Starsoft Taps Veryant to Port IBM i COBOL to Open Systems

November 29, 2011 Alex Woodie

Starsoft, an Israel-based developer of software for the insurance and financial services industries, is using Veryant technology to help it migrate its COBOL applications to Java and open systems, and to modernize the interfaces, Veryant announced last week. The move will help Starsoft offer solutions that run on server platforms other than IBM i, and bring other benefits, the company says.

For more than 20 years, Starsoft has used COBOL and IBM i technologies to develop applications that automate key business processes for companies in the insurance and financial services industries, including policy production, underwriting, claims, collections, commissions, and compliance. Starsoft customers include such noted organizations as the Israel Ministry of Finance, Migdal Group, Clal Group, Harel Group, and Menora-Mivtahim Group.

While IBM COBOL and IBM i server technology had served the company well, it felt the need to move beyond COBOL and the limitations it posed for expansion. Among the drivers was a desire to run on different server platforms and databases, to do more Web development in Java, and to offer more vertical insurance applications–all without disrupting the current installed base.

Veryant says isCOBOL Evolve uses a Java runtime, and supports the development and deployment of applications on Linux, Unix, Windows, and Mac OS operating systems, and MySQL and Oracle databases. Support for existing COBOL exit routines enables Starsoft to modernize its existing IBM i-based COBOL without changing any application code, Veryant says. All development takes place in the Eclipse IDE, and user interface technologies now available to Starsoft include JSPs, Java servlets, JavaScript (JQuery), Web services, and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS).

The project has already begun, and has started to pay dividends, according to Dov Keshet, CEO and founder of Starsoft. “isCOBOL provides the best of both worlds,” he says in a press release. “It protects long-standing COBOL application business logic and enables cross-platform deployment as pure Java objects through standard Web interfaces.”

“Before, most customers’ core systems were based on IBM’s iSeries, which limited our options for company growth,” he continued. “In fact, our first project with isCOBOL is for a new customer using a Unix/Oracle platform,” he says. Developing with isCOBOL has allowed us to take a step forward in a strategic area that is critical for our growth.”

Westchester, Illinois-based Veryant added support for DB2/400 about two-and-a-half years ago. For more information, see the company’s website at www.veryant.com.