You May Need Help – Even If You Don’t Think So
7 Year Delays, Coupled With Over $300,000 In Transition Maintenance, Is The “Average”!
Even with the decision to leave the AS400 platform and migrate to a new platform combined with the most comprehensive planning and aggressive time schedules, you will probably hang on to your AS400 longer – a whole lot longer – than you expect.
Most Users That Migrate Away From Their AS400 Keep It For 7 Years Or More!
80% of the our clients that notified us of their plans to discontinue their AS400 are still operating their AS400 server at least 7 years after initial notification to us – some as long as 15 years!
Industry studies bear out this same outcome – AS400 users that migrate to different platforms retain their AS400 for 7+ years.
How come?
Are You Affected By One Of The 5 Most Common Total AS400 Phase-Out Delays?
1) Migrations always take longer than you think because:
- new software does not work as expected
- new software requires more training that originally anticipated
- new software requires more customization than initially thought
- sometimes new software does not satisfy the reasons for the migration
- even with best efforts to avoid, scope creep (a growing list of “must-have’s”) expands the migration effort to make for a more complex moving target to final cutover
2) Migrations are often trickier than believed because of:
- Complex file layouts
- Old data field not compatible with new layouts
- Inconsistent, non-standard or undocumented use of fields in current application make bringing the old data across difficult
3) There are applications that are low priorities to migrate or used infrequently so you chose not to migrate – and just let them die
4) It is just easier to keep the old AS400 for occasional inquires or access to archived data.
5) The original application experts have gone, and a few old-times still know how to get at some of the data – but not completely for lack of documentation and clear recollection of how it works.
How We Can Help
We are AS400 experts since 1988 (when the AS400 was first introduced).
Our services include:
- Cost-slashing hardware maintenance for server and peripherals – we can save you up to 70% off IBM list – this can mean savings of $5,000 – $20,000+ per year
- AS400 server features and peripherals break-fix preparation for items that fail most frequently:
RAID Cache battery
Tape drive read-write head
Disk
Cooling fans
Power supplies
Mother boards
Twinax controllers
Feature cards
External tapes, including 7208 8mm, 3570, 3580 and 3590
Printers – matrix, shuttle matrix, line printers, desktop printers
UPS and batteries
- Error message hotline. SRC codes and other error messages and how to respond. Our hotline support helps you to take the correct steps to protect critical data and applications when you have little or no AS400 expertise. If you understand the SRC codes, you may be getting early warning messages before they become a bigger problem that cost BIG BUCKs as well as avoid delayed access to key data.
- AS400 and OS400 software support when you terminate SWMA or lose in-house or consultant AS400 expertise. This can save you $8,000 – $60,000+ per year.
- Professional services:
File migration to new applications
Legacy programs analysis and bug fixes when the original developers are gone or you have stopped paying for support.
6) Tips to reduce ongoing costs as you wind down the AS400
Call me NOW at 800-333-2669 to discover how we can help you with your plans to phase out your IBM AS400 and cut your related support fees up to 40%.