Existing OS/VS COBOL programs that are compiled with NORES and that do not use ISAM run without change and provide the same results as before. You do not need to link-edit these programs with Language Environment; however, you will not be able to get IBM service support for these NORES applications unless you link-edit these programs with Language Environment.
If you do link-edit programs compiled with NORES with Language Environment, see Link-editing applications with Language Environment for details on possible changes in behavior.