The rapid advancement of technology and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have created a business ecosystem where remote work is the “new normal.” In fact, a recent report titled Recreating Work as a Blend of Virtual and Physical Experiences[1] claims that going forward, 86% of respondents see the digital work environment increasingly co-existing with the physical workspace. In addition, 78% questioned expect the adoption of remote work to substantially increase.
The writing is clearly on the wall: businesses must provide key stakeholders with easy access to tools and the functionality to work remotely, when and where they need them. Leveraging the right IBM i modernization tools can really make a difference for your business.
The Importance of IBM i 5250 Applications
Many businesses run their core business applications on the IBM i platform. And why wouldn’t they? IBM i is one of the fastest, most established, most reliable, and rock-solid operating environments on the market. However, 5250 applications are often monolithic and rigid. 5250 green screens are often accessible only on-site via centralized terminals or computers. Conversely, in this browser-based world of rich user experiences, web accessibility is essential for success. But what if you have no access to your apps’ source code? Or what if you can’t afford the time and resources to restructure your code?
Well, there’s an easy way. We’ll show you the fastest, most cost-effective way to web-enable your 5250 applications.
Explore LANSA’s Functionality
LANSA has been enabling 5250 applications for 30 years. Its powerful solution – aXes (which features terminal emulation) – allows you to convert IBM i applications to the web with a simple install. You need neither programming skills nor access to the source code. It’s simple. You install aXes on IBM i, and your staff immediately has secure access to their 5250 apps from any web-enabled device. What’s more, the end-users do not need to install any software on their devices. All the work is done on IBM i. aXes is is a simple yet powerful way to achieve IBM i modernization.
Another one of the advantages of leveraging aXes is that you can go step by step. In other words, you can quickly web-enable your applications if that’s your immediate need, then add other functionalities as time allows.
Here’s a quick illustration of the evolution from 5250 green screens to a web-enabled UI with aXes.
Here’s a basic green screen:
And here’s the same screen web-enabled with aXes. This screen was completed and deployed in a few minutes.
How can I Web-Enable IBM i Applications with aXes?
In just a few hours, you can download and install aXes and get your 5250 apps running in a web browser. After that, you can securely access your IBM i 5250 apps from any device with internet connectivity.
aXes’ design protects and leverages your investment in proven, robust, and functional server applications. This design also provides a new web UI look and feel for these apps.
The aXes 5250 terminal emulator offers a smooth transition for data entry users and casual users alike. Furthermore, aXes automatically creates UI objects. Menus transform into clickable links, subfiles change into scrollable tables, and function keys are now buttons. Once again: no programming is required! You also have the option to change your default modernization rules or further customize the screens using aXes development studio. [2]
Learn more about how IBM aXes (sometimes misspelled as IBM aXis) can help you solve inefficiencies in your workplace and what benefits you will get if you leverage it.
What Additional Functionalities Can I Get With aXes?
In addition to web-enabling your 5250 applications, aXes offers some added functionality [3]:
Cross-Platform Support
First of all, with aXes, you can ensure maximum accessibility for your apps. You can give your customers, business partners, and staff access to 5250 applications securely over the internet using computers and mobile devices. In addition to this, your mobile staff can access applications remotely and use the same interface they use in the office.
Cost-Effective Application Enhancement
The aXes terminal emulator also saves you time and money. This is because you don’t need to hire developers with new skills to enhance your web-enabled applications. Instead, your developers can leverage their RPG or COBOL skills and tools to enhance your applications. They can change the content and screen layout, and aXes automatically incorporates their changes. aXes is not intrusive to either your applications or development methods.
Security
Next, aXes uses the HTTP over TSL/SSL (HTTPS) protocol for data encryption to ensure secure sessions. Users work in a safe environment on public or private IP networks. This security protects your applications and data.
The COVID-19 pandemic will always be remembered as a turning point in business history. Businesses needed to adapt, to rapidly transform at scale or risk falling by the wayside in the post-pandemic era. This, in addition to the popularity of low-code development, has disrupted how organizations approach application development.
Join us at COMMON POWERUp 2021, and learn from IBM i transformation experts like Andrew Vaiciunas, Senior Sales Engineer, LANSA Inc. These experts will discuss how low-code can address current business issues. Also, they will explore what options are available for your IBM i systems.
Learn more about the benefits your business will get from modernizing your 5250 apps in this article about IBM i green screen modernization.
Are You Ready to Web-Enable Your 5250 Apps?
Don’t let legacy applications inhibit your company’s ability to embrace digital transformation. LANSA is here to unlock the full potential of your 5250 applications. With aXes, you can provide partners, customers, and end-users with easy access to tools and functionalities when and where they want them. You can download and try for free to see how easy it is to access your IBM i Applications from the web with LANSA’s aXes.
Explore more information about the advantages of deploying an IBM 5250 terminal.
References
[1]https://enterprise.verizon.com/content/verizonenterprise/us/en/index/resources/reports/recreating-work-as-a-blend-of-virtual-physical-experiences.pdf
[2] https://www.axeslive.com/modern-ui-for-5250-applications.htm
[3] https://www.axeslive.com/web-enable-5250-applications.htm
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