Executive Summary (This is a document excerpt)

Vendors that provide automatic conversion of COBOL to Java to transition out of aging legacy COBOL applications are offering something that is too good to be true. The goals of such an effort are either to create a complete system replacement or to clone some of the business rules in Java. The former replaces a pitifully small piece of the application — less than 15% to 20% — and the latter creates a dubious set of "candidate rules" that require manual review. When it works properly, cloning also creates duplicate code, leaving one version of COBOL in place as it creates another in Java, and duplicate code introduces new maintenance synchronization nightmares. Either way, these tools deliver far less than the marketing claims promise.

Buy Risk-Free

Download and print PDF immediately. Price: US $499

Our Money-Back Guarantee: If you are not completely satisfied, return it for a full refund within three weeks of your online purchase.

Already a Forrester Client?
Log in to read this document.