September 21, 2009 - Veryant, the COBOL and Java technology innovator, today announced two new products in its isCOBOL Application Platform Suite (APS), which helps businesses develop, deploy, and modernize COBOL applications.

• isCOBOL Web Direct 2.0 connects business applications to the cloud, offering the ability to deploy fully-interactive Web 2.0 applications on demand as part of Software as a Service (SaaS) offerings.
  
  
• isCOBOL SQL Server adds a flexible relational database engine to ISAM files without changing current program code or data. This eliminates the need to choose between maintaining ISAM files or moving to a mainstream RDBMS to meet evolving requirements.

“Now it is even easier to make COBOL applications and data part of mobile cloud computing and other new service delivery initiatives,” said Alfredo Iglesias, vice president at Veryant. “Veryant's latest release uniquely provides cost-effective alternatives that extend the life of existing business investments.”

i-Modulas Software, an ISV offering specialized enterprise resource planning (ERP) software for rental companies and project-based organizations, plans to take full advantage of the latest isCOBOL APS release.

“With isCOBOL APS we are able to offer SaaS without the difficult installation of proprietary and platform-specific client software,” explained René van Oevelen, software architect at i-Modulas Software BV. “Veryant enables us to modernize our existing applications and our development suite at an affordable price point.”

With this year marking the 50th anniversary of COBOL, many organizations with legacy assets are working to keep COBOL applications relevant in light of new cloud computing initiatives. isCOBOL Web Direct 2.0, a new product in this release, addresses this challenge by enabling the deployment of universal, zero client rich Internet applications (RIA) using standard COBOL screen sections and existing program procedure division and flow. isCOBOL Web Direct 2.0 provides an efficient and economic way to deliver mission-critical COBOL applications on demand as part of cloud-based service offerings. No knowledge of object-oriented programming, JavaScript, HTML, or other Web languages is required to implement isCOBOL Web Direct 2.0.

A large percentage of the estimated 200 billion lines of COBOL code in production today use ISAM files rather than relational databases for data storage and access. Although effective for business operations, ISAM files can be cumbersome and costly to query and integrate with new development. Another new product in this release, isCOBOL SQL Server, provides a high performing relational database engine on top of ISAM files. isCOBOL SQL Server eliminates the need to choose between maintaining ISAM files or moving to a mainstream RDBMS to meet evolving application requirements.

isCOBOL APS blends the optimized, business-oriented nature of COBOL with the openness, portability, and power of the Java platform, without retraining staff or rewriting code. Other new features and enhancements in the latest isCOBOL release include:

• Enhancements to the Import Wizard and File Designer in the Eclipse-based isCOBOL IDE, enabling smoother transitions to isCOBOL from alternative COBOL platforms.
  
  
• Support for dumb terminals and terminal emulators, facilitating the modernization of character-based legacy applications.
  
  
• The addition of a Java-based file system connector, allowing the deployment of isCOBOL ISAM Server files in 100 percent pure Java application environments.

isCOBOL APS 2009 SP1 is available immediately. Click here for more details.

Contact:
Sue Myers
978.369.6336
pr@veryant.com