The Social Security Administration's (SSA) systems are heavily reliant on COBOL, comprising over 60 million lines of code. Despite calls for modernization, and claims from Elon Musk's 'Department of Government Efficiency' (DOGE) that it can be done rapidly, the reality is more complicated. Past efforts to modernize similar systems, such as the IRS's Individual Master File, demonstrate the difficulties faced. The SSA's previous attempt to transition to Java failed, highlighting a lack of effective planning and funding, which continues to hinder progress in modernizing these essential systems.
The Social Security Administration's payment system, consisting of over 60 million lines of COBOL, presents significant modernization challenges that require careful planning, not rushed solutions.
Elon Musk's assertions about quickly converting SSA’s COBOL code to modern languages overshadow the reality of complex legacy IT systems that haven’t been successfully modernized for decades.
Collection
[
|
...
]