Nick May wrote:
>
> I got it from a guy I have known for a while who manages a computer job
> placement agency who has supplied them with programmers. COBOL
> programmers.ÅHe was not sure about Japan generally but he was certain
> about Kyushu. I expressed impolite and raucous skepticism, but he assures
> me it is true. Improbable, but true.
>
> He said that Fukuoka is "crying out for COBOL programmers". I enquired
> about PL1 (just for old times sake) but apparently only a few banks use it
> still....
Cobalt and mainframes? It's way more than "only a few banks".
PL1? I'm not so sure about.
Right about the time that the old Mainframe vs. The PC debate was
sputtering out pretty much every where else in the world (and just
before the y2k promised an 18 month employability reprieve for
those unwilling to re-tool), I visited the back offices of several
companies (Autobox and Ryuseki subsidiary ventures mostly). What
I found in those back rooms was absolutely shocking... usually some
old Fujitsu terminals (literally older than I was and quite possibly
older than the company itself), a huge safe, lots of ledger sheets
and other random paperwork. Inventory was still done by some poor
overworked, underpaid OL finger-fscking the numbers into the
terminal and employees still lined up on payday to receive their
paychecks in little cash envelopes and hear the manager's little
rah-rah domiaragato speech (one of the motivations behind my "freeter
work ethic" contribution several weeks ago; extra, extra keitai might
equal direct deposit for part-timers in Japan!)... and remember,
this is how almost *every* Autobox (etc.) operated at the time. I've
seen a few of the shops that do development/maintenance work for
them as well (usually about 15 to 20 people in size)... and while
the programming crews are not as old as they should be, they do seem
to be *modestly* aware of some of the more modern tools/platorms
available (development platforms were all PC desktops connected via
TCP/IP and a modest amount of SNA/other legacy cruft). Thankfully,
they haven't reached the point of complete Microsoft brainwash yet.
Again, this was several years ago, so things *may* have changed
substantially (all you have to do to know things *have* changed is
look at Familimart, where inventory is done nightly via barcode
and wireless LAN (yes, that little beige box above the cash register
is a Lucent Wavelan access point) and when the truck pulls up, the
driver and store manager cross check delivery on separate systems);
however, given the degree to which people do seem to own their jobs
in Japan, I doubt that standard business modius operandi changed
very much for some of the more "traditional" firms. Some of those
folks, both tools and managers, are going to have to die before any
significant change happens... and from what I understand about
demographics trends, this is happening... slowly.
Personally, I don't think there's a lack of COBAL programmer. I just
think that people who would otherwise fill those positions are
reluctant. After all, who knowingly wants to take a position (with
potential lifetime's worth of commitment) that they know is going to
be obsolete in another 10 years? If I were coming out of college or
tech. siemangako, I sure as hell wouldn't (and in fact, I remember
making a similar choice in late 80s/the early 90s).
Not that all this has *anything* to do with keitai...
Given what little exposure I've had to KDD/NTT types, I'd be
very likely to say that mainframe-imode connection is FUD.
If I had to venture a guess, I'd say that it's some combination
of *bsd, COTS (commercial off the shelf) network hardware, and
custom (non-mainframe) code. *bsd (and linux to a lesser degree)
are entrenched in the Japanese tech community. I'm sure some of
those in telcos elsewhere might have some insight, as NTT is
pitching imode heavily (advertisements in the Economist of all
places!).
...But hey, if a tech. journalist wanted to do a story, that's one
article that I might actually buy the deadtree edition of to read
(Wired, are you listening?). Mix with a little bit of Farber's
"The internet is reducing on-hand inventory and shortening the
business cycle" and you have a nice little supporting article
that can be printed right next to the ever so popular "Why the
Japanese Economy Sucks Now" headliners.
Received on Fri Jan 11 17:11:57 2002