IBM i (AS/400) – Is it a Legacy Platform?

Whenever I am asked what Townsend Security does I have to explain that we aren't in the business of deploying security cameras or contracting out shopping mall guards. We are actually a software security vendor for the IBM i (AS/400) platform.  It's usually at this point the recipient's eyes glaze over and I am left simply stating that I am in the 'computers' field.  On occasion however I will be chatting with a colleague who also works in the tech industry who will scoff when they hear the name AS/400, iSeries, Systemi (take your pick).  Often I'll hear, "Whoa, that's legacy technology. You have customers still using that platform?"

The simple answer is “yes”, many of the companies that we rely on for consumer needs, medical services and entertainment, to name a few, depend upon the stability of IBM's iSeries platform.  It's the system that you rarely have to IPL.  As a matter of fact, I was surprised to learn many of the casinos in Nevada and N.J. run on AS/400's. 

However, despite the pervasive use of the platform, is it legacy?  The AS/400 was introduced in 1988 and is actually younger than the PC!   Much like the PC, IBM rolls out continuous hardware and software improvements to keep the platform stable and secure.   As a matter of fact, I am sure many of you are planning to upgrade your systems as V5R4 nears its EOL date later this year.  Take a look at this blog on why skipping V6R1 and going straight to V7R1 will benefit you.

Security on the IBM i

Townsend Security offers a variety of security solutions to help your business meet regulatory compliance.  In addition to our AES encryption and key management offerings for the enterprise platforms, we offer solutions specifically for the IBM i (AS/400).  For instance, FTP manager, our secure managed file transfer offering, can automatically transfer PGP encrypted files using sFTP or SSL to banks or trading partners.  Or Alliance LogAgent, our system logging solution, can be used to capture all your logs from your AS/400's audit journal and transmit them via UDP,TCP, or SSL to a log collection server to just name a few.

For more information on data privacy, download our podcast Data Privacy for the Non-Technical Person.  Patrick Townsend, our Founder & CTO, discusses what PII (personally identifiable information) is, what the most effective methods for protecting PII, as well as the first steps your company should take towards establishing a data privacy strategy.