Thoroughly Modern: Why Now Is The Time To Transform Your RPG/COBOL To Modern Languages

October 7, 2024 Chris Koppe

RPG and COBOL run some of the most important systems in business. But while your competitors release new products and features in weeks, you wait for months. That lag time is a silent threat – one that slowly erodes your competitive edge.

Every hour spent waiting for an update, every feature delayed, is a lost opportunity. Your systems – once considered state-of-the-art – are now rigid, slow to evolve, and difficult to integrate with new technologies. While RPG/COBOL still power critical operations, they no longer support the speed and flexibility required for today’s business. The world moves faster now, and you cannot fall behind.

RPG and COBOL: The Backbone of Global Business

For years, RPG and COBOL provided stability and reliability. Companies continue to rely on them because they have proven their value over time.

RPG remains a dominant language on the IBM i platform. The 2023 IBM i Marketplace Report by Fortra states that RPG is the most widely used language for new development on IBM i (89 percent).

Additionally, COBOL still handles 70 percent of global business transactions, a clear indication of its role in business operations across industries.

The Call for RPG/COBOL Modernization

As the business landscape evolves, the pressure to keep up with competitors intensifies. Hence the call for legacy system modernization.

Can your business afford month-long development cycles while competitors roll out new features in weeks? Can you integrate technologies like AI, machine learning, or advanced data analytics into your legacy environment without sinking costs into custom integrations and fixes every time?

The question is no longer “Can we modernize?” but “How long can we afford not to?”

As businesses feel the pressure to modernize, many are looking for a roadmap to successful transformation. Join Fresche’s IBM i modernization experts, for a free two-part webinar, From Legacy to Leading-Edge: Fast-Track RPG/COBOL Code Transformation, and learn how to bring modern, scalable solutions to your RPG/COBOL systems.

Talent Scarcity Isn’t Just a Risk – It’s a Reality:

If your business still runs on RPG or COBOL, the clock is ticking. What happens when your key system fails, and the person who can fix it isn’t just out of the office – they’re out of the industry? Your business grinds to a halt, not because the system is faulty, but because no one can touch it.

Modern languages such as Java or PHP let you tap into a much larger pool of developers. There are 9 million Java developers worldwide, and 3 billion devices run Java. You no longer need to fight over a shrinking number of RPG/COBOL experts. RPG and COBOL Modernization ensures your IT team has the skills needed to support future growth.

Faster Development Cycles Mean Faster Results

Long, sluggish development cycles define legacy systems. RPG and COBOL’s monolithic program structure requires extensive testing with each update, slowing down progress. Businesses often wait months for even small updates, while competitors using modern systems release new features and products in a matter of weeks.

Adopting DevOps practices and modern languages enables faster code deployment and continuous improvement. Companies using DevOps can deploy code 200 times faster than those stuck in traditional development models. . . click here to read the full article and dive deeper into RPG/COBOL modernization insights.

Chris Koppe is senior vice president of strategic transformation at Fresche. Since joining Fresche in 1988, Chris has helped hundreds of companies develop and execute successful application management and modernization strategies across a variety of platforms, languages, databases, and technologies. This insight has allowed Chris to accumulate a wealth of best practice expertise that covers everything from strategy and planning to implementation to deployment and project governance for large-scale IBM i modernization projects.

This content is sponsored by Fresche Solutions.

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Thoroughly Modern: Why Now Is The Time To Transform Your RPG/COBOL To Modern Languages

RPG and COBOL: The Backbone of Global Business

The Call for RPG/COBOL Modernization

Talent Scarcity Isn’t Just a Risk – It’s a Reality:

Faster Development Cycles Mean Faster Results

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