COBOL - Here's to the Next 60 Years

Project and Program: Application Architecture Development and Integration, LE and Programming Languages

Tags: Proceedings, 2019, SHARE Pittsburgh 2019

The application development language, COBOL, turns 60 this year. September 1959 saw the first mention of the technical acronym “COBOL”, which was then adopted as the name for the language being specified and developed.

This session will outline and celebrate a technology that was originally devised 60 years ago, and is not merely technology that is 60 years old. That subtle but important distinction will use a positive and assertive narrative about the language’s continued relevance, use cases and prevalence.
As a vendor of the language, Micro Focus will offer a balanced view of the language as the core topic, and avoid any proprietary points of view or technology commentary. This is about a common language, not a vendor's product. 
The language’s history is a fascinating study - the way in which it was designed, its continued evolution and relevance, and a number of defining characteristics have ensured it remains in widespread usage. We will outline those attributes. 
As the SHARE audience will be familiar with COBOL technology and the value it plays in enterprise computing,  the presentation will outline the ongoing value of the technology as well as some more practical, technical elements as it looks towards continued relevance in decades to come.-Derek Britton-Micro Focus

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