Time to Read – 4 min 21 sec
Summary
If you are a small or medium-sized business owner or manager, you must be knowing the scope and benefits of modern technology within the organizations. Technology enables SMB to compete with big market players exceptionally. In the field of IBMi, most SMB fear implementing technology in their business operations as it needs constant upgrades. And the truth is – technology will need regular updates as the demands of consumers are continuously rising. Also, your desire for your IT infrastructure to run faster is the reason that technologies always come with an update. So, to say, out of all the iSeries services, opt for upgrading your iSeries setup. The significant benefit of up-gradation is that it addresses security vulnerabilities, fixes bugs, and enhances product functionalities. But it would be best for you to consider some factors before updating your existing setup. Let’s go through the blog to understand the necessity of software up-gradation.
IBM’s hardware and software products are very robust, and organizations using the old iSeries services do not even think of replacing them because they are familiar with the system, and they are easy to maintain. They do not see any reason in the upcoming future to remove or upgrade their mission-critical infrastructure. Some clients are die-hard fans of the IBM iSeries services and still refer to the latest technology with an older name like IBM AS400.
Undoubtedly, IBM iSeries services have done a great job building reliable and scalable systems that are astonishing in today’s modern business environment. But you can’t forget that technology always needs up-gradation, and in this competitive era, you can’t stick with a philosophical line like – “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.”
“Why spend time and money to upgrade our existing setup to the latest version when it’s working fine?”
This is the most common question frequently heard from IBM iSeries service users satisfied with their existing solution and do not want to upgrade to the latest version of IBM iSeries operating systems. However, there are various reasons to upgrade their current solution to the most recent version:
- Cost of Maintenance: It is more expensive to maintain your older AS400 infrastructure than taking advantage of the three-year extended warranty of IBM iSeries services.
- Power and Cooling Cost: In today’s scenario, the cost of cooling and running IBM iSeries operating systems is significantly high but upgrading to the latest version can make a change.
- Environment-Friendly Platform: The updated platform comes with energy efficiency features, and it’s better for the environment.
- Risk of Failure: Older systems have more risk of failure than updated ones.
- Software Support: Latest IBM iSeries services are typically not supported on the older systems after a finite time.
- Integrating New Technologies: Older IBM iSeries software is not often compatible with adopting new technology.
Factors to Consider before Up-gradation
It’s not easy to make changes, but if you compare the benefits of upgrading IBM iSeries services to advanced technology platforms, the difference is easily justified. When it comes to deciding which services you need in an updated version, various factors like dependencies and features are considered. Have a look at few factors:
1. Identify which Versions of IBM iSeries Managed Services your System Needs
Before you move to up-gradation, you need to verify the version of IBM iSeries operating systems your hardware can support. There are pre-defined limits between the hardware you are running and the OS versions it can support. If your hardware has limited up-gradation capabilities, then you do not have many choices. But we suggest you upgrade your setup to the highest level, as per compatibility.
2. Look for Compatibility between Existing Business Applications and IBM iSeries Services
After hardware, things fall to the software of IBM iSeries services. It’s important to know which version of software your existing infrastructure can support. Furthermore, you may need to look at your application’s software dependencies by considering additional solutions like Java and WebSphere.
3. Features that Offer Value
Once you have sorted the hardware and software-related issues and identified their compatibility, now it’s time to consider the upgraded version’s available features, if they can be beneficial for your business. IBM iSeries services are constantly changing with new features, and that too in general technology refreshers. The most significant capability of IBM iSeries services is that you get various modern features after every major update, and you can get specific features as per requirement.
More Reasons to Understand the Importance of Up-gradation
1. Reduce Vulnerabilities
Security updates can be the most significant reason to keep your IBM iSeries software updated. As the technology is exposed to the internet, your company database is more exposed to hackers, so it’s essential not to neglect any significant technical update. Using an outdated version of the software is like living in a house with no door locks. And, if you choose to ignore regular updates on your system, you are inviting unwanted intruders. So, it’s best to stay updated with the latest technology and minimize the risk of exposure.
2. Fix Bugs and Errors
Software crashing issues, bugs, and other problems in your IBM iSeries services could go away if you chose to stay updated. But, if you decide not to update your existing software, these problems will not go away. Every software developed has some room for improvement, and manufacturers try to fill this room by releasing updates.
Updating IBM iSeries managed services means that you are working on the updated and bug-free version.
3. Ensure Compatibility with Other Technologies
Would you prefer using a typewriter when everyone around you is using computerized technology to type? Well, there you have it- you must stay upgraded to the latest IBM iSeries services and ensure compatibility with other modern technologies.
4. Stay Ahead of the Competition
Have you got the meaning of this above-written statement? Well, it means you should be the forerunner – the most efficient and the swifter one to adopt the latest technology. In today’s competitive era, clients prefer to deal with a company having the most advanced technology onboard. So, stay updated by having the highest technologies and functionalities.
Conclusion
We hope you must have understood the importance of upgrading your IBM iSeries services and software. But not to forget that being a SMB, you can’t complete the up-gradation process in-house, and if you do, you may lag in conducting your regular business operations. So, it is better to look for a partner company that can help you in up-gradation, without hampering productivity.
We at Integrative Systems can help you in the up gradation of your existing IBM iSeries services and software. For more than two decades, being in this field gives us the expertise needed to handle your up-gradation projects in the most professional way and complete them on time as per business requirements.
Feel free to connect with us at [email protected] with your requirements, and an expert from our team will connect with you in 1-2 business days.
