Rocket Software

Rocket Software was founded in Boston in 1990 by Andy Youniss and Johan Magnusson Gedda with a focus on IBM DB2 tools. Over the next three decades, the company grew both organically and through dozens of acquisitions, including Zephyr, Shadow, Aldon, and D3. In 2018, Bain Capital acquired a majority stake in the company in a deal that valued Rocket Software at nearly $2 billion. Since then, the company has continued to grow through a number of acquisitions. In 2021, Rocket acquired ASG Technologies, an enterprise information management and IT System Management Solutions Software provider. and Netherlands-based development platform Uniface. In November 2021, Milan Shetti was named CEO, replacing co-founder and longtime CEO Andy Youniss. In September 2022, Rocket acquired BOS, a German developer of data integration tools. The unit was renamed Rocket Data Replicate and Sync. In 2023, Rocket acquired Key Resources, which specializes in mainframe security and vulnerability identification and assessment. The deal, which was completed in May 2024, increased Rocket Software’s revenue by 60% and grew its customer base to greater than 12,500 companies. ==Products==

Rocket Software develops software products focused on IT modernization across on-premises and hybrid cloud environments. The company’s offerings span data integration, application modernization, security and compliance, hybrid cloud connectivity, and workflow automation. Secure Host Access Rocket Secure Host Access provides terminal emulation software with a focus on security and integration with identity and access management (IAM) systems. It supports compliance with standards such as HIPAA, DORA, and PCI-DSS, and includes encryption technologies such as TLS 1.3 and SSH. The product is available in three tiers: COBOL Solutions Rocket COBOL products provide tools for modernizing COBOL-based applications while maintaining existing business logic. They support integration with development environments such as Eclipse, Visual Studio, and Visual Studio Code, and enable deployment across distributed, containerized, and multicloud platforms. The solutions include features for automated testing, continuous integration and deployment (CI/CD), and GenAI-assisted development to accelerate onboarding and code modernization. They also provide interoperability with Java and .NET environments, allowing COBOL applications to be extended through APIs, microservices, and contemporary IT architectures. == Reception ==

Since 2013 when the list was inaugurated, Rocket was included in Database Trends and Applications magazine's annual “DBTA 100,” a list of the companies that matter most in data. In 2017, former Rocket CEO Andy Youniss was named a New England Entrepreneur of the Year by professional services firm EY. Youniss was also presented the Leadership Award by Boston-based food rescue nonprofit Lovin' Spoonfuls in November 2017. In December 2017, Rocket was named Ellucian Growth Partner of the Year for providing support to the higher education IT services company in its transition to its current cloud-based service offerings and SaaS licensing model. In 2020, Rocket was named in Inc.'s list of America's 1,000 Largest and Most Inspiring Private Companies. In 2023, Rocket Software received a Bronze Merit Award for Technology in the Software and Apps category. Rocket Software was also named Insider Threat Detection Platform of the Year at the 2023 CyberSecurity Breakthrough Awards. In 2024, Rocket was honored with an Intellyx Digital Innovator Award. Also in 2024, Rocket Software was recognized in DBTA’s list of Top 100 Companies That Matter Most in Data. In 2025, the company was named a Challenger in the Gartner, Inc. Magic Quadrant for Service Orchestration and Automation Platforms (SOAP) for the second consecutive year, acknowledging its work in bringing workload automation across on-premises, distributed, and cloud environments. Rocket Software’s data integration product Rocket DataEdge was honored by the Tearsheet Data Awards in the Data Innovation category for its ability to unlock data trapped in mainframe systems and enable cloud-capable analytics workflows, without compromising continuity or security. ==References==