Do You Know Cobol? If So, There Might Be a Job for You. (wsj.com)

Despite its advanced age, Cobol is still the most prevalent programming language in the financial-services industry world-wide. Software programmed in Cobol powers millions of banking transactions every day and underpins critical computer mainframes. WSJ: And Cobol isn't going away anytime soon. Banks and other companies have come to the uncomfortable realization that ripping out old mainframes is pricey and complicated. Transitioning to new systems is likely to take years, and besides, a lot of the older tech works just fine. The problem is that Cobol isn't popular with new programmers. So, with a generation of Cobol specialists retiring, there is a continuing hunt to find a new generation of programmers to service this technology. In Texas, Mr. Hinshaw's (an anecdote in the story) company, the Cobol Cowboys, a group of mostly older programmers, is training U.S. military veterans in the programming language. Accenture is coaching hundreds of Cobol programmers every year in India and the Philippines to work at banks. In Malaysia, one consultancy that provides engineers versed in Cobol for its clients, iTAc MSC Outsourcing, has adopted the slogan "Keeping the Dinosaurs Alive." A host of companies offer online courses in Cobol in places like South Africa, India and Bangladesh. Developing economies are key technology-outsourcing centers for banks. Further reading: Major Banks and Parts of Federal Gov't Still Rely On COBOL, Now Scrambling To Find IT 'Cowboys' To Keep Things Afloat.

Comments

South Africa, India and Bangladesh

[Anonymous Coward]

Gee whiz sounds like there is lots of meaningful COBOL work to be done by the worlds best and brightest.

Re:Do You Know Cobol? If So, There Might Be a Job

[DeBaas]

I'll learn a language that has an IF MIGHT loop, looks awesome!

Re:First?

[slickwillie]

He would have been first if he didn't have to type all that stuff:

IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
PROGRAM-ID. FIRST.
PROCEDURE DIVISION.
DISPLAY 'First'.
STOP RUN.

Re: Would you even be looking for a job?

[thomn8r]

and Michigan

For the love of god and all that is holy - is there any 3rd-world country they *won't* exploit?

Re:COBOL Has Advantages

[Archtech]

That's the funniest thing I have read about software since the IT director who was quoted as saying, "We're going with XML because it's the fastest Internet protocol".

And that wasn't Dilbert - that was real life.