If you were around when the Internet first emerged in the early 1990s, you might remember the reaction: fascinating technology… but what do you actually do with it? Early websites were interesting experiments, but the real question was how to harness this capability for business value. Over time, web enablement and cloud integration became essential to extending the life and value of NonStop systems.
At TIC Software, we were early adopters during that era with the focus on NonStop applications. We helped NonStop users understand not just the technology itself, but how to apply it effectively within their NonStop environments to modernize applications while preserving their core strengths. For more than two decades, we have helped users modernize their NonStop applications.
Today, we stand at another inflection point: Generative AI.
The GenAI Paradox—and Why It Sounds Familiar
Recent research reveals a troubling pattern. An MIT Media Lab study found that 95% of organizations see no measurable return on their GenAI investments. McKinsey reports that while 78% of companies are using GenAI, just as many report no significant bottom-line impact.
The reasons are now well-documented:
- 68% of organizations have not quantified the potential impact of GenAI for their business
- 73% cite lack of clarity on success metrics as a barrier to scaling
- 85% of failed AI projects point to poor data quality or availability as a core issue
- Most critically, organizations are chasing flashy demos or deploying GenAI everywhere simultaneously, diluting resources across low-impact initiatives without clear business cases
Understanding the Reasons Behind the Numbers
This pattern is remarkably similar to the early days of the Internet. In the mid-1990s, skeptics questioned whether the Internet had any real business value. Early corporate websites were little more than digital brochures. Companies invested in the technology without clear strategies, measurable goals, or understanding of how it would transform their operations.
Many dismissed the Internet as overhyped. But the companies that succeeded—the early adopters—didn't chase technology for its own sake. They identified specific, high-value use cases. They measured results. They started small, proved value, and scaled incrementally. They figured out the right approach and reaped substantial benefits while others watched from the sidelines.
The lesson: transformative technology doesn't fail—poorly planned implementations fail. The same principles that separated Internet winners from the hype victims apply directly to GenAI adoption today.
The Right Approach for NonStop
For NonStop organizations, the opportunity is real—but it requires the same discipline that made early Internet adopters successful. Decades of institutional knowledge reside inside COBOL, TAL, and C codebases. Before automation, before transformation, you need visibility and understanding.
This is where a focused, high-value application of GenAI makes sense—and where TIC Navigator delivers measurable results.
TIC Navigator: Analyze. Understand. Modernize.
Unlike generic GenAI tools that promise everything but deliver little, TIC Navigator creates an intelligent, dynamic knowledge base of your NonStop applications. It automatically analyzes your COBOL, TAL, and C code to generate comprehensive documentation, system diagrams, and data flow visualizations. But it goes beyond static documentation.
Using GenAI, TIC Navigator enables you to ask questions in natural language and get accurate, contextual answers about your systems:
- "What is the business logic of this program?"
- "How does our fraud detection logic work in this program?"
- "Any bugs or vulnerability in this code?"
- "Where is account number validated across the application?"
Measurable Benefits
TIC Navigator delivers concrete value in areas where knowledge and understanding are critical:
Knowledge Preservation:
Capture the expertise of retiring developers before it walks out the door. The system documents not just what the code does, but why—preserving institutional knowledge in a searchable, accessible format.
Accelerated Onboarding:
New developers can understand complex systems in weeks instead of months. They can query the knowledge base to get answers immediately rather than hunting through millions of lines of code or waiting for senior staff availability.
Modernization Enablement:
Before you can modernize, you need to understand what you have. TIC Navigator provides the visibility required to make informed decisions about refactoring, migration, or integration strategies. It identifies dependencies, data flows, and business logic that must be preserved.
Solve Problems Faster:
Developers spend less time searching for information and more time solving problems. Support teams can diagnose issues faster by understanding how components interact.
This is GenAI applied with discipline—focused on a specific, high-value use case with clear, measurable outcomes.
Our Proven Approach to GenAI Success
Drawing from our work with NonStop customers during major technology shifts—and insights into what distinguishes effective GenAI deployments from unsuccessful trials—we've developed the following framework:
- Invest in knowledge-building. Ensure both leadership and technical teams have a grounded understanding of what GenAI can and cannot deliver. Develop fluency in the underlying concepts, architecture, and technology. Steer clear of inflated expectations that undermine progress.
- Establish concrete metrics. Target specific, quantifiable outcomes like "decrease code comprehension time by X%" or "shorten developer onboarding from N months to N/2 months." Ambiguous objectives yield ambiguous outcomes.
- Prioritize targeted, high-impact applications. Resist the urge to implement GenAI across all functions. Pinpoint where capabilities like institutional knowledge retention, codebase analysis, or modernization strategy deliver maximum business impact. TIC Navigator exemplifies this principle by addressing a well-defined, mission-critical challenge instead of attempting broad, unfocused coverage.
- Build incrementally. Lasting transformation builds momentum gradually. Validate results in one domain before scaling. Begin with TIC Navigator to establish clarity and comprehension then use that groundwork to unlock further AI-driven opportunities.
Why TIC Software
For decades, TIC Software has been at the forefront of application modernization for NonStop customers. We have deep expertise in these environments—their capabilities, intricacies, and the critical domain knowledge embedded within them. We've successfully guided organizations through web enablement, cloud migration, and now the integration of GenAI.
Just as we empowered early adopters to leverage the Internet strategically, we're now enabling NonStop organizations to deploy GenAI in ways that produce tangible, quantifiable business outcomes through TIC Navigator.
TIC Navigator represents the industry's first AI assistant purpose-built for NonStop development environments. It combines specialized domain knowledge with sophisticated machine learning capabilities.
Ready to Begin?
We encourage you to join us in exploring how this technology can benefit your NonStop teams—in development, support, operations, and modernization efforts.
Contact Us to:
- See a demonstration of TIC Navigator and how it creates an intelligent knowledge base of your applications
- Schedule a TIC GenAI Fundamentals Workshop—a practical, one-day session designed to help Nonstop teams understand GenAI capabilities, identify high-value use cases, and develop a measurable roadmap for implementation
- Discuss how TIC's consulting services can help you define and execute a practical AI roadmap for your Nonstop environment—one grounded in measurable business value, not hype
Phil Ly serves as president of TIC Software and a recognized thought leader in the NonStop community. Under his leadership, TIC Software has become the premier guide for NonStop organizations adopting modern technologies, including REST APIs, Kafka messaging systems, and cloud services. Phil's expertise lies in bridging the gap between complex emerging technologies and practical implementation, making advanced solutions accessible to NonStop professionals across all experience levels. As architect of the innovative Navigator platform, he is pioneering the integration of generative AI into NonStop environments, demonstrating how AI-powered solutions can enhance system reliability while preserving the mission-critical security standards that define the platform.
