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Profound.js 2.0 Extends the Power of Agile Modernization and Node.js on IBM i

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Profound Logic Software, the leader in IBM i application modernization, announced the release of Profound.js 2.0 at the 2017 COMMON Annual Conference and Expo.

Profound.js harnesses the power of Agile Modernization and Node.js for IBM i application modernization. Version 2.0 brings new capabilities to the product, including a Commercial Connector module and Enhanced JumpStart module.

The Benefits of Being Agile for IBM i Application Modernization

IBM i (previously known as AS/400 or iSeries) is a modern business platform that is very stable, secure and reliable and is highly capable of very modern options like mobile, analytics and more. However, many companies are not aware that they can extend the value of their business applications with modern interfaces and modern languages on IBM i.

Some businesses take on high-risk, high-cost, failed attempts to re-write their applications or leave the IBM i platform altogether. But more often than not, these projects fail-costing millions of dollars and wasting years of development effort.

To address this, Profound Logic has produced a way to modernize IBM i applications: Agile Modernization.

"Agile Modernization is a completely unique methodology for IBM i application modernization," explains Profound Logic CEO, Alex Roytman. "Rather than taking a costly, risky, 'Big Bang' approach to modernization, we give companies a safe and cost-effective approach that delivers results in a fraction of the time."

With Agile Modernization, businesses can:

  • Take an incremental, accelerated approach to modernization
  • Retain their investment in IBM i and their systems of record
  • More easily find developers for the platform
  • Extend IBM i applications to include Open Source, Mobile, IoT, and Watson

Agile Modernization empowers businesses to modernize in a step-by-step, iterative manner, as opposed to rewriting or migrating entire systems at once, which is expensive, risky, and disruptive.

Agile Modernization with Profound.js in 4 Steps


Agile Modernization leverages Profound UI for green screen-to-Rich UI modernization. Both modern RPG and Node.js are available for source code modernization, which addresses one of the top concerns of today's IBM i businesses: finding new developers for the platform. Profound.js is the solution businesses can use for Agile Modernization with Node.js

Profound.js 2.0 with Commercial Connector and Enhanced JumpStart Module Now Available

At COMMON 2016, Profound announced our initial plans to support Node.js for IBM i modernization with a new product, Profound.js. At this year's conference, we're expanding the capabilities of our Node.js products with the release of Profound.js 2.0.

Node.js is server-side JavaScript, the most popular coding language in the world, and runs natively on the IBM i platform. Additionally, Node.js supports an Agile, iterative approach to IBM i modernization that avoids other risky, costly efforts, such as re-writing in another language or migrating away from the IBM i platform altogether. Profound.js provides a toolset to leverage Node.js to modernize legacy business applications on IBM i.

"The benefits of using Node.js on IBM i are numerous," says Roytman. "With Profound.js, companies will be able to integrate new or converted Node.js applications with their existing RPG applications, as well as open up a whole new world of open-source possibilities on IBM i, including Watson and Internet of Things. They will be able to retain their existing IBM i investment while enjoying the latest in cutting edge business capabilities. It really is the best of both worlds."

When Profound.js was first announced in 2016, it was offered as part of a services engagement for RPG-to-Node.js Conversion. With the release of Profound.js 2.0, businesses have access to a standalone, downloadable product that includes the following new modules:

  • Free Node.js Framework and Visual Designer:
    The Node.js Framework for Profound.js 2.0 is available as a free NPM package that gives JavaScript RPG-like capabilities, such as IBM i data types and the ability to code business applications in a transactional top-down manner. Also included is a Visual Designer tool for building browser and mobile interfaces using Node.js.

IBM i Application Created with Profound.js

  • Commercial Connector Module:
    Converting RPG programs to Node.js opens them up to many new capabilities, including direct usage of any open source NPM component. Fortunately, Profound.js does this in a way that doesn't take away existing capabilities of RPG and IBM i.

    The Profound.js Connector Module enables businesses to see immediate ROI by providing: The ability for existing RPG programs to directly call Node.js modules, and vice versa; Direct integration between Node.js user interfaces and RPG program displays; Database drivers for IBM i to support robust, top-down integration with SQL or Record Level Access methods; Access to a variety of IBM i resources, such as data areas and low level system API
  • Enhanced JumpStart module (available with Profound UI):
    JumpStart is a module available with Profound UI, and enables users to automatically generate clean, modern RPG code and PHP code. With the release of Profound.js 2.0, a version of JumpStart is now available that enables users to automatically generate Node.js code.

JumpStart Module for Node.js

"By taking an Agile approach to IBM i modernization using Node.js, businesses will reap numerous benefits," says Roytman. "They will be able to easily extend their business applications to include cutting-edge technology like Watson and Internet of Things. They will be able to find developers for their applications much easier, because any developer can learn and use JavaScript. And by converting legacy RPG code to Node.js, IBM i programs are automatically cleaned of dead code, modularized, and made SOA accessible. This is truly a path to modern IBM i business applications."

Learn how to install and use Profound.js by clicking here. Contact Profound Logic Sales for a Profound.js demo or questions about purchasing the product.

 

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