COBOL compilers that help you leverage your existing applications on z/OS® platform
Modernize COBOL. Accelerate Innovation.
The IBM® COBOL compilers support IBM z/OS operating system. You get the tools to amplify your program development and use your existing applications. You can strategically position your application development process for today’s rapidly changing marketplace.
Modernizing COBOL isn’t about rewriting it’s about evolving. Upgrade your compiler, boost performance, and strengthen security without overhauling trusted business logic. Modernize on your terms and accelerate innovation on IBM Z.
Modernizing COBOL isn’t about rewriting it’s about evolving. Upgrade your compiler, boost performance, and strengthen security without overhauling trusted business logic. Modernize on your terms and accelerate innovation on IBM Z.
Accelerate Performance Without the Risk of a Rewrite
IBM Z is the industry’s leading platform for business‑critical COBOL applications, bringing together specialized hardware and a next‑generation COBOL compiler to deliver unmatched performance, resilience, and efficiency. By keeping the compiler current, organizations unlock even greater performance gains, maximize the value of their IBM Z investment, and tap into new COBOL capabilities and modern tooling that accelerate their modernization journey.
IBM Enterprise COBOL for zOS supports the modernization of business-critical applications, accelerates modernization with advanced language features, and optimization technology. It fully supports IBM Z architecture to deliver superior performance, resilience, and return on investment across enterprise workloads.
IBM COBOL Upgrade Advisor for z/OS® (CUAZ)
Accelerates and simplifies the upgrade to Enterprise COBOL 6 with analysis and reporting in a modern Visual Studio Code (VS Code) interface. CUAZ help enterprises modernize COBOL applications, reduce upgrade complexity and stay current with supported compilers while optimizing performance on IBM Z hardware.
Optimize existing applications
IBM Automatic Binary Optimizer (ABO) for z/OS
Enhances COBOL application performance without requiring source recompilation. It optimizes existing COBOL object modules to reduce CPU consumption and processing time, taking full advantage of IBM Z architecture. ABO preserves application logic and maintains compatibility across both older and actively maintained COBOL modules running on IBM Z.
IBM watsonx Code Assistant for Z Code Optimization Advice
Provides clear performance insights, identifies issues directly in the source code, and delivers prioritized and actionable recommendations that help developers quickly improve application efficiency. This enables teams to proactively resolve performance issues before the application reaches production
Enhance and extend existing applications
IBM watsonx Code Assistant for Z
Accelerates mainframe application development and modernization with AI and automation. It supports developers in every phase of lifecycle from application discovery and analysis to automated refactoring, code explanation, generation, optimization and transformation to newer languages and testing. Outcome: lower modernization risks, enhanced developer productivity and skill sets + faster time to value.
The open-source language portfolio on z/OS
The language portfolio on z/OS has expanded beyond Java, PL/I, C/C++, and COBOL to include Go, Python, and Node.js. These modern open-source languages were added because they are widely used by developers and supported by rich ecosystems of packages. Their availability on IBM Z provides organizations with more options and tools to modernize applications and adopt contemporary development practices on the platform. New COBOL interoperability features make it easier than ever for these open‑source languages to work seamlessly with COBOL.
COBOL Compiler Family
Simplifies and accelerates upgrades to the latest IBM Enterprise COBOL for z/OS compiler through automated analysis surfaced in a modern VS Code interface.
Enhances the newest z/Architecture® to maximize hardware utilization, reduce CPU usage and improve performance of critical applications.
Improves the performance of already-compiled COBOL program modules without recompiling source code migration or performing performance tuning.
Offers both performance and programming capabilities for developing business-critical COBOL applications for Linux on x86 systems.