Rocket Visual COBOL | Rocket Software | Mainframe Modernization Platform

Product Overview

Rocket Visual COBOL by Rocket Software is a COBOL + IDE + Application Development + Modernization solution for mainframe environments.

Key use cases include: COBOL development in modern IDEs (VS Code, Visual Studio), COBOL application rehosting from z/OS to Linux/Windows, COBOL-to-JVM and COBOL-to-.NET compilation, COBOL unit testing and code analysis, Mainframe COBOL modernization and containerization.

Modernization Strategies

Rehost

Timeline:: 6-12 months

Lift-and-shift to cloud infrastructure with minimal code changes. Fast migration with lower risk.

Refactor (Recommended)

Timeline:: 18-24 months

Optimize application architecture for cloud while preserving business logic. Best ROI long-term.

Replatform

Timeline:: 3-5 years

Complete rewrite to cloud-native architecture with microservices and modern tech stack.

Frequently Asked Questions

General

What is Rocket Visual COBOL?

Rocket Visual COBOL (formerly Micro Focus Visual COBOL) provides a modern COBOL development environment for Visual Studio, VS Code, and Eclipse.

Who makes Rocket Visual COBOL?

Rocket Visual COBOL is developed and maintained by Rocket Software. It runs on Windows, Linux, macOS, z/OS (cross-compile) platforms.

What are the main use cases for Rocket Visual COBOL?

COBOL development in modern IDEs (VS Code, Visual Studio), COBOL application rehosting from z/OS to Linux/Windows, COBOL-to-JVM and COBOL-to-.NET compilation, COBOL unit testing and code analysis, Mainframe COBOL modernization and containerization

How does Rocket Visual COBOL work?

It supports compiling COBOL to JVM bytecode, .NET CLR, and native code, enabling mainframe COBOL applications to run on Windows, Linux, containers, and cloud platforms. Visual COBOL includes COBOL language intelligence, debugging, unit testing, and code analysis capabilities.

Technical

What platforms does Rocket Visual COBOL support?

Rocket Visual COBOL supports the following platforms: Windows, Linux, macOS, z/OS (cross-compile).

What are the alternatives to Rocket Visual COBOL?

Competing products include: OpenText Enterprise COBOL, IBM Enterprise COBOL for z/OS, GnuCOBOL.

How complex is Rocket Visual COBOL to implement?

Rocket Visual COBOL has a medium technical complexity level with a moderate learning curve. It is best suited for small|mid-market|enterprise organizations.

Deployment & Industries

How is Rocket Visual COBOL deployed?

Rocket Visual COBOL supports the following deployment models: on-premise, cloud.

What industries use Rocket Visual COBOL?

Rocket Visual COBOL is primarily used in: Banking, Finance, Insurance, Government, Healthcare, Retail.

Rocket Visual COBOL Modernization Guide