Jul 19 2010 2:39PM GMT

Micro Focus takes CICS and other apps off the mainframe to Microsoft’s Application Platform

Ryan Arsenault Profile: Ryan Arsenault

Last Monday at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner conference 2010, enterprise application software provider Micro Focus announced the ability to run COBOL, CICS and DB2 applications as .NET components, as part of the new version of its mainframe migration and application modernization solution for the Microsoft Application Platform including Azure.

Micro Focus touts that migrations to the platform in the new release are accomplished without any changes to the application code or data, and that it provides an ideal environment for migrating to and developing new mainframe applications on the Windows Application Platform. The migration of CICS apps, among others, is aimed at mitigating risk and slashing data center costs.

“The Microsoft Application Platform offers our customers unrivalled cost and performance benefits,” said said Peter Duffell, Vice President of Strategic Partners at Micro Focus, in the announcement. “And together Micro Focus and Microsoft have created the best solution for the migration of mission-critical mainframe applications.”

Others, though, aren’t so sure that the migration will even happen.

“The likelihood is pretty small,” said Joe Clabby, President of Clabby Analytics, an IT research and analysis firm. “It’s a completely different type of system you’re asking people to move to.”

Clabby also brought up previous unsuccessful attempts to ditch the mainframe in the early 90s. “I don’t see a compelling reason to move now, either,” he quipped. You can read the full announcement here: http://www.microfocus.com/aboutmicrofocus/pressroom/releases/pr20100712268224.asp