In 2019, the UK Government and BBC announced a policy enabling free TV licenses for senior citizens who meet specific eligibility criteria. While the initiative was welcomed by millions, the technical challenge of making it happen was significant.

Capita, the BBC’s long-term partner for TV Licensing services, needed a way to integrate the BBC’s mainframe-based licensing system with the UK Government’s retired citizens database—securely, accurately, and with minimal disruption.

That’s where Stark Systems came in.

🎯 The Challenge: Bridging Legacy Systems with Modern Data Sources

The BBC’s TV Licensing platform operates on a robust but decades-old mainframe system, written largely in COBOL. The government’s retired citizens database, meanwhile, sits in a separate modern infrastructure.

The project required:

• Secure, two-way integration between the BBC’s mainframe and the government database
• Real-time eligibility checks to confirm entitlement to free TV licenses
• Minimal performance impact on the existing mainframe workloads
• Compliance with UK data protection regulations (GDPR)
• Delivery within tight policy-driven deadlines

Without a seamless solution, eligible pensioners would be forced to go through lengthy manual verification processes.

🛠️ The Solution: Secure Mainframe Integration with COBOL & Modern APIs

Stark Systems deployed an expert team of Solution Architects and COBOL Developers—highly specialized in bridging mainframe environments with modern systems.

Our approach included:

🔹 Architectural Design

• Defined a secure data exchange pattern that respected both BBC and government IT constraints
• Created an intermediate integration service layer to mediate between mainframe protocols and modern APIs

🔹 COBOL Enhancements

• Updated and extended existing COBOL programs to invoke external services and process responses without slowing down operational batch runs
• Built error-handling and retry logic for resilience against transient API or network failures

🔹 Security & Compliance

• Implemented end-to-end encryption for all data in transit
• Designed audit trails for each transaction to meet GDPR accountability requirements

🔹 Testing & Rollout

• Simulated government database responses in a staging environment
• Phased rollout by age cohort to ensure stability before full nationwide launch

📈 The Results: Millions of Seniors Served Automatically

The integration delivered tangible, human-centered impact:

• 🎯 100% automation of eligibility checks for senior citizens
• 📉 Reduced manual verification workload by over 85%
• 🕒 Enabled same-day activation of free TV licenses for eligible individuals
• 🔒 Maintained full compliance with UK data privacy regulations
• 💬 Positive feedback from pensioner advocacy groups praising the streamlined process

🤝 Legacy Expertise Meets Modern Integration

This success highlights Stark Systems’ unique ability to work with both legacy technologies and modern integration approaches—delivering solutions that not only meet technical specifications but also create meaningful social impact.

By combining COBOL expertise, solution architecture skills, and a deep understanding of secure integrations, we helped the BBC and Capita turn a policy into a seamless reality for millions.

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🏁 Conclusion

Sometimes, the biggest transformations aren’t about flashy new apps—they’re about quietly making essential services more accessible. For the UK’s senior citizens, this integration means less paperwork, less waiting, and more time enjoying their favorite TV shows.

If your organization is wrestling with mainframe-to-modern integrations, Stark Systems can help you bridge the gap.

📅 Click here to book a free 30 minute call with us !

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