Veryant has rolled out a new release of its isCOBOL Application Platform Suite (APS) for developing, deploying, and modernizing COBOL applications. This release features:

• Support for larger file sizes -- more than 9 billion gigabytes -- and up to a 50 percent performance boost from an enhanced, 100-percent Java-based indexed sequential access method (ISAM) file system in isCOBOL JISAM
• Delivery of modern, portable applications at an affordable price due to improved thin client performance through isCOBOL Server
• Zero-client, rich Internet application COBOL deployments from advanced JavaScript embedding capabilities and new controls in isCOBOL Web Direct 2.0
• Greater compatibility with outdated platforms such as ACUCOBOL-GT and RM/COBOL, further simplifying the move to isCOBOL from alternative COBOL compilers

According to Veryant, as much as 60 percent of the world's business applications are written in COBOL. These programs often use ISAM file systems instead of relational databases. Organizations looking to distribute applications with familiar, high performing ISAM files across a wide variety of devices can benefit from the inherent portability of the Java platform with isCOBOL JISAM.

isCOBOL JISAM is a 100-percent Java-based ISAM file system built on x/Open standards that runs on a range of systems from mainframes to mobile devices. With this release, ISAM files opened with the EXCLUSIVE clause, especially on REWRITE and DELETE statements, saw the largest improvements in internal Veryant tests.

isCOBOL Server provides thin-client computing where system and network resources are conserved. In this release, Veryant says that thin-client performance is improved on average up to 50 percent, especially for isCOBOL Server applications distributed across TCP/IP connections. Nearly a 100 percent performance improvement was demonstrated on applications using 'DESTROY' statements, which are commonly used in COBOL programs to eliminate graphical controls such as Entry Fields, Check Boxes and Radio Buttons on windows that are no longer in use.

isCOBOL JISAM and isCOBOL Server are included with the isCOBOL Runtime Environment at no extra cost. Veryant does not penalize customers for changing platforms. The Java-enabled portability of the products in isCOBOL APS and customer applications is enhanced by the portability of the isCOBOL license: buy once, compile, and run anywhere.