Do you find it challenging to hire IBM iSeries AS400 workforces? Top organizations around the world are always busy developing strategies to lower operational costs and increase profitability. As you should know, this business requirement impacts the IT sector significantly.
Unless your organization utilizes technology to its maximum capacity, your company risks falling behind the competition. Unfortunately, some businesses only have the means to preserve the status quo with their AS400, leaving them incapable of meeting the requirements of the growing organization.
With that much potential in the AS400 i series data and core software applications, depending on the status quo is a squandered opportunity.
One of the primary reasons some IBMi companies struggle is a shortage of staff and skillsets.
Before we get to the challenges, let’s understand some of the basics of IBM iSeries AS400 and why it is still important.
What Is IBM iSeries AS400?
The IBM iSeries AS400 is a server used by the world’s leading organizations in a wide range of industries, including retail, logistics, banking and finance, and healthcare. With a three-decade-long reputation of reliability, security, and efficiency, AS400 support services remain a crucial data processing pioneer.
IBMi supports approximately 3,000 different technology platforms. These platforms are then supported by over 2,500 outsourced software development companies and an authorized network of AS400 business associates
On the IBM iSeries AS400 operating system, you can also find leading suppliers of business process management and industry-specific core systems. The reliable benefits offered by AS400 support services over competitors Windows Server and Oracle’s Exadata are noteworthy.
Reduced downtime and greater reliability result in increased customer satisfaction and retention. This is essential for technologically advanced businesses like banks and other financial sector corporations that rely on critical software applications to perform instant transactions.
Importance of AS400
Why is AS400 still better than other servers?
Well, malware infection and security attacks are significantly lesser than those of its major competitors. The credit goes to AS400’s object-based framework and its advanced tools for tracking and reporting.
IBM’s unique framework ensures that malware does not infect a system while masquerading as something else. The real-time security features of IBMi offer a superior level of protection against malware and viruses posing as files.
The combination of isolated containers and intrusion detection makes it exceedingly improbable that unwanted commands would be executed.
Here are some of the reasons that support why IBM iSeries AS400 is of great importance and is still favored by top organizations:
AS400 Developers Help Retain Performance and Reliability
The IBM iSeries AS400 server was designed to be robust, with substantial hardware backup, especially at the upper end of the system line. It is also exceptionally high-yielding, with central processing units 3-5 times more dynamic than its competitors.
These characteristics are appropriate for software applications demanding remarkably high efficiency and minimal downtime, such as SAP hosting.
AS400 Offers a Range of Options
The IBM iSeries AS400 supports a variety of options:
- Low-cost and entry-level systems for small-sized enterprises
- Servers with high performance and extended durability for medium- and large-sized enterprises
- Systems that can be scaled to accommodate the expectations of ever-growing data centers
AS400 is are also compatible with a variety of operating systems, such as SUSE, AIX, IBMi, and RedHat Enterprise Linux.
Hiring IBM iSeries AS400 Developers Is Worth the Expense
The IBM iSeries AS400 is more expensive than its competitors per core. However, its cores are also significantly more reliable, powerful, and efficient.
In a recent presentation held a few years ago, IBM demonstrated a price/performance advantage for Power Systems LC computers versus Intel ProLiant in both dual-socket and single machines.
Take into account that this is an IBM test, and there are no definite values for performance because it is dependent on hardware and usage.
Nevertheless, this reveals that the IBM AS400 is marketed similar to others in the industry.
Any cost savings obtained by changing hardware will be overshadowed by the costs and inconvenience of switching platforms, specifically with cloud solutions currently available.
Furthermore, the IBM iSeries AS400 is backward compatible, significantly lowering the transformation cost. This is especially profitable for businesses that use legacy software or bespoke applications based on the AS400.
Switching from the AS400 would necessitate the installation and configuration of new software, as well as the auditing and updating of your data. This can be a difficult transition when you have been on the same platform for decades. Therefore, moving away from AS400 is a waste of money in many instances.
AS400 Staffing Challenges
Working with IBM iSeries AS400 poses significant challenges. One of the most common is the challenge of hiring experienced and skilled IT personnel, especially with several IBMi veterans set to retire soon.
Competitor organizations are continuously seeking strategies to cut costs and increase profitability, and this staffing challenge has a major effect on how IT fulfills business expectations.
You must use technology to your advantage in order to prevent falling behind. One of the primary reasons some businesses fail to realize the full potential of their AS400 ecosystem is the lack of skilled IT professionals.
Apart from that, companies also require sufficient expertise to maintain or improve their software application systems, which contain far too much importance within their base programs and data.
IBM iSeries AS400 workforce challenges must not restrict your organization from being more successful and competitive. Let’s get to know how to overcome staffing challenges so that your company can drive success for your business.t]
How to Beat IBM iSeries AS400 Staffing Challenges?
Outsourcing IBM iSeries AS400 developers from an external company saves you the time that otherwise would be spent on prolonged hiring and training processes.
Because agreements have expiration dates, it significantly reduces your long-term financial burden. Here are some major characteristics you should look for when outsourcing AS400 developers to ensure a successful and effective outcome:
Efficiency in Terms of Cost
A full-time in-house workforce necessitates your company to provide them with employee benefits and long-term job contracts that outsourced AS400 developers do not.
When you hire outsourced AS400 support services, you get professional IT personnel on a fixed-term contract. This ensures that you save a lot of time and money in the long run and also achieve desired outcomes in a fixed budget.
Consider recruiting a software development company that provides both offshore and onshore services, allowing you to pick the solution that best matches your requirements and budget.
Experience and Knowledge
A great skill set is not the only thing you should be on the lookout for; industry expertise and the ability to learn and understand your software applications efficiently are important as well.
It will make a huge impact on your project in terms of quality and how quickly the external AS400 developers can begin producing results.
Flexibility
Your outsourced AS400 developers should be a true business partner.
In fact, they should be willing to adjust to your terms to match your needs now and in the future. Bonus points to the software development company that can extend or reduce their services as your requirements change.
Stability
You do not want to deal with staffing shortages while working with an outsourced software development company; that is one of the many reasons you did not want to hire your in-house employees in the first place.
Gather more information on the organization you are planning to hire and learn about their strategy for ensuring the continuity of your operations if the expert appointed to you departs.
There are various leading software development companies with a flexible workforce strategy and software application management services that aim to satisfy all potential needs of any IBM I using organization.
Now that you know to beat IBM iSeries AS400 staffing challenges, you need to outsource IBM iSeries AS400 developers. Let’s lead you to a software development company of repute that can help you with that.
How Can Integrative Systems help your Company Meet its Business Goals?
With over decades of experience and expertise in the IT industry, Integrative Systems have served over 85 clients and has delivered over 1150 successful projects.
We provide you with:
- Qualified and experienced IT specialists for your business needs
- IT professionals with more than 20 years of industry experience
- Proprietary integrated resourcing scalability model
- Project management methodologies that are agile
- An extended IT team with a 360-degree delivery approach and 24×7 support all year round
Bring us your AS400 iSeries IBMi project ideas, so we can negotiate on whether you require a dedicated team based on contracts, fixed rates for one-time projects, or hourly rates for ongoing development.
We will assist you in building, coding, testing, and deploying your project in accordance with your specifications and within your timeframes, because we are committed to seeing you succeed first.
Contact us today at [email protected]!
