Today, enterprises are actively looking to modernize IBM AS400 systems and migrate to newer platforms due to the necessity to leverage advanced technologies. In this regard, AS400 modernization tools and services play a significant role in digital modernization. As they help businesses to enhance the application and workloads performance by reducing technical debt and other potential risks.

Introduction to AS400 Systems

IBM AS400 popularly known as IBM iSeries or IBM I is an integrated system featuring hardware, an operating system, and several core functions like an integrated database. When compared to ‘IBM z’ (IBM Mainframe), the AS400 system offers better scalability, robustness, security, reliability, and low cost of ownership. Though it is a reliable system, IBM i does have its fair share of drawbacks and challenges.

Why is it Essential to Modernize AS400 Systems?

The key purpose behind the active modernization of AS400 systems by enterprises is due to constant maintenance, talent dwindling, and other reasons. The risk of hosting mission-critical applications and workloads on this hardware platform impacts business productivity at large. Another reason is that many organizations struggle to boost revenue and meet business goals with this legacy system.  Therefore, IT leaders and organizations highly opt for the AS400 cloud modernization approach.

Cloud-based modernization makes it easier for businesses to meet standard requirements quickly, focus on essential IT objectives, and organize their IT applications effectively. Enterprises looking to efficiently modernize their AS400 systems through Cloud migration should hire an AS400 services provider to formulate a customized migration approach.

Key Steps Followed by AS400 Modernization Experts Before Migration

  • Analyze whether the present versions of AS400 need restoration and devise a clear business case for each AS400 workload to be migrated within the cloud.
  • Performing comprehensive documentation of the existing iSeries infrastructure, including workflows.
  • Once the analyzing and documentation part is completed, the experts organizing the modernization project team up with the internal IT professionals to build the best migration plans.
  • Risk assessment and security checks to organize the workloads on the cloud
  • Offering real-time support and ensuring data security and compliance

Benefits of AS400 Cloud Modernization

1. Enable Secure Integrations

With cloud-based modernization, businesses can get access to library connectors and develop ultra-modern workflows that work at speed and offer robust digital workplace solutions. In the AS400 setup, enabling integrations with enterprise solutions and other data sources is a highly challenging concern. Whereas, the availability of library connectors in the cloud platforms like Azure and AWS offers greater scope for integrations & synchronization. With such benefits, businesses can easily fulfil current and future objectives and gain a competitive edge.

2.Reduced Risk of Threats

The scalability offered by Cloud platforms is an apparent benefit. Be it a small-scale enterprise or a leading establishment, companies can rapidly scale up or down their process with the AS400 cloud migration. This scalability also assures that IT teams can formulate and resolutely perform their migration with reliance. Besides, AS400 migration to the Cloud platform will provide better business continuity and eliminate the possibilities of on-site installation concerns, Ransomware attacks, weather conditions happenings, etc. Hence, cloud migration has been considered an effective AS400 modernization approach that delivers better business resilience.

3.Diminished Operational Costs

It is clear that iSeries systems are largely preferred by leading business sectors for facilitating large-scale transactions. However, due to its non-integrative nature and lack of self-management features, IBM i systems bring about higher maintenance costs. Therefore, large-scale companies can team up with the right AS400 Development Company to perform cloud migration and drastically reduce infrastructure expenses. Likewise, smaller businesses can also gain access to comprehensive services at a reasonable cost which would have been impossible with the iSeries systems.

4.Leverage Innovative Technologies

One of the major benefits of IBM i application modernization is that businesses can gain access to experience cutting-edge Cloud capabilities. Transferring applications or workloads from iSeries servers to the Cloud platform enables users to experience self-support provisioning, advanced scalability, storage on-demand, reduced latency, and others. Moreover, AS400 cloud modernization helps the workforce to efficiently exploit innovative technologies like Predictive analysis, IoT, and Artificial Intelligence to optimize project outcomes and user experience.

5.Interface Transformation

IT leaders and organizations no longer need to work in the green screen interfaces to scale up their business requirements and potential. Cloud migration helps enterprises include new user experiences, workflows, and functionalities. This leads to controllable operation.

6.Digital Execution                                                                                                                 

As mentioned before, operating with the aging AS400 systems is becoming hard for SMEs and RPG technologists. Since IBM AS400 is perceived as outdated technology, it necessitates more robust and skilled developers to provide 100% uptime. Migrating to a Cloud ecosystem with the support of an experienced AS400 Consulting team helps organizations leverage the digital workplace and supports business growth. Furthermore, companies adopting Cloud can accelerate self-reliance among IT teams and gain solid experience.

7.Cloud-Driven Insights

Another significant advantage of migrating to a Cloud ecosystem is that it provides organizations with robust analytical and reporting abilities that can help professionals, CTOs, CIOs, and decision-makers in delivering insights. In the era of the digital workplace, the hybrid models of work continue to expand. Therefore, organizations should experience cloud-driven information insights to gain a competitive edge in the market.

Wrapping Up

Migrating to a cloud environment helps organizations enhance application scalability and user-friendliness while eliminating AS400 systems’ hardware setup burden. With AS400 Cloud modernization, businesses can have the capability to keep up with evolving security standards and effectively combat vulnerabilities.