For decades, companies modernized their IBM i systems in the same way: with long, expensive projects that took years to complete. That rigid approach no longer works. Business needs shift too quickly, IT teams face immense pressure, and few organizations have the patience or budget to wait years for results.
A smarter, more agile approach is here. It’s called IBM i Modernization as a Service (MaaS), and it empowers you to modernize on your terms. You can achieve your goals without without massive upfront costs, long-term commitments, and unnecessary risk.
Slow, Rigid, and Outdated? That’s Not Modernization
Does this sound familiar? A company decides its IBM i applications are outdated. IT leaders fight for executive sign-off, but the high cost and risk make leadership hesitate. Months or even years are lost planning the “perfect” modernization strategy.
When the multi-million-dollar project is finally approved, it kicks off a massive overhaul that disrupts business operations. Mid-project, business needs change, leading to costly pivots and further delays.
This traditional approach is slow, expensive, and risky. It locks companies into inflexible timelines and creates a bureaucratic nightmare that kills momentum. All the while, employees struggle with inefficient systems, customer satisfaction drops, skilled developers retire, and competitors gain an edge.
Why IBM i Modernization as a Service is a Smarter Approach
MaaS flips the script. Instead of high-risk, all-or-nothing transformation, you subscribe to a flexible, pay-as-you-go model that delivers results fast. There is no large capital expenditure, no rigid contracts, and no year-long wait to see progress.
With a subscription-based approach, you can make incremental improvements and realize value much sooner. A modern web UI can replace outdated green screens to create a better experience for employees and customers. Your databases can be structured and with long names for better analytics, helping organizations make data-driven decisions. Code can be transformed into a modern language that aligns with your business goals to ensure modernization happens at your pace.
At Fresche, we know that one size does not fit all. We offer several approaches to suit your specific needs. Many companies benefit from a modern UI and automated code transformation that keeps existing functions intact. We also help clients rewrite strategic applications using an AI-driven method. For example, our 80/20 strategy lets you automatically update 80% of your applications for consistent performance while you rewrite the remaining 20% to unlock strategic advantages. The approach helps you reduce risk, preserve business continuity, and seize new opportunities for growth.
The process starts with a free two-week inventory analysis and a one-day strategy session to define your high-level modernization roadmap. You begin with a predictable monthly subscription and can scale up or down based on your budget and business needs. This model puts control back in the hands of your IT leaders, where it belongs.
👉 Discover why many firms choose subscription-based IBM i modernization over fixed contracts. This visual guide offers simple, practical information that can help you decide.
Move from Capital Expenses (CapEx) to Operational Expenses (OpEx)
One of the biggest barriers to IBM i modernization is budget approval. Traditional projects require multi-million-dollar investments and demand lengthy board signoffs and procurement phases. With MaaS, you can avoid these delays and pay a predictable, manageable monthly cost. This shifts your spending from large upfront investments to a recurring operating expense that better aligns with your business needs.
You no longer need long-term, board-required approvals. A streamlined approval process lets you start projects sooner and reallocate funds to other strategic priorities. This agile cost structure improves cash flow, lowers risk, and empowers you to invest in innovation and operational improvements without locking up capital.
Eliminate Risk with an Incremental Modernization Strategy
A full-scale IBM i transformation is inherently risky. What if the project disrupts daily operations? What if the new system doesn’t perform as expected? What if the cost spirals out of control? These concerns prevent many companies from modernization, leaving them them stuck with brittle, outdated systems.
An IBM i Modernization as a Service model reduces that risk with an incremental, coexistence-based approach. The old and new systems run in parallel to ensure business continuity as modernization progresses. Companies modernize at a pace that makes sense for them, without any threat to operations.
The best part? you can continuously assess value at each stage. If priorities shift, you can pause or accelerate your efforts without wasting your investment. This approach also helps you eliminate technical debt over time. The longer you delay modernization, the more expensive it becomes to fix legacy issues. MaaS allows you to chip away at this problem strategically.
How AI Accelerates Your IBM i Modernization Journey
AI has quickly become a game-changer for iBM i modernization, and when you bring it into your Modernization as a Service approach, AI-powered tools streamline and enhance the entire process.
Legacy code is often complex and poorly documented, especially when the original developers have long since retired. AI-powered tools can analyze this code and generate plain-English summaries, helping your IT teams assess and modernize systems more effectively. AI tools like GitHub Copilot can also help your teams write and optimize code, reducing development time and ensuring consistent quality.
User experience is another critical factor for modernization success. AI-driven design tools offer insights to adjust layouts and navigation, resulting in interfaces that feel modern and intuitive. These tools minimize manual effort, ensuring faster adoption and improved productivity.
AI also excels at uncovering inefficiencies hidden within legacy systems. Intelligent diagnostics detect issues within complex code and pinpoint areas that require improvement, while AI-assisted documentation distills intricate workflows into structured records and streamlines knowledge transfer to ensure that critical system information remains accessible.
Predictive maintenance tools further enhance system stability by monitoring performance and identifying potential issues before they escalate. By addressing challenges early, IT teams can maintain seamless operations and align modernization efforts with business goals.
Modernization Metrics That Prove Success
A successful modernization effort drives measurable improvements in business performance, efficiency, and customer experience. If IT leaders need clear, tangible metrics that show real business impact. Here is what to track:
- Technical Debt Reduction: The longer a company holds onto outdated applications, the harder they become to maintain. Track how many legacy programs and screens are retired each quarter. A steady decline in technical debt means lower maintenance costs and fewer system failures.
- User Adoption and Efficiency: A modernized system must be easier to use. Measure how quickly employees onboard the new system versus the old one. If user satisfaction scores and efficiency metrics improve, modernization delivers value.
- Automation-Driven Cost Savings: IBM modernization should eliminate unnecessary manual work. Track the reduction in hours spent on tasks like order processing, invoice creation, and report generation. If employees spend less time on these tasks, the system delivers true efficiency.
- Business Agility and Speed: A modernized IBM i system allows companies to deploy new features and applications faster. Track how long it takes to roll out new capabilities. A significant drop in deployment time means IT teams can innovate without bottlenecks.
- Revenue and Customer Engagement: When modernization introduces new ways to engage customers (such as online portals, mobile apps, or automation), revenue should reflect that. Track how modernization efforts affect online transactions, order volumes, and customer retention.
It’s Time to Modernize for Today’s World
The old way of approaching IBM i modernization is finished. Massive, multi-year projects are too risky and financially draining for today’s fast-changing business landscape.
IBM i Modernization as a Service offers a smarter, more flexible path forward. It allows you to start immediately, scale at your own pace, reduce risk, and drive real business impact, all with predictable and manageable cost. The 90s are over. It’s time to modernize your IBM i for 2025 and beyond.
As you take charge of your IBM i journey, consider one more step to steer your business toward a flexible future. Access our on-demand webinar, The Modern Way to Modernize IBM i: As a Service. On Your Terms. You will get clear, step-by-step insights to transform your code, upgrade your database, and reimagine your UI without long-term commitments. Our experts break down how to modernize your IT in practical terms, so you can adapt as your business evolves.
Watch now to discover a smarter, agile path forward.
