Case study

Transforming Heritage Systems with Rocket® Visual COBOL®

A large U.S. county government division depended on a COBOL-based solution for property valuation and tax collection that created operational risks. Here’s how Rocket® Visual COBOL® enabled them to modernize their core applications for the future.

Challenge

The county's outdated hardware and disconnected development tools slowed processes, hindered innovation, and created security vulnerabilities that put public data at risk.

Solution

By implementing Rocket Visual COBOL in a phased modernization strategy, the county retained over 30 years of critical business logic while moving to the modern Visual Studio® development environment.

Results

The modernization enhanced developer collaboration, simplified hiring processes, and improved disaster recovery capabilities. It also created a solid foundation for future innovation.

Company

Industry: Government

A large government entity responsible for property assessments and annual tax collection. Serving a major metropolitan area, they provide essential public services where operational efficiency is critical.

Challenge

The county relied on an outdated COBOL system, risking operations and failing to meet modern digital demands.

This county’s aging infrastructure and disconnected tools created real risks, including system failures and security vulnerabilities. These outdated systems slowed down processes, making it nearly impossible to keep up with public demand for fast, reliable digital services. A lack of integration across systems also hampered innovation, posing challenges for adding new functionalities or connecting to contemporary platforms.

 

Solution

The county implemented Rocket Visual COBOL to modernize their IT environment, preserving valuable business logic while transitioning to a unified development ecosystem.

The county retained 30 years of critical business logic by moving COBOL applications to Visual Studio. Existing data was migrated to SQL Server® for improved efficiency and flexibility. Collaboration improved with centralized source code management via Microsoft® Team Foundation Server (TFS), creating a unified environment for developers.

Results

The county built a unified, future-ready IT environment that improved collaboration, strengthened disaster recovery, and enabled long-term innovation.

With Rocket Visual COBOL, the county integrated their COBOL applications into modern platforms like Visual Studio. This created a familiar environment that improved collaboration and streamlined onboarding for new talent. Centralizing source code management with TFS enhanced version control and disaster recovery. This foundation now supports a forward-thinking IT strategy, enabling future modernization and cloud deployment.

Get started with Rocket Visual COBOL

Ready to modernize your COBOL applications? Rocket Visual COBOL bridges heritage systems with modern environments to drive growth and innovation.

Learn about Rocket Visual COBOL
Featured product

Rocket® Visual COBOL®

Modernize your COBOL applications across distributed, virtual and cloud platforms with the market-leading solution.

/it-it/products/cobol/visual-cobol
Downloads

Related content

Secure Host Access

U.S. Insurance Company: Streamlining Security Practices

U.S. Insurance Company: Streamlining Security Practices
Visual COBOL®

Modernizing a Major Distribution Network

Modernizing a Major Distribution Network
COBOL Analyzer

David Kopf Instruments: Simplify Code Maintenance with Rocket® COBOL Analyzer

Kopf Instruments listings image
David Kopf Instruments: Simplify Code Maintenance with Rocket® COBOL Analyzer
See all case studies