Overview

In the 2021 EHS article “6 Reasons Why Companies Don’t Update Their Technology”, and also referenced in the Zen Business survey, it was reported that over 50% of employees surveyed see their workplace technology was moderately or completely outdated.  In fact, over 70% of software packages were viewed as outdated. Perhaps not surprising news for many IT professionals reading this blog who have supported older technology platforms, but still an eye-catching statistic.  What’s driving this delay you may ask?  Software upgrades often require large resource commitments for planning, implementation, and testing.  In addition, there software change projects typically introduce risk and complexity.  For many larger organizations, a successful software upgrade can require significant investment and a heavy time commitment for even the most experienced staff.  This can be especially the case when the software platform facing upgrade includes legacy software environments where specialty skills (and budget) may be in short supply. 

Keeping COBOL Current

For established applications, it’s important to first examine the larger IT strategy and roadmap when planning an upgrade.  That strategy is often aligned to the importance of the underlying applications supporting the business—both in its current and future state.  A 2021 study by research firm, Vanson Bourne, revealed that 92% of businesses running software packages written in COBOL are seen as strategic and over 80% of those same applications are expected to be in operation for the next decades—perhaps longer. So, if these applications are to be moved forward or ‘upgraded’ to the latest software environment, what are the options and what assistance is available to support this process? 

Now is the time to upgrade.

For organizations with enterprise applications running on Micro Focus COBOL technology, there’s good news.  The latest release of its leading development and modernization solution, Visual COBOL v8.0, is now available!  Even better--existing Visual COBOL customers can now upgrade for FREE with an active Micro Focus Support Contract. Why upgrade and stay current?  Here’s a few good reasons why staying current can both keep your COBOL application environment running smoothly and position you for future success…

• Updated Product lifecycle—Four years of Committed Support, providing access to new patches and fixes.
• New platforms—Support for Ubuntu and Windows subsystem for Linux.
• New development tools—Support for the latest IDEs, plus NEW support for Visual Studio code.
• Application understanding and security—Integrated tools for static code analysis and visualization, application security, and rapid code change.
• Containerization and orchestration—Support for Docker containers and Kubernetes for agile development and continuous delivery.
• Cloud—Support for COBOL applications within the public cloud marketplace, including AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud.  

And these are just a snapshot of the many NEW features now available in Visual COBOL 8.0, enabling you to both run and transform your core business applications.  Get the most value from your current enterprise applications and protect your application investment. Visit our resource page for everything you need to plan your software upgrade today! 

Need Help?

If you are planning your upgrade or considering a move to the latest version of Visual COBOL, and need technical assistance, we can help.  There is a wide range of materials and programs available to assist you at each step of your upgrade journey.  Our resource page includes many of these offerings including online documentation, technical forums, and professional services offerings.  Or if you’d prefer to speak with a technical expert, just complete the form on this page. 

Need More Proof?

If you’re still not sure if an upgrade to the latest version of Visual COBOL is right for you, then I encourage you to listen to this customer success story.  Hear how this digital streaming services provider, increased application performance by over 200% with a combined hardware and software upgrade, improved batch processing time and put themselves on a path for future modernization. Watch the Video.

Within IT, change is constant and keeping pace requires an evolving and flexible strategy. Don’t delay. Now is the time to upgrade. Start your journey with Visual COBOL 8.0.