IBM Bob: The AI coding agent that modernizes Java from 11 to 25 in days, not months
IBM has launched Bob, an AI-powered development partner that goes beyond autocomplete to handle complex enterprise tasks. Bob can spawn parallel agents, understand natural language through Literate Coding, and integrate with CI/CD via Bob Shell. Early adopters report dramatic results: one team modernized a Java codebase from version 11 to 25 in just 3 days instead of the usual 30+, and another built a production-ready MCP server with only 3 prompts. Bob also supports legacy languages like RPG and COBOL, making it a versatile tool for modernizing aging systems.
Bob demonstrated a level of intelligence and contextual understanding that goes beyond anything I've seen in other tools.
- mrbluecoat
Totally reminds me of "HP Offers 'That Cloud Thing Everyone Is Talking About'"
- woah
Nobody ever got fired for IBM Bob setting up a secret message board and establishing a persistent foothold in an internal inference cluster
- epsteingpt
For all the smarm and jokes, IBM still makes ~$70B in annual revenue and enables billions more in systems integrators. Not many companies can say that.
This allows them to take the secondary revenue in-house and potentially fund a new mainframe business.
It's a [smart-ish because it's their only] strategy for the near term, because long term businesses will be moving off their mainframes and onto more powerful and intelligent systems that can 'think'.
Business Machines 1.0 were CRUD; if they pull this off they can at least get enough capital to maybe upgrade business machines to 2.0
Good on them for at least trying.
- dgacmu
I laughed when I saw this; my 14yo looked over to see why I was laughing and asked "what's IBM?"
indeed, child, indeed.
- tims33
I thought they were resurrecting Microsoft Bob, the operating system for kids.
- exakoustos
The "What developers say" carousel has a single Java dev and dev advocate. They got lots of quotes from managers, directors, CEOs, and an "AI strategist".
- PaulRobinson
You should never name a tech product Bob in the UK, because the moment it isn't perfect, it'll just get called "Bobbins" [0], especially where I'm from.
I wish IBM got better at product again, and took themselves off the services and consulting morphine they've been on for ~35 years now since OS/2 Warp flopped. Their 1980s/1990s hardware was great. Their software actually was great until Win95 took their lunch money. They've just slunk off into a corner hugging their old architectures they have a moat around, and thrown out some audacious nonsense like Watson now and again, but nothing has stuck. When is somebody in that organisation going to try and innovate properly again?
I'm not sure this is the answer I'd be rooting for.
- Stevvo
Interesting they are renting out agent skills. You can pick up "Java Modernization" at $20 a month for "Specialist workflows to help with modernizing Java applications", or "IBM i" for "Specialist modes, workflows, and skills to work with IBM i applications".
- bluerooibos
I feel second hand embarrassment for IBM. Terrible name, subpar landing page, no mention of coding ability or which LLM "Bob" uses.
If you're launching something 2 years late, you've got to do better than this.
- Ciantic
This sounds a lot like Spotify's XIRP. They managed to vibe something useful for their own engineers, were super hyped, and decided to release it in public. However what are the odds this harness will stand the test of time against actual harness makers like OpenAI or Anthropic? Neither Spotify or IBM are focused on making models or harnesses, these are just side-products.