If your business still runs on IBM i / AS/400 (i.e. IBM Power Systems), you’re not alone. These systems have powered mission-critical operations for decades. But as your company grows and your needs evolve, you might be wondering: “How do we bring this legacy system into the cloud era — without disruption?”
That's where Protelo comes in. We’ve built deep expertise in both AS/400 (IBM i) and modern, scalable cloud ERPs like NetSuite and Acumatica. In this post, we'll walk through why companies make the migration, common challenges, and how Protelo’s team helps you make the leap — safely and confidently.
Why Migrate from AS/400 to Cloud ERP?
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Scalability & Flexibility
On-prem AS/400 systems are rock-solid, but they’re not always elastic. Modern cloud ERPs adapt as your business grows — in users, transactions, or geography. -
Cost Efficiency
Maintaining legacy hardware, applying patches, and staffing for specialized IBM i skills can be costly. Migrating to cloud ERP can reduce total cost of ownership (TCO), especially over the long run. -
Better Insights & Reporting
Cloud ERPs like Acumatica or NetSuite come with modern reporting, BI, and analytics tools. While AS/400 systems can integrate, it often requires custom work. Protelo’s IBM Power Systems integration services make that bridge seamless. -
End-User Experience
Let’s face it: green screens and legacy interfaces don’t always inspire. Modern ERP brings a familiar, web-based, role-based UI that drives adoption.
The Real Challenges — and How to Overcome Them
Migrating from AS/400 isn’t trivial: it's a journey filled with technical and organizational hurdles. Here’s what companies often run into — and how Protelo helps.
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Legacy Complexity
AS/400 apps are often highly customized. Over decades, businesses have layered on bespoke code written in RPG, CL, and other languages. That complexity can make migration feel risky. Experts note that custom code and tight integrations are among the biggest migration challenges. -
Data Integrity & Security
Extracting transactional data from IBM i systems requires precision — and a strong data governance strategy. With large volumes of sensitive business data, ensuring data integrity during the move is non-negotiable. -
Skill Gaps
Many companies lack internal teams that deeply understand both IBM i and cloud ERP. Protelo fills that gap: our IBM team has decades of experience in RPG, ILE, CLLE, and systems modernization. Need help on your current setup? We can do that too. -
User Buy-In
Transformation isn’t just technology — it's people. Without strong change management, users can resist. Protelo works closely with stakeholders to map out workflows, involve power users early, and train teams so adoption is smooth.
How Protelo Makes the Migration Smooth and Trusted
Here’s how we tackle your move from legacy IBM to the cloud:
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Assessment & Planning
We start with a thorough audit of your IBM i environment. What applications are mission-critical? What integrations exist? What data needs to come over? This planning phase minimizes risk. -
Data Extraction & Mapping
We extract data from AS/400 systems and map it to fields in your future ERP. Our consultants are deeply familiar with IBM i data structures and know how to transform, cleanse, and stage data for migration. (And when needed, we retain legacy data access so you don’t lose historical insights.) -
Integration Expertise
Protelo specializes in bridging IBM Power Systems with cloud ERPs—whether via Integrations, APIs, web services, EDI, CSV, or JSON. We ensure real-time or near-real-time data flow, so your business processes remain connected and consistent. -
Change Management & Training
We don’t hand over a system and walk away. Our process includes stakeholder engagement, power-user onboarding, and user training — all with the goal of driving adoption. -
Ongoing Support
Our IBM Power Systems team isn’t just for migration — they’re available post-go-live for managed support, development, or further modernization.
Why Protelo Is the Right Partner
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Deep IBM i Experience: Protelo’s team averages decades of experience in AS/400, RPG, and IBMi development.
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Certified Cloud ERP Expertise: We are experts in NetSuite and Acumatica — not just for licensing and implementation, but for long-term optimization.
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Trusted by Hundreds of Businesses: With over 400,000+ consulting hours and more than 500 customers served, Protelo brings proven delivery experience.
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People-First Approach: Our culture values transparency, collaboration, and flexibility. We become an extension of your team, not just a vendor.
Modernizing doesn’t have to disrupt your business.
Protelo’s experts help you protect your data, eliminate migration risk, and bring users on board the right way. Meet with our ERP migration specialists to review the benefits, risks & opportunities.
