Modernize an AS/400 estate to cloud-native architectures.

Yes, IBM continues to invest in IBM i. The current version, IBM i 7.6, has been generally available since April 18, 2025 (7.5 dates from 2022), and IBM has announced no end-of-support date for either release. The decision to migrate therefore does not come from imminent IBM end-of-support, but from strategic considerations: RPG skills shortage, costs, modern web integration. It is a 5-10 year decision, not an emergency.

Yes, this is known as web-facing. Tools such as Profound UI, looksoftware, Aura, or Rational Open Access for RPG components wrap an existing RPG application in a web interface without rewriting the back-end. Pros: fast modernization, business code preservation, lower investment. Cons: vendor dependency, evolution limits, license costs. It is a transitional solution, not a long-term strategy — to be combined with a progressive back-end migration plan.

5250 screens are replaced by a modern web interface (React, Angular, Vue). Function-key driven 5250 workflows (F3 = exit, F12 = back) are translated into web workflows with explicit buttons and configurable web keyboard shortcuts. 5250 subfiles become paginated web tables. The user experience is redesigned — users trained on 5250 need support during the transition and generally find the web version more productive afterwards.

Cost depends on the volume of RPG, COBOL/400 and CL actually in scope, the number of 5250 screens to redesign, and the criticality of the processing, which sets the depth of parity testing. We do not quote before the ATLAS Intake, which produces the estate inventory, measures its complexity and identifies the risks. The first scoping call is free (30 minutes to 2 hours). See the delivery models for contractual formats.

Yes, it is a good fit. The BOT model consists of entrusting the modernization cell to Access for 2-4 years, then progressively transferring the team to your internal organization. Suited to mid-caps wanting to internalize their target skills while avoiding startup risk. See the development center for BOT contractual terms.

There is no IBM-imposed end of life for the AS/400 — IBM rebranded it iSeries, System i and then IBM i and continues active investment. The current version, IBM i 7.6, has been available since April 18, 2025, with no end-of-support date announced. The decision to modernize therefore does not come from imminent IBM end-of-support. The real drivers are: shrinking RPG developer talent, hardware cost (Power systems are not cheap), modern integration friction (cloud, mobile, AI all require workarounds), and business agility requirements that the green-screen experience cannot match. Modernization is a 5-10 year strategic decision, not an emergency. The ATLAS methodology handles AS/400 modernization to Java, .NET Core, or TypeScript with proven parity.

It depends on your existing ecosystem and what you want to gain from the migration. Pick Java when your platform is already built around Spring, Kafka, Kubernetes, or open-source databases (PostgreSQL, MariaDB) — Java's library depth on financial transactions, AS/400-style record I/O, and its long-term language stability make it the safer default for large RPG estates. Pick .NET 10 when your organization runs on Microsoft (Azure, Dynamics 365, Power Platform) — interop with the rest of the stack saves real money, and modern C# is now on par with Java on every dimension that matters. But the choice of Java vs .NET is the second decision. The first is what experience you want on the other side: leave the green-screen behind, expose the system as APIs, prepare for AI-assisted evolution. A line-for-line port has the worst ROI of all options. The ATLAS methodology frames this with an internal registry of classified discrepancies.