Question 7 of 10: Why not keep my RPG applications on the IBM i and modernize the front-end?

Current Blog Series: Answers to the top 10 Questions CIOs face when considering an IBM i Digital Transformation Project

We recently launched a new blog series. Over the next couple of months, we will be discussing the Top 10 questions CIOs face when considering the Digital Transformation of their IBM i application portfolio. Following is the seventh in the ten-part series.

Question 7: Why not keep my RPG applications on the IBM i and use Webservices, APIs, and front-end technologies to modernize?

Previously in this series, we have discussed the urgent need to modernize legacy IBM i applications to operate and compete in the post-pandemic economy. We have also addressed the fact that there is no "silver bullet" technology available that fully automates the process. As CIO's, your critical mandate for the digital transformation of legacy applications is your most daunting yet unavoidable challenge.

There are three approaches available for truly modernizing your IBM i application portfolio: replacing your applications with off-the-shelf SaaS solutions, rewriting the applications from scratch on a modern platform, or migrating them using automation to the equivalent functionality in a modern language on a modern platform. Though some options are better than others, all these options are expensive and time-consuming.

Wouldn't it be cheaper, faster, and safer to simply leave IBM i applications on the i and use web services, APIs, and front-end technologies for modernization?

Sounds great, but there are many significant drawbacks to this tempting strategy.

One of the IBM i platform's best features is the ease of use provided by its fully integrated technology that enables the platform to be managed by application "generalists." Distinct technical specialists are not necessary to support the database, programming, interactive processing, batch processing, performance tuning, communications, and security functions on a traditional IBM i platform.

The introduction of a potpourri of piecemeal, incremental, and disparate technologies would significantly increase your application ecosystem's complexity. Moreover, this method would silo your technical staff into discreet, separate technical archetypes with little understanding of the code their teammates develop and support.

The complexity created would further challenge you to recruit, retain, and manage resources with various new specialties and expand your already crippling technical debt.

Perhaps, worst of all, it does nothing to address the alarming and dwindling shortage of RPG developers available to keep your critical legacy systems up and running.

Most IBM i shops have deployed front end, emerging technologies for customer and public-facing functions to secure their modern, technology-enabled brand. To avoid the challenge of addressing the enormous code base of mission-critical applications on the IBM i, many organizations have modernized by deploying web services, APIs, or front-end UI tools to take advantage of some of today's cloud and emerging technologies. Few have entirely transformed their IBM i application portfolio to a modern, native platform that seamlessly integrates their critical operational data with powerful, emerging technologies.

This disconnect has created a burgeoning demand for expert data analysts to manually comb through the enormous amount of unstructured and disparate data produced by emerging technologies in an effort to provide the accurate, meaningful, business context required for effective decision support. These expensive and time-consuming manual processes greatly diminish the potential return on investment of these new technologies.

Until critical legacy IBM i systems are completely transformed to a native, modern platform, your organization will not realize the full potential of its greatest strategic imperative - true digital transformation.

#CIOs #digitaltransformation #modernization #migration #criticalinfrastructure #enterprisetechnology #ETS #enterprisetransformationspecialists

Question 6 of 10: Why is it so challenging to digitally transform applications on the IBM i?

Current Blog Series: Answers to the top 10 Questions CIOs face when considering an IBM i Digital Transformation Project

We recently launched a new blog series. Over the next couple of months, we will be discussing the Top 10 questions CIOs face when considering the Digital Transformation of their IBM i application portfolio. Following is the sixth in the ten-part series.

Question 6: Why is it so challenging to digitally transform application portfolios on the IBM i?

As a Chief Information Officer in this unprecedented time of the global pandemic, you are confronted with a new, urgent demand to support your organization's digital transformation initiatives. These initiatives are essential in enabling your organizations' operations and its ability to compete and thrive in the post-pandemic world.

Though the IBM i has successfully served your organization for years, it has become isolated and ineffective in addressing today's requirements to support a remote workforce and integrate effectively with emerging technologies. Though enterprise software vendors offer powerful new technologies, none provides a meaningful digital transformation of IBM i legacy applications.

Ironically, the technology behind the platform that makes it such a valuable enterprise computer is precisely what makes it so difficult to modernize.

The IBM midrange platform was a revolutionary product of IBM's "future computing" think tank when released in the late 1970s. For decades it was hailed as a powerful, reliable, fully integrated, easy-to-operate business computer. At its peak, there were more than 700,000 systems in productive use around the world. Though the install base is less than half that many now, the IBM i, as it is currently called, successfully runs mission-critical applications for hundreds of thousands of installations today.

The closed, proprietary, fully integrated system architecture and OS/400 operating system is the secret to the power, ease of use, and reliability that made the platform so popular. All components of the ecosystem such as the programs, database, batch processing, interactive processing, work management, communications, and security capabilities are proprietary IBM technologies designed to be inextricably linked and fully integrated. There is no other platform like it, and therein lies the problem.

Unfortunately, as the platform has become isolated, the availability of IBM i experts has dwindled. Moreover, the primary programming language RPG, deployed in more than 90% of the systems, is not taught in schools. The average age of legacy IBM i developers is at or near retirement age.

So, how can today's IBM i CIO safely and effectively transform IBM i applications to meet his or her company's most urgent requirement?

The combination of the closed, proprietary nature of the platform and the shortage of available technical talent frustrates emerging technology vendors' efforts to understand and effectively integrate their offerings with the legacy IBM i application portfolio of their customers.

If yours is like most IBM i shops, the original authors and subject matter experts that developed and supported your system are gone, and you lack complete accurate documentation. Furthermore, it is difficult to find technical resources with expertise in the IBM i platform. Without resources or technology to provide this deep understanding of your legacy IBM i ecosystem, it is impossible to develop a clear path forward to a safe, efficient, and effective transformation project.

These issues leave the responsibility for the meaningful digital transformation of the legacy application portfolio squarely in your lap. Regardless of which option you choose for modernization, a deep understanding of your legacy applications' intricacies, functionality, dependencies, and interfaces is essential to a successful application modernization project.

Until you complete the migration of your critical legacy IBM i systems to a modern platform, you will not meet your company's directive of meaningful digital transformation.

#CIOs #digitaltransformation #modernization #migration #criticalinfrastructure #enterprisetechnology #ETS #enterprisetransformationspecialists

Question 5 of 10: Am I professionally responsible for delivering effective digital transformation?

Current Blog Series: Answers to the top 10 Questions CIOs face when considering an IBM i Digital Transformation Project

We recently launched a new blog series. Over the next couple of months, we will be discussing the Top 10 questions CIOs face when considering the Digital Transformation of their IBM i application portfolio. Following is the fifth in the ten-part series.

At this point in our series, I think it is important to note what we have discussed thus far:

- the critical asset that legacy IBM i application portfolios represent to enterprise organizations

- the risks associated with remaining on these isolated platforms

- the challenges your organizations face in acquiring the necessary knowledge for a successful digital transformation project

- the lack of emerging technology available to provide a meaningful digital transformation for IBM i legacy applications

Question 5: Am I professionally and personally responsible for delivering timely, effective digital transformation for my organization?

As the Chief Information Officer of your organization, this is an integral part of your job. Suppose yours is like most IBM i shops. In that case, your executive leadership depends on you to continually evaluate your critical systems and technical resources, trends regarding emerging technology in your marketplace, and specific strategic technology deployed by your competitors. Further, you are expected to lead the implementation of new systems that support the development and execution of your company's strategic goals.

If your company is publicly traded, you are expected to implement adequate internal controls to comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Even if you do not work for a publicly traded company, the implementation of SOX type controls is considered a best practice to safeguard the accuracy and security of your organization's critical systems and data.

In today's digital transformation age, IT plays a significant and increasing role in the development and execution of business strategy. The accelerating rate of change in business and technology requires a more integrated, business-aligned IT roadmap to ensure that your organization can compete with new digital-native competitors.

IBM i CIOs are stuck between a rock and a hard place with no easy answer.

We all know that Digital Transformation projects are challenging. Moving forward with this type of project without technology and legacy experts can be costly, time-consuming, risky, and disruptive to your organization.

For organizations with legacy IBM i systems, it is not enough to deploy powerful emerging client-facing technology or sophisticated edge computing solutions as they may further isolate your legacy systems and significantly increase your technical debt. The substantial legacy system backlog thwarts your ability to transform your legacy systems in a way that addresses your strategic business goals and that secures your competitive advantage.

As the senior IT executive for your organization, you are responsible for supporting your organization's ability to innovate and keep up with the accelerated rate of change through technology. You are also responsible for ensuring the accuracy and efficacy of the data and systems that support your organization's critical operations and strategic objectives.

It is therefore imperative that you do not delay this urgent project. Your organization is looking to you to prioritize, justify, and sponsor this urgent project and to marshal the essential resources to ensure a successful outcome.

Launching an effective digital transformation project is essential to the long-term survival of your organization.

#CIOs #digitaltransformation #modernization #migration #criticalinfrastructure #enterprisetechnology #ETS #enterprisetransformationspecialists