Obituaries for the AS/400 platform have been written many times in the past and have always proved premature. When analysts have suggested that a new innovation may render the AS/400 obsolete, IBM has always been able to incorporate it or strike a compromise satisfactory to users. For example, today’s AS/400 includes a Java virtual machine, an embedded Java interpreter and incorporates a PC server capable of running Microsoft Windows NT alongside OS/400, the native AS/400 operating system.
As a result, while the AS/400 platform may not be growing as fast as Linux, the open source version of Unix, or Microsoft Windows NT, it is enthusiastically supported by its user base, which appreciates it for its reliability, scalability and low cost of ownership, which compares favorably even to Windows NT. These factors are appreciated among cost-conscious, middle-ranking businesses and many conglomerates.
In many cases, while SAP AG’s market-leading R/3 ERP package may be rolled out internationally, at a lower level, Marcam, Protean or JBA System 21 may be installed and run alongside R/3 to handle the specific requirements of a particular facility. However, the AS/400 platform is dogged by a number of persistent problems. Compared to Windows NT, it is lacking in software tools and, partly as a result, it is eschewed by many independent software vendors.
Furthermore, the widespread belief that the AS/400 is a ‘boring’ platform encourages many young programmers and IT managers to ignore it in favor of Windows NT or Linux. Yet OS/400 has maintained its market share in recent years. The fast growth of Windows NT has been mainly at the expense of Unix operating systems, says AMR research analyst David Caruso.
