COBOL and Legacy Systems

IT Curriculum: COBOL and Legacy Systems
Brian L. Ayers
Intro. To Software Use and Tech. Support, ITM424 Trident University
Dr. Ying Liu
28 May 2012




Introduction
The following document is being written in order to address the question posed by Dr. Swanson as to whether or not information technology management curriculum should or should not include learning more about Common Business Oriented Language (COBOL) and Legacy Systems. Prior to making a rational decision, one has to understand exactly what COBOL and Legacy Systems are the foundations that they lay for information technology, as well as its involvement in business.


COBOL is deemed one of the oldest programming languages in use, and serves as the primary domain for business, finance, and administrative systems for businesses and organizations, to include the government. COBOL lays a foundation for banking and finance. It handles copious amounts of information that allow large sums of money to be computed and handled. For example, the Department of Defense (DoD) was the first to mandate use of the programming language and still uses a version of the system in the Defense Civilian Pay System (DCPS), which compiles and tracks employee work hours, leaves, incentives, and payroll.
Legacy Systems defined as old methods, technology, computer systems, or application systems. Like COBOL, Legacy Systems serve as the “birth-mother” of a computer system or application. For example, Windows, which was originally developed in 1985, has no doubt evolved from its “tile” style design of opening applications and programs. However, embedded in each new user interface, you can find that designers used the basic concepts of the first version as a building block to develop the more recent versions seen today.
People are often surprised when presented with the evidence for COBOL and Legacy System’s dominance in the technology world and market place. The hype that surrounds... [continues]

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