Five years in IBM i taught me one thing about modernization: everyone defines it differently. But one requirement never changes: data must move.
I started my career in the world of IBM i back in 2021 at the tail end of the COVID pandemic. As a business development representative, I often spoke and interacted with a variety of technical decision makers, partners, leaders, influencers, and developers globally who were seeking to connect their IBM i environments with the outside world.
At times, I may have been a bit in over my head as it related to the technical jargon as well as the platform’s wide range of capabilities, and to be honest, I had quite a steep learning curve at the beginning. One piece that I found extremely intriguing, however, was how so many developers still worked on a platform introduced in the 1960s. For a bit of context on my perspective, I first got the iPhone 3GS in high school and replaced it when the next model came out just a few years later, as I thought it was “too slow” for my day-to-day needs (laughs). If this was the case with my iPhone, how could people still leverage IBM technology from so long ago?
At the time, everything seemed so new and foreign to me (especially all the acronyms I needed to learn). Yet, the one key component that always stuck out was that in almost every intro call, demo session, or POC read out, prospects and customers would more than often mention the word “modernization”.
One Word, Many Meanings
At that point in time, I assumed that this term was focused on primarily just APIs (as that represented a large portion of the use cases we worked with and help enable). However, I soon learned that in reality, it was really just an umbrella term that encapsulated a variety of approaches, and that depending on who you spoke with, “modernization” almost always had a different definition.
Fast forward five years, the way in which I (as well as perhaps others in the industry) look at modernization is completely different. New tools, processes, and ideas are constantly being released that can help expedite, improve, or adjust the way in which people modernize IBM i-based systems.
Relatively speaking, I’ve come to conclude that there is no universal definition of “modernization”.
For some, modernization means replacing multigenerational applications after years of hearing that it “needs to happen” or because their IBM i “cannot keep up with modern business requirements”. For others, it means extending the life of proven systems, improving data accessibility, enabling AI initiatives, or integrating new technologies with their existing IBM i environments.
The One Thing Everyone Agrees On
While opinions on modernization may and most likely will always differ from one expert to another, one trend is increasingly clear: organizations leveraging IBM i-based systems need better access to their company-wide data without interrupting the core processes their business relies on.
For example, in the age of AI, one of the most common questions technology leaders who leverage the IBM i are now hearing and being asked more is:
“How are you getting data out of Db2 to support your AI strategy?”
While organizations may take different paths, the business objectives driving modernization initiatives are often remarkably similar. Leaders are often looking for ways to make critical IBM i data available wherever it is needed, whether that’s providing real-time visibility into customer information, order fulfillment, shipping updates, or inventory levels within cloud-based CRM, ERP, WMS, or partner systems.
Others could be focused on enabling AI and analytics initiatives that depend on timely, accurate data to support better customer experiences, personalized recommendations, and more informed forecasting. Some teams may be seeking a seamless way to connect middleware and modern business applications to core IBM i systems without introducing unnecessary complexity, infrastructure, or operational overhead.
For many IBM i teams, this has created a new challenge. The conversation is no longer focused solely on maintaining reliable business applications. Organizations are being asked to unlock the value of the data those applications contain and make it accessible to a growing ecosystem of platforms, tools, and services.
As a result, many organizations are reevaluating long-standing IT strategies and asking an important question:
“What does modernization actually mean for our business?”
Modernization Isn’t One-Size-Fits-All
When people hear the word “modernization,” they often assume it means replacing their reliable systems with something entirely new. In reality, organizations pursue modernization in a variety of ways depending on their goals, budget, risk tolerance, and business priorities.
While my initial focus was often API-related, over the years I’ve seen that most organizations tend to gravitate toward one of three approaches. Some, however, fall somewhere between two or even span all three:
Fight
Organizations in this category make a strategic investment in modernizing and extending their existing IBM i environment.
This often includes efforts such as improving user experiences, enabling real-time integrations, strengthening security, modernizing databases and application architectures, and adopting more modern development practices.
The goal isn’t to replace the IBM i platform. The goal is to make an already valuable business asset more agile, accessible, and capable of supporting future business initiatives.
Flight
Enterprises in this category believe that transitioning to new applications, platforms, or architectures aligns with their long-term business strategy.
These initiatives are rarely overnight migrations. In most cases, organizations gradually modernize by introducing new applications and services while maintaining business continuity throughout the transition.
Success often depends on minimizing disruption, reducing duplicate processes, and ensuring critical information remains available across both old and new environments through co-existence.
Freeze
The Freeze approach is often misunderstood.
It does not necessarily mean an organization is ignoring modernization. Rather, it recognizes that for some businesses, core IBM i applications continue to deliver tremendous value and stability.
Organizations in this category may decide to make few or no changes to their core applications while still seeking new ways to leverage the data and business logic those applications provide.
In many cases, they focus on improving access to information and enabling other business initiatives without disrupting proven operational systems. This could entail API-based solutions, change data capture, database replication, or RPA to help expose core Db2 or IBM i data to a cloud-based system.
Different Strategies. Similar Goals.
While organizations may take different paths, the business goals are often surprisingly similar.
- Deliver better customer experiences
- Enable digital transformation initiatives
- Improve operational efficiency
- Increase visibility into business data
- Reduce risk and reliance on aging applications while preparing for future growth
- Support analytics and AI initiatives
The challenge is determining which modernization approach best aligns with those objectives, whether based on internal skill sets or the recommendation of a potential vendor or third-party partner.
There is no universally correct answer.
What works for one organization may not make sense for another. A company heavily invested in IBM i talent and processes may choose to stay on the platform as long as possible. A company pursuing enterprise standardization may choose to migrate away. Another organization may keep core applications as-is while focusing IT investment elsewhere.
Modernization is Rarely a Single Project
One misconception I often hear my colleagues who have been in the industry for quite some time talk about is the belief that modernization is a single initiative with a clear starting point and finish line.
In reality, modernization often spans business objectives, multiple systems, and teams with different understandings. An organization may be modernizing applications, implementing new customer-facing platforms, introducing analytics initiatives, exploring AI use cases, strengthening security, and reevaluating integration strategies such as middleware or a customer solution all at the same time.
As a result, modernization efforts frequently require expertise across multiple domains, including application modernization, integration, cloud platforms, data accessibility, security, and business continuity.
This complexity is one reason organizations often struggle to identify the right path forward. The challenge isn’t simply selecting new technology — it’s developing a strategy that allows all of these moving pieces to work together in support of business goals.
The most successful modernization efforts are often those that approach applications, data, integrations, security, and emerging technologies as interconnected parts of a broader business strategy rather than isolated projects.
The Common Thread: Connecting All These Pieces Together Through Integration
While the strategies may differ, one requirement remains constant: data must move across the business.
Business processes rarely exist within a single application. Customer information, orders, inventory, financial data, supplier information, and operational metrics must flow across systems to support day-to-day operations.
This is especially true as organizations pursue initiatives involving AI, analytics, automation, cloud platforms, and self-service experiences.
Regardless of whether an organization chooses to push off, migrate away, or keep core systems as is, the ability to securely and reliably connect systems becomes increasingly important.
- Organizations that modernize existing applications need information to flow between systems.
- Teams migrating to new platforms need information to move seamlessly throughout the transition.
- Businesses maintaining existing environments still need ways to expose data and business logic to support new requirements.
Therefore, modernization strategies may change but the need for integration does not.
Where Do We Go From Here?
Together, over the coming days and weeks, we’ll take a closer look at each approach and examine the business drivers, challenges, and opportunities associated with each path.
We’ll discuss:
- Why organizations choose to Fight, Flight, or Freeze
- The business outcomes they’re trying to achieve
- Common misconceptions surrounding each approach
- Lessons learned from real-world modernization efforts
- The role integration plays in supporting each strategy
I’ll also share perspectives and observations from practitioners who have worked alongside organizations navigating these decisions firsthand.
Modernization is Ultimately a Business Decision
Too often, modernization discussions become focused on technology.
In reality, modernization is about enabling business outcomes. It is about ensuring organizations can adapt to changing market conditions, support new initiatives, unlock the value of their data, and continue delivering value to customers and stakeholders.
Some organizations will choose to Fight.
Others will take Flight.
Some will Freeze.
What many organizations discover, however, is that modernization is rarely confined to a single initiative. Data, applications, integrations, security requirements, and emerging technologies such as AI all play a role in this journey. The most successful modernization efforts are often those that approach these challenges holistically rather than as a collection of disconnected projects.
Regardless of the path chosen, success increasingly depends on one foundational capability: the ability to connect systems, share information, and make data available where it creates the most value.
Modernization is rarely defined by a single decision or initiative. It’s an ongoing journey shaped by changing business priorities, evolving technologies, and the increasing demand for accessible, actionable data. We’ll explore what that journey looks like and how organizations are positioning themselves for the future. Follow along for more insights in our upcoming blogs and on social media.
