Our IBM iSeries midrange modernisation solutions deliver modern, Cloud-enabled applications and databases that are functionally equivalent to their legacy counterparts, eliminating the hassle and expense of the mainframe. This reduces cost, allows for deeper integration, and enables customisation to meet business requirements. These solutions are great for migrating AS/400 based applications to Cloud-native languages such as Java and C#, and legacy databases to relational models.
AS/400 Solutions
Why modernise?
CHALLENGES
Scarcity of domain expertise
Developers and database administrators who understand iSeries technology are reaching retirement age, resulting in a steadily diminishing talent pool. As this shortage grows, the costs and risks of relying on legacy languages and databases will continue to rise.
Limited flexibility
Companies are rapidly moving to modern environments and practices such as DevOps and the cloud, whilst midrange patforms - and the languages and databases that support them - were not designed for modern IT; resulting in difficult integrations and limited flexibility.
Exorbitant costs
Mainframes and midrange platforms cost as much as 4,500% more to operate than equivalent cloud counterparts, a figure compounded by a scarcity of development resources and rising licensing and maintenance fees for ancillary utilities, applications, and databases.
iSeries Modernisation Suite
OUR SOLUTION
To thrive in today's digital world, organisations must develop a mastery of rapid response, effortless course correction, and unencumbered agility in the face of competitive innovation. This is particularly difficult for large firms with rich heritage because of their reliance on outdated, inflexible midrange systems such as the AS/400, which is reliant on RPG and COBOL. These mission-critical systems are expensive to run and contain unique intellectual property and business processes developed over decades, rendering them difficult to replace by traditional means.
We offer a complete set of COBOL and RPG legacy modernisation tools based on decades of midrange migration experience. They extend unmatched flexibility with three rational approaches to evolutionary modernisation:
- iAnalysis
- iSeries Converter
- iSeries Express

iAnalysis
An analysis tool that provides a complete understanding of the application, infrastructure, and operational components of an iSeries environment. It exposes artefacts that organisations do not know they have, relationships they do not realise exist, and assets that are no longer in use. iAnalysis also provides stakeholders with valuable documentation to inform application modernisation decisions such as disposition strategies and target environment architectures. It also mitigates cost and risk by highlighting potential challenges and how to overcome them.
iSeries Converter
The fastest, most effective automated conversion to Java and open systems. Designed for clients without deep optimisation needs who are seeking 100% like-for-like functionality across platforms, Converter provides a low-risk, low cost path to migrate away from AS/400.
iSeries Express
A super-charged, optimised automated refactoring solution for clients with target state optimisation requirements and tight performance constraints. Express provides a highly automated migration based on configurable transformation models with the ability to consume flexible specifications whilst providing clean, efficient, and well-structured code to ease long-term maintenance.
The iSeries Modernisation Suite unlocks a whole new world of quality and scalability for midrange migrations, from automated testing to quality assurance, and the ability to leverage containerised deployments and orchestration with Docker and Kubernetes.
Over 35 years of mainframe modernisation experience
More than 500 successful modernisation projects completed
Over 2.5 billion lines of code refactored through automation
Intelligent Modernisation, Unparalleled Experience
OUR PROCESS
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Step 1: Discovery
We begin every modernisation initiative with a discovery, free of charge. Our modernisation experts work with you to understand and document your business and technical goals and objectives. Together, we gather information about the mainframe estate. Everything from infrastructure to language and database types and quantities are accounted for. The discovery concludes with a workshop where we recommend optimal modernisation approaches based on information gathered, as well as rough order of magnitude (ROM) pricing, and estimated project durations and resource requirements.
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Step 2: Assess and Design
The assess and design phase is performed using our automated tools to fully catalogue and develop a complete understanding of the application, infrastructure, and operational components of a mainframe environment. It exposes mainframe artefacts that organisations did not know they had, relationships that they did not realise existed, and assets that are no longer in use. Assess and design activities provide stakeholders with valuable insight to inform application modernisation decisions such as disposition strategies and target environment architectures. It also mitigates cost and risk by highlighting potential challenges and how to overcome them. At the conclusion of the assess and design phase, all in-scope artefacts are accounted for, a detailed project plan is established, and the transformation process begins.
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Step 3: Transform
The transform phase includes the bulk of refactoring activities, the database and data modernisation, and build-out of the target operating environment. During transform, we refactor pre-defined work packets, perform functional tests, and deliver them into the DevOps pipeline. Whilst customer teams build, test, and deploy these work packets in the target environment, we refactor the next work packet, iterating until the entire mainframe estate has been transformed.
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Step 4: Test & Deploy
The test and deploy phase begins with the receipt of work packets through the DevOps toolchain as they are delivered from iterative refactoring activities in the transform phase. If issues arise, the work packet is passed back to us where we review the code, adjust our tooling, reprocess the work packet, and send it back into the DevOps pipeline to resume testing and deployment. This process repeats until the entire modernised estate has been deployed. Our Automated Testing solution speeds this process significantly.
Prior to go-live, we refresh the target ecosystem by transforming a final snapshot of the mainframe environment to account for changes that have taken place throughout the modernisation project as part of normal business operations. Fortunately, since all adjustments and optimisations have been made to the automated tools and not the modernised code, this final refresh can be delivered into production over a weekend, eliminating code freezes.
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Step 5: Support
We work closely with your team to ensure a smooth transition into production. Part of this transition includes the co-operative construction and testing of a go-live production cutover plan to reduce the potential risks associated with application deployments. We also provide on-demand assistance during the warranty period following production deployment, as well as appropriate rehosting platform support, and post-transformation support of the modernised applications.
Read how refactoring 30 million lines of RPG/COBOL to Java future-proofed Siemens Healthineers' critical systems and reduced costs for providers across an industry.
Additional insights to help you modernize
RESOURCES
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2021 Mainframe Modernisation Report
Explore the the impact Covid-19 is having, and will continue to have, on modernisation plans, and the case for application modernisation amongst large enterprises with annual revenues over $1 billion.
Read report Report -
Siemens Healthineers
Learn how refactoring 30 million lines of RPG/COBOL to Java future-proofed critical systems and reduced costs for providers across an industry.
Read case study Case Study -
Live Discussion: The 2021 Mainframe Modernisation Business Barometer Report
Webinar Watch on demand -
How cloud migration can help your organisation to go green
Blog Read blog -
Know the details, reduce the risk: How to begin your mainframe modernisation journey
Webinar Watch on demand -
Struggling to adopt DevOps? Maybe it’s because of your aging mainframe
Blog Read blog
Explore our additional solutions
News & Opinions
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