DOGE Proposes Replacing COBOL at US Social Security Administration: More Wishful Thinking Than Realistic Solution?

The DOGE advisory group to the US government is gaining traction again. This time, it’s not due to Elon Musk’s tweets, but rather an alleged initiative to replace the COBOL programming language at the US Social Security Administration. While replacing this outdated system is an ambitious goal with a proposed timeline of mere months, how realistic is it?

It's important to acknowledge that phasing out COBOL, an aging programming language, is a pressing issue for the US Social Security Administration and countless other organizations, both public and private. Maintenance of these legacy systems is costly, and the pool of qualified developers continues to shrink.

The idea of replacing COBOL with a blockchain-based solution, at first glance, seems innovative. Proponents tout benefits such as enhanced security, transparency, and efficiency. However, upon closer examination, this initiative overlooks the overall complexity of the issue at hand: the US Social Security Administration is a massive and intricate entity. Migrating to a new technology in a matter of months appears unrealistic and fraught with risk.

Conclusion

Instead of chasing unrealistic promises, officials should prioritize pragmatic solutions. A phased modernization of the systems, paired with training programs for COBOL developers, are essential to address the challenges of the future.

Link to the article (German only): https://www.heise.de/news/DOGE-will-offenbar-COBOL-bei-US-Sozialkasse-ersetzen-innerhalb-von-Monaten-10333616.html

Have you had any experience with COBOL? Share your thoughts in the comments!