Expert highlights that modernizing the sexagenarian language is practical and advantageous, as it is present in 70% of transactions
commercials in the world
Cobol is a high-level programming language developed in the USA in 1959 by IBM, RCA and Sylvania Electric Products, and is widely recognized for meeting the demands of large mainframe financial and government systems. Its abbreviation, “Common Business Oriented Language,” reflects its main focus: providing a platform for efficient and secure information management.
With more than 60 years of history, the language is still widely used in a variety of sectors, including finance, government, industrial and commercial. Large financial institutions such as JPMorgan, and Citigroup still run Cobol-based systems.
“This shows that, contrary to what some think, Cobol continues to update itself on new solutions and investing is synonymous with security and stability. Furthermore, the language is present in approximately 70% of commercial transactions, and as companies and governments collect more and more information, Cobol is still a reliable option for handling this amount of data”, points out INTERON CEO, Luiz Gustavo.
According to the Index Tiobe, a ranking that evaluates the popularity of programming languages, Cobol continues to surprise decades after its creation. Until 2022, he was in 25th position. However, in 2024, it rose to 20th place. It is important to highlight that the research is not based on the amount of use of a language, but rather on an estimate of its popularity. The calculation takes into account a variety of factors, such as searches carried out on search engines, the availability of specific programming courses for this language and the number of professionals in the area.
However, some discussions have been raised about changing the language or modernizing legacy systems, for example Cobol, and a common misconception has been highlighted by experts: the assumption that rewriting systems in distributed and cloud environments would be more Cheap and easy than maintaining the Cobol itself. “Modernizing the mainframe and Cobol environment is more efficient and effective than replacing it”, Luiz Gustavo.
Cobol stands out for a series of advantages that make it a viable choice in different programming environments, such as:
- Readability: Designed to be an easy-to-understand language, it makes it easier for both programmers and end users to understand code, resulting in more effective collaboration and simplified maintenance.
- Efficient processing of large volumes of data: COBOL is recognized for its ability to handle large volumes efficiently. This capability makes it the preferred choice for businesses and government organizations that deal with vast amounts of information daily, ensuring a fast and accurate process.
- Reliability: COBOL's reputation is due to its decades-long reliability. Equipped with error checking and debugging mechanisms. The COBOL language guarantees the integrity of the systems where it is applied, minimizing failures and guaranteeing stable and safe operation over time.
Luiz Gustavo states that when investing in the modernization of these systems, companies can preserve their legacy and investments over time. Furthermore, the modernization of the language allows us to improve the user experience through a new interface and greater interoperability with other technologies.
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