Alchemy Solutions, Inc. has announced that NeoKicks, its CICS modernization tool, can now push CICS applications to Windows Azure, Microsoft's cloud environment. NeoKicks V3.1 runs on Windows servers and is the first CICS migration framework to run natively on Windows Azure without the use of virtual machines.
"NeoKicks is based on .NET and so is Windows Azure," according to Kelly Hollis, vice president of engineering at Alchemy Solutions. "It can take full advantage of the platform without compromise."
NeoKicks takes full advantage of Windows Azure without relying on virtual machines or emulation. NeoKicks uses the Windows Azure web and worker roles to enable true cloud computing.
NeoKicks now includes a Windows Azure Wizard in Microsoft Visual Studio that enables the launching of CICS applications to the cloud. "It's just a matter of publishing your NeoKicks application with Visual Studio by clicking a button," Hollis says. "Because NeoKicks already runs in ASP.NET, there are only a few configuration steps."
Alchemy Solutions configured its COBOL compiler, NetCOBOL for .NET, to run on Windows Azure earlier this year. The modernization firm plans to add Windows Azure support to the rest of its product line, including NeoBatch and NeoData, in the coming months.
The final release of NeoKicks V3.1 will be available for purchase November 2011. For more details, visit the Alchemy Solutions site at www.alchemysolutions.com.