To stay competitive, you need to stay updated. An essential aspect of staying current is updating your legacy IBM iSeries AS400 business suite with constantly evolving technology.
This does not mean changing your existing business system. It means integrating the existing IBM AS400 platform with new and emerging technologies. This way, the time, money, and efforts you have already invested will be the same, but you’ll get more ROI.
There are many ways you can update your IBM iSeries solution to create new business value and meet your emerging needs. Whether you want to update apps, data, or platforms, Integrative Systems can provide you with all the necessary solutions and services.
Your IBM iSeries can be updated in three ways:
- Application Modernization
- Data Modernization
- Platform Modernization
Going forward in this blog, we’ll discuss each part in detail.
Let’s start!
1. Application Modernization
Reconstruct, redesign, or strengthen your IBMi software using a web interface to differentiate business logic from presentation.
What is an Application Modernization?
Application modernization is a process when a company updates or redesigns its existing software to align it with emerging needs in a better way and to extract more value. This usually involves updating the architecture, infrastructure, or key product features.
How to Modernize?
Features of PHP make it ideal for creating a reliable web interface for existing IBM iSeries applications so that it can support more use cases with web and mobile users. For example, PHP provides DB2 language extensions as well as tools to facilitate seamless integration with XMLService.
Three Ways to Achieve Modernization
Have a look at the three ways for the application modernization process.
The first, and least exhaustive resource, is adding your existing code base and configuration to modern publishing platforms. A modern platform can give you higher scalability, speed, and better resource optimization.
The second option is to enhance your software, add new features, and make it more accessible to modern apps and environments. For example, you can attach a front-end mobile app to your existing mainframe application. This approach will save development time and reduce costs while maintaining the functionality of your IBM AS400 software.
The third option is to rewrite your old app completely. While this can be time-consuming and expensive, it’s a great option if you don’t want to keep software that is no longer supported or don’t have the knowledge needed to manage outdated applications.
2. Data Modernization
Unlock the power of your IBMi data by making it easier to use with more trusted applications.
What is Data Modernization?
This is an important point in our journey towards creating a data set that is adaptable and versatile to identify real up-to-date data. We need to pay attention to the big truth about data: that older data tools can’t handle modern data problems. The specific data set consists of a large number of steps, such as a large number of tools and integrations, all of which result in operational complications, time delays, and preventive costs.
What is the importance of data modernization?
Data modernization has become a primary concern because it can provide exemplary data experiences that deliver critical and remarkable knowledge, integrate API-driven applications, and respond to the real-time demands of a healthy business environment.
How to Modernize?
The CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) application is a proven way to quickly connect more users with the data they need through the web interface. For example, writing a few lines of PHP-based phpGrid code makes it easier to implement a CRUD application.
Modernizing your data is the fastest way to transform your organization into a data-driven analysis organization.
Benefits of Modernizing Data Platforms:
- Provide users with an integrated view of data from multiple sources, make data available to the entire organization with appropriate permissions, and improve data management.
- Provide access to the correct data at the right time, without delaying the process of data volume or data requests to the organization’s employees.
- Allow companies to manage their data governance strategy better. This may include what data is collected under the Data Protection and Privacy Rules, who has access to it, and when the data will “expire.”
- Provide a single access point through modern authentication tools like SSO to ensure authentication for users. That way, you can easily track who has access to the data on the platform.
- Bringing data together from multiple sources for more collaborative and effective decision-making, adding organizational silos.
- Provides benefits to the organization such as low cost, democratized data, low latency, increased access speed, dynamic intelligence and analytics, faster market time, and more.
3. Platform Modernization
Upgrade your IBM iSeries AS400 platform to interact with new technologies to improve your business processes.
How to Modernize?
IBM iSeries has a long legacy as a solution platform. You can improve the return on investment for your IBM AS400 system by deploying accessible, open-source technologies like WordPress, Drupal, and Magenta. In addition, the open-source enterprise architects provide solutions such as IBM, Apache, Maria DB, and a set of PHP (iAMP) solutions.
Five-step Process by Integrative Systems
A holistic approach is needed to modernize the customer-facing platform that embraces innovation, agility, and professional value through the lens of experience. We follow the five steps process to help you succeed:
1. Check the gap between Existing Platforms and Business Needs:
We have a multidisciplinary team of domain experts, experienced designers, technicians, and process engineers for a comprehensive overview of current business needs. Take qualitative and quantitative data into consideration to understand user needs and prioritize investments.
2. Consider front-to-back Technical Infrastructure:
Look at the integration of all source systems, platforms, and front, centre, and back offices, and understand the flow of information to determine user impact, as well as friction and failure points. Align work with business needs and align the team around the vision.
3. Develop a Vision and Roadmap for the Platform:
Accept the external, internal focus and monitor all operations and processes from the user’s perspective. For example – An average bank customer expects a seamless and connected experience from start to finish. Integrate or remove different tools or functions and implement consistent design standards to ensure that all organization departments interact with customers as a unit.
4. Implementing a Platform Design and Implementation Strategy:
Conduct detailed and structured interviews with key business stakeholders, manufacturers, and technologists. Understand project objectives, priorities, different users, expected barriers, and technical issues.
5. Continuous Innovation:
Updating the platform is an ongoing process. Expect many iterations and curriculum improvements due to the ever-changing situation. For example, in financial services, regulatory changes or new laws may lead to reconsideration and revision of roadmap and implementation policy. Adopt procedures to ensure your organization provides the best possible experience.
How can Integrative Systems Help?
Our dedicated team of modernization experts leverages many tools and techniques to bring your existing business up to the standard. We will update the components of your current business applications without interrupting your day-to-day business activities. The team can also create business platforms based on advanced technologies to help you achieve organizational goals easily.
By working with you, we enable you to minimize risk while promoting flexibility in all areas of your business. From thinking, planning, and design to implementation and maintenance, you will experience an easy application, data, or platform modernization journey.
As a leading company in IBM AS400 iSeries modernization services, Integrative Systems provides the services you need to achieve your modernization goals. In addition, we are capable of offering long-term support and security.
Feel free to connect with us at [email protected], and someone from our team will connect with you soon.
