Fujitsu Launches Modernization Service via Automated Design Documentation

Tokyo, August 15, 2012

Fujitsu today announced an addition to its APM Modernization Services for Cloud, which enables customers to build new systems based on their existing applications. The new modernization service via automated design documentation, which was developed by Fujitsu Advanced Solutions Limited (FASOL), is available starting today.

The Modernization service via automated design documentation converts the business logic in existing application assets coded in COBOL, PL/I, or BAGLES II⁽¹⁾ into Japanese-language design documents. Java source code can be generated from this design document, allowing operational testing to be performed. This makes it fast and inexpensive to restructure customers' business systems, giving them greater speed and flexibility in changing their businesses.

As changes in today's business environment continue to intensify, the applications that form the basis of a company's business platform must be able to adapt accordingly with speed and flexibility, creating a need to develop and operate up-to-date system platforms. However, this presents challenges for companies that have been running the same applications for many years; for example, the application design documents that would be the first step in a modernizing restructuring simply may not exist, the current application may not match up with the original design document, or many programmers may not understand the original programming languages in which these applications were written.

To overcome this problem, Fujitsu and FASOL have added the new Modernization service via automated design documentation to Fujitsu's existing service, APM Modernization Services for Cloud. This will enable companies to convert the their existing application assets coded in COBOL, PL/I, or BAGLES II into Japanese-language design documents to rapidly and inexpensively restructure customer's business systems.

Service Features

1. Visualization of existing applications as Japanese-language design documents

Existing application assets (written in COBOL, PL/I, or BAGLES II) that have been in use for many years may lack documented design specifications or may have grown more complex over time. Converting them to standardized Japanese-language design documents makes it easier to understand the kinds of specifications they include and improves the ability to preserve these software assets. The functional changes or enhancements to an existing program that has generally depended on a designer can now be managed using a design document, which will increase the efficiency of maintenance into the future and lower its cost.

2. Shorter development cycle with higher quality

After converting an existing application with a long track record into a Japanese-language design document, FASOL can use its development-support tool InterDevelop (based on the core functions of the BAGLES⁽¹⁾ application-development tool, which FASOL has used in over 80 successful deployments to date) to generate Java source code. In addition, operational testing candidates can be automatically extracted from these Japanese-language design documents. Not only does this make the development process faster and less costly, it also ensures the quality of the rebuilt system and prevents functions present in the original from being omitted.

Pricing and Availability

Pricing and Availability

Service Name	Pricing (excluding tax)	Availability
Modernization service via automated design documentations	By quotation	Immediate

Note: This service is currently only available in Japan.

Sales Targets

Sales of JPY 23 billion by end of 2015 for APM Modernization Services for Cloud as a whole.