What Is IBM AS/400? History, Applications, and Why IBM i Still Matters
A practical explanation of the AS/400 lineage, the business applications it still runs, and why IBM i remains important in 2026.
From AS/400 to IBM i
AS/400 is the name many people still use for a platform lineage that later moved through iSeries, System i, and today's IBM i naming. The underlying story is one of continuity more than replacement. Companies kept running critical business processes on the same lineage while the branding, hardware generations, and surrounding software ecosystem evolved.
That is why search behavior still mixes old and current names so heavily.
Common AS/400 applications still running real businesses
The workloads are usually practical, not experimental. Organizations still use the platform for ERP, order processing, inventory control, shipping, financial reporting, manufacturing operations, EDI, and warehouse workflows.
In many companies, the platform remains central because it still connects the most important transactions cleanly and reliably.
- ERP and financial systems
- Distribution, warehouse, and shipping operations
- Manufacturing planning and execution
- EDI, reporting, and custom business logic
Why IBM i still matters in 2026
The platform still matters because stability, integration depth, and continuity have business value. Teams are not just preserving history. They are preserving systems that still process orders, invoices, inventory, payroll, and customer commitments every day.
The modern question is how to automate, secure, modernize, staff, and budget the environment intelligently, not whether the platform exists.