(IBM i fans only) Each IBMi User Knows They Run the Most Efficient System. All Others Just Have Too Much Money

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Each IBMi User Knows They Run the Most Efficient System. All Others Just Have Too Much Money.



Let's take a moment to ponder this thought-provoking and slightly provocative motto:

Each IBMi user knows they run the most efficient system. All others just have too much money.

I can't take credit for this line—I read it somewhere a while ago, and unfortunately, I don’t know who the original author is. Nonetheless, it's a statement that resonates with many of us in the IBM i community. 


But is this motto still relevant today?

With advancements in technology and the rise of various competing platforms, some might argue that the landscape has changed. Others might say that IBM i remains unparalleled in terms of reliability, efficiency, and total cost of ownership. So, why not take a 5-minute break, grab a coffee, and let's discuss this!


Why IBM i Users Swear by It

IBM i has long been known for its rock-solid stability, security, and seamless integration capabilities. Many businesses running mission-critical applications have relied on IBM i for decades, trusting it to handle their operations without a hitch. For these users, IBM i isn't just an efficient system—it's the backbone of their enterprise.


The Other Side of the Coin

On the flip side, critics often point out that IBM i is a legacy system, suggesting that it's less adaptable to modern technologies compared to newer platforms. They argue that investing in more contemporary systems can bring flexibility, scalability, and innovation, albeit often at a higher cost.


Let's Discuss!

So, what do you think? Is this motto still a badge of honor for IBM i users, or is it a relic of the past? How does IBM i compare with other systems in today’s fast-paced, technology-driven world? 


Take a few minutes to share your thoughts in the comments below. Let’s have a friendly discussion about the strengths, weaknesses, and future of IBM i. After all, sometimes the best insights come from a bit of light-hearted debate among friends.




Comments

  1. AnonymousSeptember 21, 2024 at 4:44 PM

    In my experience in Spain, AS/400 (or IBM i if you prefer) is a solid-rock architecture, but 80% of the systems in midde shaped companies use it with RPG or COBOL applications, and then they use HATS, or Webgate to modernize the look and feel of user interface. The other 20% is used as a DB2 core backend and access rely on JDBC with Websphere/Tomcat middleware or ODBC to BI apps like Cognos, etc. We tried to "modernize" newer apps using PASE and newer programming languages, using RESTfull apps, python, etc, but we had faced two caveats: First, and this is not argueable, PASE and open system is a two or three step behing the current state of the art technology, that is, if a new technology is the new and most used, we need to wait 3 or 5 years to get to the AS/400. For example, there's no Kubernetes technology inside PASE, nor Docker, and Gitlab. The second caveat is that the adoption of new technology compared to the legacy, ruins the high availability and the solid rock architecture that let AS/400 become famous, and generates more dumps, errors and indiponibility, breaking the 6 "niner" rule of availability. In my 25 years of experience, A program coded in RPG or COBOL runs much more efficiently that a program compiled in JAVA or python in this particular example, so the general rule in backend systems is continuing coding in RPG or COBOL languages, that can be called from Webservices REST or newer APIs. Its is sad to read, but it's a fact.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aldo SUCCISeptember 21, 2024 at 6:03 PM

      Thank you for your contribution! I appreciate your perspective and the interesting points you brought to the discussion. Feel free to share more thoughts anytime!

      Delete
  2. GregSeptember 26, 2024 at 10:40 PM

    Year after year, IBM reviewed the systems at Countrywide Mortgage and they always pointed to one process in nightly payments processing that was very inefficient. IBM pointed out that writing a small number of records to a file in qtemp and reading back into the program from a keyed logical was not the most efficient way to sort the data. Sadly, Countrywide was run by housewife IT executives who believed every lie the immigrant programmers told them. The issue was addressed many times but never corrected. Countrywide was bought by Bank of America for a dollar during the financial meltdown and since then they migrated their mortgage processing off the AS400 to Windows. I myself migrated to Windows + SQL and Redhat & Java, just not at Countrywide/BOFA.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aldo SUCCISeptember 27, 2024 at 8:47 AM

      Hi Greg,

      Thank you for sharing your experience!

      I'd love to hear more about your experience transitioning to Windows and RedHat & Java. How do you feel those systems compare to IBM i in terms of long-term stability and performance for financial applications? It's always insightful to learn how others have adapted to different environments after working with IBM i.

      Looking forward to your thoughts!

      Delete
  3. RichSeptember 27, 2024 at 4:09 PM

    I know of several companies that abandoned IBM i merely because of the perception of it being dated. When it might have been easier to design GUI interfaces than migrate to something else entirely, an uninformed decision was made to drop the platform entirely. This seems to have increased as "moving to the cloud" became a popular justification for switching.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aldo SUCCIDecember 16, 2024 at 4:31 PM

      Hi Rich, I’ve also experienced abandoning IBM i to migrate to the cloud. It was a tough decision, filled with obstacles and unexpected challenges. Looking back, I would have preferred to stay on IBM i and modernize the software. With a skilled team of programmers, we could have achieved it with zero risks, maintaining both stability and efficiency.

      Delete

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