COBOL is not the problem. It’s the ecosystem around it.

A simple language, a complex environment

COBOL often looks intimidating. It’s imagined as an ancient, incomprehensible language reserved for “dinosaur programmers.”
In reality, learning COBOL is no harder than learning Python: its syntax is clear, almost literary.

The real obstacle is not the language. It’s all the tools and processes orbiting around it:

  • JCL to submit jobs,
  • IMS and DB2 to manage data,
  • ISPF (the infamous green screen) as an IDE,
  • Proprietary software like Endeavor, costly and closed.

Add to that outdated workflows: little to no Git, almost no CI/CD, manual deployments at night or on weekends, and endless meetings to orchestrate it all.
The result: a widening gap between younger developers, used to modern environments (AWS, Azure, GitHub Actions), and the mainframe world.

The real challenge: scarce skills

Training a new COBOL developer would only take a few weeks.
But training someone to master COBOL + JCL + IMS + ISPF + proprietary tools is another story.
This package is long, expensive, and only accessible to those with real access to a mainframe — which is increasingly rare.

This is why retiring mainframe experts are not being replaced. Banks, insurers, and governments find themselves trapped: they rely on code they no longer fully understand, and cannot maintain at the pace of legislative, regulatory, or business changes.

Bosqweb: a shortcut and a bridge

At Bosqweb, we don’t believe COBOL is obsolete. We believe its ecosystem needs modernization.

Our platform offers a shortcut:
👉 No need for a physical mainframe or proprietary software — simply upload a COBOL file and immediately get:

  • Clear technical documentation,
  • A business-readable translation for analysts,
  • Optimization recommendations to cut mainframe costs (micro-batches, SQL set-based, zIIP offload).

We also aim to be a bridge to modernity:
👉 Bringing to the mainframe world what GitHub, CI/CD, and linters bring to the cloud.

A generational accelerator

Young developers already know how to learn fast. Let’s give them the right tools.
With Bosqweb, COBOL becomes as accessible as Python: readable, documented, connected to modern practices.

This makes it possible to:

  • Reduce dependency on the few COBOL experts left,
  • Train a new generation faster,
  • Lower costs tied to mainframe consumption peaks,
  • Restore confidence in organizations still running on COBOL.

Conclusion: modernization without throwing away

COBOL is not a burden. It’s a valuable asset still running our banks, insurers, and governments.
The real problem lies in outdated tools and processes.

With Bosqweb, we offer a new path: document, understand, and modernize without rewriting everything.
The future of the mainframe isn’t about fighting COBOL, but working with it — better tooled, better understood, and open to the modern world.

👉 Curious how Bosqweb can modernize your COBOL environments? Request a free demo today.