EGL – A Different Programming Language

IBM is currently promoting a new business-oriented programming language called EGL. Shades of COBOL (COmmon Business-Oriented Language)! Why do we need a new language at this stage? Surely, Simula 68 was the last new language we really needed?

Well, we were talking to Tim Wilson and other members of the EGL team recently (visit their blog at ITIL v3, which probably means that the time is now ripe for EGL, although ITIL v3 is also meeting opposition from older, silo’d, service delivery cultures.

Never underestimate the management investment needed when changing technology cultures, even after the technology arguments have been won. People mostly dislike change and react dysfunctionally to it—if you doubt that, try asking your change management department to change the way it works. However, the effort involved in changing to a “business service delivery” culture, of which EGL (we think) is a part, will be worth it.