. Bodhi ensures that AI-driven modernization is secure, compliant, and scalable across the enterprise.
• Modernization Accelerators: We combine these tools with industry-specific accelerators and Azure-native services to deliver measurable outcomes, faster.

Real-World Impact: Client Success Stories

Global Fortune 500 Company

The Challenge: Modernize legacy mainframe applications to enable greater agility and lower costs.

The Solution: Publicis Sapient designed a process for cloud developers to use private LLMs to deconstruct and analyze legacy programs. Through iterative sprints and proof-of-concept pilots, we fine-tuned the operationalization of AI-driven modernization.

The Results:

• 3x faster migration and reduced effort through AI automation
• Improved traceability and quality via automated functional specifications
• Easier maintenance and enhancement in a modern tech stack

Financial Services, Retail, and Healthcare

Across industries, our clients have realized:

• Operational savings in the tens of millions of dollars through automation and process optimization
• Up to 75% faster time-to-market for new products and content
• Significant cost reductions (35–45%) in content creation and campaign management
• Improved compliance and risk management through robust governance frameworks

Measurable Business Outcomes

By leveraging generative AI on Microsoft Azure, Publicis Sapient delivers:

• Faster time-to-market: Accelerated code analysis, refactoring, and migration reduce project timelines from months to weeks.
• Reduced costs: Automation slashes manual effort, lowers maintenance expenses, and minimizes business disruption.
• Improved quality: AI-driven documentation, testing, and governance enhance code reliability and maintainability.
• Future-proofed technology: Modern, cloud-native architectures enable agility, scalability, and ongoing innovation.

Why Publicis Sapient?

• Deep expertise in digital business transformation and legacy modernization
• Proven methodologies for identifying and scaling AI use cases
• Strong partnership with Microsoft as a Solutions Partner for Data & AI, Azure, and Machine Learning
• Commitment to responsible, ethical AI with robust governance and compliance frameworks
• Proprietary accelerators like PSChat and Bodhi that differentiate our approach and deliver value at speed

Ready to Accelerate Your Modernization Journey?

Legacy modernization doesn’t have to be slow, risky, or costly. With Publicis Sapient and Microsoft Azure, you can harness the power of generative AI to transform your technology landscape—securely, responsibly, and at speed. Connect with our experts to discover how we can help you unlock the next wave of growth and innovation for your organization.