// systems that have been running since before most of their maintainers were born.
COBOLIST — independent COBOL consulting.
AUTHOR.Tamás (Tom)
REMARKS.Legacy code isn't a liability to be replaced on principle — it's a running specification. I read it, explain it, extend it, and keep it in production.
Writing and maintaining COBOL since the 1970s and 80s — 10+ years of hands-on production experience, with the systems knowledge that only comes from being there when they were new.
Deployed across 2 continents, 3 countries.
READ-LEGACY-SYSTEM
Bring in an unfamiliar codebase, work out what it actually does — not just what the comments claim — and document it in plain language for the people who have to live with it next.
MAINTAIN-AND-EXTEND
Fix defects, add features, and keep production COBOL running without the risky, expensive rewrite most vendors default to recommending.
ADVISE-ON-MODERNIZATION
When change is genuinely warranted, plan it properly — as a project manager who has run this kind of work before, not just a programmer with an opinion.
COACH-THE-TEAM
Sometimes the constraint isn't the code — it's the people around it. Coaching is available alongside the technical work, for individuals or teams navigating a legacy environment.
PERFORM CONTACT-ME.
Tell me what system you're dealing with — I'll tell you what I see.
a at Cobolist.com