Your “AS/400” Is a Modern IBM i Platform
During a recent client visit, a executive told me that his company was still running an AS/400. His employees had criticized the system as outdated and risky. He defended it because it was stable and reliable, but he also seemed to accept the idea that it was old.
I explained that while the company may once have had an AS/400, today they were running IBM i on Power hardware. They were using it like an old system, but it is modern technology, capable of much more. The executive was pleased and wanted to learn more.
Backward-compatible and future-powered
IBM i’s compatibility with older applications is one of its strengths. A company can continue running proven green-screen software while supporting newer technologies and business requirements.
I reminded the executive that his IBM i system was already running some modern applications, including a PHP-based web portal. What’s more, his system had the potential to integrate with outside services, such as payroll, shipping, customer portals, reporting tools, and other systems through APIs.
IBM i offers an integrated design. The operating system, Db2 database, security model, work management, and application environment work as a team. This architecture supports IBM i’s reliability, data integrity, and security, making it attractive to varied businesses, including retailers, banks, manufacturers, distributors, and insurance companies.
That does not mean every IBM i environment is automatically modern. Some applications need modern web interfaces or API architecture. Integrations may need to be improved. Some systems need updated table design, security practices, newer open source tools, or better development workflows.
AI Potential
As companies explore AI, IBM i systems offer more than the trusted business data and rules that AI tools would need to access. IBM i offers a consistent, integrated, secure environment with a world-class database and a universal SQL interface. As a result, I’ve heard IBM i described as “the first agentic-native operating system.”
Going from AS/400 to IBM i
If you can imagine it, you can do it on IBM i. Backward compatibility lets you move at your own pace.
Now is the time to dream big, call the platform by its right name, and use the power that IBM has given us with this fascinating business platform.
Contact the Seiden team to explore new possibilities for your IBM i applications.
Those of us who work with the newest technology on IBM i bristle at doom-laden predictions about the IBM i platform. Too many business and IT leaders unjustly associate the platform with old applications and stale business processes.
When IBM i development pros first meet Liam Allan, they’re captivated by the unrestrained enthusiasm he exhibits for their favorite platform. His excitement over what can be accomplished with IBM i technology leaves people refreshed and inspired.