Micro Focus COBOL Developer Days: COBOL’s Future Starts Here – and so does yours

Jackie Anglin from Micro Focus gives you the low-down on our upcoming Micro Focus COBOL Developer Days

Do you want to stay at the forefront of technology? If so, you’re looking in the right place. COBOL Developer Days are the perfect opportunity for developers to discover the latest trends in enterprise application development and the technology which is driving COBOL’s future.  And believe me – the future of COBOL is looking brighter than ever.

What’s in it for me?

This one-day technical workshop equips you with the insight and knowledge you need to take your applications forward. Ask questions – and we mean lots. Talk to our COBOL product team (see below) and network with fellow COBOL users. More importantly, see Visual COBOL in action – it’s much better than The Hunger Games movie, we promise. Also, learn what its innovative capabilities can do for you. Have you met Developer Dave?  He’s innovating with Visual COBOL and so can you.

We’ll talk about:

  • Addressing the forces of change – we’re sure you know what they are but how do you tackle them head on?
  • First steps to getting started with Visual COBOL – take that first step with Scot Nielsen and Mike Bleistein – something not to miss
  • Building managed code apps without changing your native code – yep, we said WITHOUT changing your native code
  • Application development in the cloud – see how easy it is to deploy COBOL apps to the cloud
  • Transform your User Interface without rewriting your app
  • And, a special ‘Community’ chosen topic where you get your chance to pick  from leveraging web services, moving your applications to the cloud, working with object-oriented COBOL, or exploring CICS.NET and Batch.NET capabilities.

Ask the experts

Our Visual COBOL experts are on hand to help you get started on your journey. But who exactly are they?

Scot Nielsen, Product Manager for COBOL solutions including Net Express, Server Express and Visual COBOL.

Not to be mistaken for Val Kilmer. So what does he actually do (other than look exactly like Val Kilmer)?  Scot defines the technical strategy for the Micro Focus COBOL product line including Visual COBOL. Yep, he’s ‘that guy’.  A great guy to grab a coffee with during the day, who enjoys shed building (I have no clue what that means either. Maybe it’s something the English like to do on rainy days).

Ed Airey, Product Marketing Director for COBOL solutions.

Ed is responsible for the Visual COBOL Go to Market planning, development and execution. He has been focusing on the COBOL skills crisis facing many of our corporate organizations, investigating how to best overcome this challenge through both technology and community engagement. Be sure to ask Ed for a Little Book of COBOL. On his days off – which are very rare – you can find Ed enjoying a baseball or hockey game. He’s the calm, cool and collected one though.

Michael (Mike) Bleistein, Principal Architect, Product Management.

Michael is an EXPERT – we put that in CAPS because he’s that good – in the mainframe field when it comes to COBOL/CICS. Currently he specializes in modernization through .NET and SOA, helping customers understand Micro Focus solutions and how they can be used to combat their business problems. We count on Mike to remind us daily and hourly that you don’t have to take the ‘B’ out of COBOL to be COOL. This is your cue to laugh – he loves it.

Jim Lane, Senior Solutions Engineer specializing in Microsoft Technologies.

He has over twenty-five years – that’s a long time for such a young guy – of IT experience as a software developer, systems architect and systems integrator. Jim is an MCSD with a keen eye for VB.Net and web based development. As well as being a Practicing Member of the Worldwide Institute of Software Architects (WWISA), he travels the world providing support for Micro Focus customers. Whether listening to or playing, Jim is always jamming to music – so ask him for playlist recommendations. Jim lives in Atlanta, the best city in the South. Even if I do say so myself!

So at this point, I need to ask: have you registered for the upcoming Developer Days in Boston on December 10, or in Washington DC, December 12? Register now.

Tweet your thoughts on the future of COBOL and application development @MicroFocus and look out for the #COBOLrocks hashtag. You can also follow Developer Days on Twitter #DevDays. Be sure to give our COBOL experts some Twitter-love.  They love it – honestly they do.

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