04Mar
Posts Tagged ‘inform decisions’
10Sep
IRS 1099-MISC vs. 1099-NEC
What happened to Box 7 on the IRS 1099-MISC form?
2020 IRS tax form implications
In a move that will impact business owners and tax professionals across the nation, the IRS has released the 2020 Form 1099-NEC. The new form replaces Form 1099-MISC for reporting nonemployee compensation (in Box 7), shifting the role of the 1099-MISC for reporting all other types of compensation. As a result of the new 1099-NEC and redesigned 1099-MISC, the overall process for reporting nonemployee compensation is changing for the 2020 tax year.
The 2020 IRS form 1099-MISC has major changes
Nonemployee compensation (Box 7) has been removed from the Miscellaneous Form. If you typically file any 1099-MISC forms with Box 7 completed, you will need to file Form 1099-NEC for tax year 2020. You must also file Form 1099-MISC for anyone from whom you withheld federal income tax under the backup withholding rules, regardless of the amount for tax year ending 2020. Boxes 7 – 17 have been repurposed. Box 18 has been eliminated.
Introducing the new form required for tax year 2020, Form 1099-NEC
Data previously reported on Box 7 (Nonemployee compensation) of the 1099-MISC, the new 1099-NEC will capture any payments to nonemployee service providers, such as independent contractors, freelancers, vendors, consultants and other self-employed individuals (commonly referred to as 1099 workers) for tax year 2020. This will be required to be reported in Box 1 of Form 1099-NEC for tax year 2020.
Why is the 1099-NEC Replacing Form 1099-MISC (Box 7)?
The Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015 (the PATH Act) — enacted on December 18, 2015 – created a unique situation for tax filers. In addition to moving the due date for Form 1099-MISC Forms containing data in Box 7; (nonemployee compensation), from February 28 to January 31, the legislation eliminated the automatic 30-day filing extension. If an employer filed a batch of multiple 1099-MISC forms (potentially with data in Box 7 (nonemployee compensation) and without) after the January 31st deadline, the IRS could mistakenly treat them all as late returns and apply fines.
Beyond the time-management and administrative issues for the IRS to properly process the forms, some misaligned deadlines on the taxpayer side opened the door to fraud. To resolve the various issues, the IRS revived Form 1099-NEC (originally established in 1982), effectively separating Box 7 (nonemployee compensation) from the 1099-MISC, as well as staggering the filing due dates.
What is your next move?
Contact your software provider to ensure compatibility and updates to support the new 1099-NEC form. Form 1099-NEC is not a replacement for Form 1099-MISC. Form 1099-NEC is only replacing the use of Form 1099-MISC for reporting independent contractor payments. According to the IRS, the people for whom an organization should use the new 1099-NEC are those with at least $600 in services performed by someone who is not an employee (including parts and materials) (Box 1). The IRS estimates that 70% of all 1099_MISC filings will require Form 1099-NEC. For tax year 2020, filing 1099-MISC to the IRS and various states is still mandatory for reporting other types of income. State reporting requirements vary by state. Approximately 20 states have indicated support for 1099-NEC. It is expected more states will require it. This translates to an estimated 70 million 1099-NEC filings for tax year 2020. To obtain instructions for Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC (2020), consult the IRS website.
Where can you obtain the necessary tax filing forms?
inFORM Decisions offers tax forms in just about every paper median for all your tax season preparation needs. W2, 1099, ACA, and many more are available as blank laser forms, pressure seal forms, continues forms, and more. Please call (800) 858-5544 or (949) 709-5838 Ext.123 to order your 2020 tax form paper and envelopes or email Erin at erin@informdecisions.com.
22May
So…what is a workflow software?
Workflow is a generic term for a process or for the movement of information or material from one activity to another. So, what does that actually mean? Consider the inbox and outbox on your desk. These are true signs of a paper-based, inefficient business process. Imagine an office where the flow of work is all digital, and at any moment you can see the status of a work item, and who has it for tasking. Workflow has the ability to take any business process (including emails), and create a digital copy. Want to have an approvals inbox for all your invoices? No problem. Need to have contracts flow through your organization for a review process? With workflow, it’s a snap.
Simply put, workflow software provides organizations with unique technology that allows the creation of new working environments that will vastly improve the speed and efficiency of their operations. Typically, a workflow software will be used to define and manage a company’s processes and uses integrations with common day-to-day applications to execute them accordingly. Changing or altering a process becomes a simple point and click operation..
Many companies that have used workflow software successfully also claim that it has assisted them in improving productivity, increasing visibility and evenly distributes accountability. The workflow software solutions were first introduced to the tech world way back in the 1990’s and have since been gaining in popularity each year.
Since then, workflow software is required to comply with Business Process Management (BPM)’s integrated collection of critical software technologies. BPM refers to aligning processes with an organization’s strategic goals, designing and implementing process architectures, establishing process measurement systems that align with organizational goals, and educating and organizing managers so that they will manage processes effectively. BPM can also refer to various automation efforts, including workflow systems, XML Business Process languages and packaged ERP systems. The versatility of these software solutions is preferred as it enables companies to collaboratively work on designs, development or the execution of certain cycles.
Workflow automation software has vastly improved and evolved over the past couple of decades as more software companies are realizing the benefits of developing workflow technologies. It’s important to keep in mind that the majority of the most reputable workflow software solutions allow you to take the software for a “test drive” before making a costly commitment.
Especially now, with businesses offices closed and everyone working from home, workflow solutions become more and more critical to survival. So, go ahead and find the workflow software solution that best fits the technology needs of your business! Looking for an advanced Business Process Management and Workflow tool? Inform Decisions offers iWorkflow, a native IBM i workflow system as well as K2 Workflow, Forms, Data and Reports, Business Process Apps outside the IBM world.
Call our experts today. (800) 858-5544 / (949) 709-5838 or visit us at
informdecisions.com for more information about our paperless solutions and document automation.
23Nov
Site Directory
Directory of links to major areas of the inFORM Decisions web site. We are the IBM i Professionals!
15Aug
Take control of your IBM Power Systems output documents natively.
inFORM Decisions has the solutions to help clients get more from their IBM i/Power systems
Why the IBM i?
The IBM i is recognized worldwide as one the most powerful and stable operating systems to manage business information today. IBM i is very different from the other operating systems in the industry, and the differences are related to its unique architecture. From the birth of the AS/400, the goal of the operating system was to create a platform that would allow a business to be insulated from the complexity of IT technology.
It allows its users to “run their business, not the computer.” Architectural elements within the OS make IBM i stable, simple, secure and scalable. To protect the integrity of the operating system, and the customer’s data, IBM i cannot have a “device driver” authored by another provider. IBM believes that the only software a typical customer really wants to deal with is the software that runs its business directly — the applications that are developed by the customer or that they buy from Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) such as inFORM Decisions. For that reason, the operating system comes integrated with all of the necessary “middleware” a business application might need.
Why inFORM Decisions?
inFORM Decisions has been a Document Automation provider specializing in state of the art Document Automation solutions for the IBM i – iSeries – AS/400 arena since 1994. We believe that the IBM i/Power Systems will be relevant for a long time offering the stability and security that you’ve come to expect from IBM. inFORM Decisions is committed to the IBM i platform forever!
Why iPDF?
Native conversion leverages the power of your iSeries investment and eliminates need to download to a PC or secondary server – delivering more security and faster processing of documents and reports.
Paperless Report Conversion software will copy spool files to PDF or TIF easily, dynamically naming, emailing and archiving without programming or additional hardware. For a quick product demonstration of how to use the iPDF Monitor to convert your spool files to PDF or TIF use the link below:
Convert spool files into PDF files
IBMi and Power Systems NATIVE PCL to PDF converter for Spool Files. iPDF converts standard HP Laserjet output (Printer Control Language) into the popular Adobe PDF (Portable Document Format). IBM native conversion eliminates the need to download to a PC (or secondary server) to process PDF files, thus improving security and speed of PDF document conversion. Much more than a simple conversion tool, iPDF enables report distribution, PDF document archival and retrieval, bursting, sorting and outputting PDF reports and custom business forms in the open PDF standard where they can be easily viewed using the free Acrobat Reader.
Call (800) 858-5544 / (949) 709-5838 or visit us at www.informdecisions.com for more information about our acclaimed iDocs suite of IBM i products.
16Jul
Digital Transformation | Success or Failure?
Digital Transformation
Digital transformation is essential to remaining competitive in today’s marketplace.
From improving internal processes to providing more efficient customer experiences, digital change is crucial to remaining relevant. However, resistance to change in the digital era can be detrimental to both morale and your business.
What does company culture have to do with adopting digital change? Company culture is closely tied to an organization’s beliefs and values. Frequently, these values have been established for many years and have played a role in the business’s success. Thus, these beliefs are deeply woven into the fabric of the organization. The culture has been long established, which can create an environment resistant to change. Company veterans might think: Our way has worked for us thus far—why change it?
So what can you do to encourage cultural change in your company and foster digital transformation?
Here are a few ideas:
- Start at the top. The culture of the leadership in your company determines your company’s culture as a whole. Leaders must take ownership of digital transformation within their companies, demonstrating its importance to the rest of the organization. Their attitude will undoubtedly trickle down into the rest of the organization.
- Utilize your employees’ desire for positive changes that allow them to perform their job better and reach goals faster. Identify the key players in your company who can use their influence to help you facilitate user adoption of new technologies and strategies.
- Start small. It’s a massive cultural change when a company decides to implement changes. Don’t go in with the expectation of utilizing the solution in every department from the start. Narrow in on one or two departments where there is an immediate need for a capture solution and start there. Once the solution is well understood in that department and the staff is excited about the results, consider branching out to other departments. This creates favorable conditions for the staff to get accustomed to the entire process, and can be a good example for subsequent projects.
- Continue the culture of continuous change. Technology is rapidly improving and will constantly change the way we perform our jobs. It’s important for businesses to take advantage of this forward momentum, instead of fearing it and resisting it at every turn. If you can transform your company culture into one that readily adapts to change, you will be one very significant step ahead of the competition.
- Finding a solid partner is key for your project to succeed and support cultural change. The provider selected must be able to satisfy your business issues as well as meeting your requirements, such as the technology required, the payment terms and discounts, etc. Insure that you ask tough questions before purchasing that clarify the providers’ capacities as well as their commercial terms.
Company culture will not change instantly.
But over time, small, intentional changes can help your company culture evolve and progress toward digital maturity.
Need help?
Call (800) 858-5544 / (949) 709-5838 or visit us at informdecisions.com for more information about our acclaimed iDocs suite and iCapture products. We can assist you with finding the right products and providing the information necessary to address the cultural challenges, achieve digital maturity and a successful digital transformation.
08Jul
OCEAN TechCon 2019 | inFORM Decisions
Get all the IBMi training that you need at OCEAN TechCon 19!
IBM keeps rolling out enhancements that not only improve the IBM I platform, but make it easier to use Open source tools. Smart IBM I customers are adapting these new tools rapidly and are requiring some new hires to have some knowledge, not years, of these new features. They also pay a premium for these skills.
Where can you learn these new tools?
OCEAN TechCon19
IBM i Technical Conference
July 25–27, 2019 – Costa Mesa, CA
Three Days of Training, Networking & Insight into the Latest IBM Power Systems IBM i Technologies. Leverage the best of both the native IBM i as well as open-source products.
Topics include:
IBM 7.4, DB2, SQL, RDi, ILE, DB2 Mirror, Node.js, Open Source, IOt, Linux, Clean Code, Python, Systems Management, Cybersecurity, Watson, Continuous Learning, Modern Compute Environments, Best Practices, Managing Successful Projects, and much more!
On Thursday, 7/25/19 at 1:30PM, discover the power to become an “IBMi hero” for your company.
Join Document Management Specialist and IBMi Professional>
Orlando Ferrer,
as he shares how inFORM Decisions has been successfully helping IBMi customers automate the processing, distributing, storing, retrieving and sharing of documents natively on the IBMi. See how managing documents goes beyond printing and emailing spool files. Learn about the benefits of using an alternative to the cumbersome and obsolete AFPDS/IPDS printing. Find out how customers have benefitted from strategically managing documents & reports being distributed directly from the IBMi. Discover the power of converting inbound documents into useful information that can be used to run your business more efficiently while eliminating the need for file cabinets. Instead, your laptop or desktop computer can record your business transactions, send and store documents, and keep your financial records without taking up any added space. Multiple staffers can access authorized documents simultaneously boosting efficiency.
Insights of this session:
Attending Orlando Ferrer’s session will benefit you by: 1.) Learning about the power of going paperless; 2.) Experiencing the monitory benefits of automating the monitoring of email accounts, out queues, and folders in the managing of documents; and 3.) Gain knowledge of strategies that have helped other IBMi customers reduce cost, free up time, and improve bottom line profits. 4.) Experience the key technological advances in document management and the future with digitized files.
Often, your savings in paper- and storage-related costs will pay for your document management software in the first year. You’ll do you more than just break even—you’ll get ahead. Join us and discover the power of becoming the IBMi hero for your company. Find the complete #OceanTechCon19 details here.
Call (800) 858-5544 / (949) 709-5838 or visit us at www.informdecisions.com for more information about our booth at the conference. Hoping to see you there!
01Apr
The AS/400 has evolved into the modern and powerful IBM i
inFORM Decisions is dedicated to creating innovative solutions to help clients get more from their IBM i/Power systems
IBM i‘s AS/400 heritage and strategic innovation point to a bright future for this strategic server that continues to support organizations in almost every industry around the world.
- The market for the IBM i continues to be extremely stable with 1.3% annual attrition.
- 24% of IBM i shops are planning to expand their IBM i footprint in 2019, which outnumbers those who plan to migrate off the platform.
- 71% rely on IBM i to run more than half of their core business applications, a strong indication of the platform’s stability.
- 92% of the respondents from IBM i Marketplace Survey believe that IBM i with Power Systems provides better ROI than other server options.
The continued reliance on IBM Power Systems hardware and a dedication to keeping current with the latest technology is revealing long-term trends that give insight into the future of this trusted technology. The most popular version of the IBM i operating system is currently IBM i V7R3. The jump to 7.3 speaks to the longevity of platform as organizations continue to invest in keeping current.
Since its arrival, one of the strongest features of this platform has been its upward compatibility. For the most part, you can run a program created for the AS/400 in 1988 on a Power Systems server today with little or no changes. However, there are some IBM utilities such as the IBM Advanced Function Printing Utilities are not supported on IBM i 7.3 OS.
While AFP data stream and protocol might still function, the AFP Utilities and the InfoPrint tool for designing pages are not supported in 7.3 and beyond. This would indicate that you can continue to print existing applications, but that you can’t create a new form overlay or modify an existing one.
AFP is an outdated technology and was always painful to work with. IBM sold off its printing division which subsequently removed support for AFP utilities along with the Infoprint Designer and is recommending 3rd party alternatives such as the acclaimed iDocs Forms Suite from inFORM Decisions. iDocs provides easy-to-use forms design and spool file data mapper with menus to set up business rules for manual or automatic processing and intelligent distribution of merged, formatted reports, forms and security MICR checks. Print in color with graphics and bar codes.
Whereas most of the IBM Solution providers have evolved with the platform, some antiquated or obsolete laser forms solutions such as Jetform, Optio, Createform or Createprint, ACOM, and others, are forcing users OFF the powerful IBM i platform onto a Windows or Cloud based solution with higher costs, higher maintenance and totally new learning curves.
inFORM Decisions offers a seamless, painless, and no-cost migration. Migrate to a continually developed and enhanced Document Automation solution running natively on the IBM i. Our modules include laser forms printing, laser check printing, email with PDF and Excel formats for spool and database files, document scanning and archival and document workflow.
As the platform continues to evolve, becoming increasingly robust, embracing modern technologies, and giving many of the world’s top organizations a competitive edge, so do IBM i providers like inFORM Decisions. inFORM Decisions has been a Document Automation provider specializing in state of the art Document Automation solutions for the IBM i – iSeries – AS/400 arena since 1994. We believe that the IBM i/Power Systems will be relevant for a long time offering the stability and security that you’ve come to expect from IBM. inFORM Decisions is committed to the IBMi platform forever!
Call (800) 858-5544 / (949) 709-5838 or visit us at www.informdecisions.com for more information about our acclaimed iDocs suite of IBM i products.
28Feb
PSIcapture
PSIcapture: What is it & why to use it?…
Every business wants to be more efficient; we offer a software solution that significantly reduces the workload of most office workers that need to process documents and data. It works with practically any information system, such as document management, records management or line of business system.
The solution works in nearly any sized company and practically every vertical market or specialty. Leveraging the technology we offer, along with the technology commercially available in the cloud, it is truly scalable and has a very prompt payback.
The automated extraction of data from documents, and the movement of that data into any system, such as your ERP, CRM or Document Management system will save your staff members several hours each week, per person. The PSIcapture solution becomes a force multiplier and will allow them to focus on the more critical parts of their jobs, essentially giving them their jobs back. The end results also include you, or your company, deferring the next new hire to a later date and to do more with your current staff if you want.
We make your data do the heavy lifting
How? We make your data do the heavy lifting…
Today’s businesses are faced with the problem of making their information secure from intrusion while simultaneously making it easily accessible for employees. In an age where crucial company data is communicated in any number of formats—emails, faxes, mail, files, photos, attachments—harnessing all of a company’s data to truly make the most of it is a challenge. Companies are often swimming in valuable, actionable information that they want to use but are unable to profit from it due to outmoded processes. It’s an embarrassment of untapped riches, waiting to be claimed.
PSIcapture’s advanced document capture and data extraction technologies were developed with the real needs of businesses in mind. PSIcapture allow businesses to avail themselves of their information—from physical documents, digital files or emails, and even incoming faxes—by automatically extracting the important information, converting the documents to searchable PDF’s, and quickly routing it all to where it is needed.
How can PSIcapture help me? Document data saves time – and therefore, money…
The automated extraction of data from documents, and the movement of that data into any system, such as your ERP, CRM or Document Management system will save your individual staff members several hours each week. The PSIcapture solution becomes a force multiplier and will allow them to focus on the more critical parts of their jobs, essentially giving them their jobs back. The end results also include you, or your company, deferring the next new hire to a later date and to do more with your current staff if you want.
PSIcapture Proven Benefits…
»»Save Money.
The cost in labor for employees to spend time processing, searching for and/or reproducing lost files as well as the cost of printing and purchasing paper add up very quickly. The PSIcapture solution often pays for itself within just a few short months.
»»Rapid Accessibility.
Having quick but secure access to company documents is crucial to efficiently running a business. PSIcapture provides an effective, thorough and user-friendly way to capture your organization’s documents and seamlessly route them to a content management system.
»»Efficient Employees.
Improve your employees’ ability to access the information they need to perform their jobs. Eliminate busywork like manually keying information and rummaging cabinets for physical documents and you unlock their productivity potential.
»»Better Customer Service.
It’s more important than ever to ensure your customers have a positive experience with your business. Streamline your document processes, ensure your employees have rapid information access, and they will provide your customers with the best experience possible.
»»Security & Compliance.
Information is much safer and more secure when stored digitally than in physical file cabinets. Digital documents aren’t susceptible to natural disasters like fires or floods, and it’s much easier to ensure that only the right people have access to these documents. The PSIcapture document capture software has been used by numerous organizations that require secure processing and compliance with regulations such as HIPAA and FINRA.
Key Industry Verticals…
»» Education
»» Financial Services
»» Government/Nonprofit
»» Healthcare
»» Legal
»» Manufacturing
»» Business Process Outsourcing
Capture Solutions…
»» Accounts Payable & Receivable
»» Case Management
»» Claims Processing
»» Client & Customer Service
»» Human Resources
»» Mailroom Automation
»» Records Processing
»» Sales Department
Hands-free Advanced Data Capture
It all begins with hands-free Advanced Data Capture…
, our flagship product, is a robust document capture and data extraction application. With the ability to auto-process from 100 document images a day, to over 1 million per day, PSIcapture was developed as a scalable, lightning fast, rock steady tool to meet all the data collection needs of an organization, including email capture, simple document scanning and importing, forms processing, and more complex metadata capture and extraction. After extracting important indexing information, PSIcapture can then publish the images and/or data into any number of diverse business processing and storage solutions – including folders, databases, CRM’s, document management and content management systems.
PSIcapture is also built to be future-proof, therefore protecting your investment. Over time, organizations will use a variety of scanning devices and document management applications. PSIcapture has the flexibility to easily integrate with any scanning device, and with the press of a button, seamlessly route information to more than 60 DMS and ECM systems. No matter the size, scope or distribution of an organization, PSIcapture can make document processes easy, efficient, and best of all, fully automated.
PSIcapture Selected Features…
»»OCR/OMR/PDF
Use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to “read” an entire document and convert it into a searchable PDF. Use Zone OCR, or Optical Mark Recognition (OMR), to find and record specific information on any image for indexing purposes.
»»Multi-Core OCR
Pump up the volume with up to 16-Core OCR capability. For high volume users, under extreme deadlines, PSIcapture can increase processing speeds up to 12X the normal speed when OCR is utilized in a workflow. In other words, crazy fast!
»»Classification
Never again separate your documents before scanning, if you want. Most of the time, PSIcapture can be trained to automatically identify and separate documents, negating the need for pre-scan separation—a HUGE time waster!
(This is the most requested capability for Advanced Capture products, and we give it away for free, if you pay for everything else.)
»»eMail Capture
Companies can effortlessly have emails and their attachments automatically ingested, processed, and migrated to any number of final destinations. Simple to set up for administrators and no end user training required.
»»Table Extraction
Automatically identify rows and columns in documents; you know, the “stuff” about the “things” you ordered. We can extract each row as an individual record and post it to a database or accounting system for easier, faster processing. Time Saver!
»»Migration
Our fancy word for connectors to where the documents and data go to rest and get ready for business. “Out of the box”, PSIcapture can migrate to over 60 file formats, DMS, ECM, BPO, and CRM’s. If where you want everything to go is not on the list, ask, because we have been known to write new migrations, or create load files for easier importing.
PSIcapture Licensing…
PSIcapture Scan Station:
PSIcapture licenses are concurrent and based on annual volume. The Enterprise annual volume concurrent licenses are shown below:
»»30,000 images per year
»»75,000 images per year
»»200,000 images per year
»»500,000 images per year
»»1,000,000 images per year
»»3,000,000 images per year
»»5,000,000 images per year
»»Zero count licenses remain (must be added to a restricted volume license)
»»Test license @ 12,000 or @ 120,000 images per year (limited one per company)
»»Custom volume sets can be licensed to fit requirements outside of our volumes listed here, contact Sales for more details.
Each of these is a single concurrent license, and the yearly volumes can be combined in any way. If you want to scan 260,000 images per year, you can buy one 200,000 license and two 30,000 licenses, which will give you three concurrent licenses and a shared image pool of 260,000 images per year. If you require additional users but not additional annual volumes, you can add a zero-count license to a restricted volume license.
If you are planning on using the auto-import option within PSIcapture, we strongly suggest you add one license to the required number of concurrent users. If you need 3 users, plus auto-import, we recommend you purchase 4 users, as the auto-import process will consume a license.
We also have an option to add to the above additional image counts, called non-recurring volume counts. Volume counts are a reserve bank of images you can purchase to do a large volume project, or to ensure that you can continue to scan if you exceed your yearly allocation. They are also nice for project based businesses, because you can buy an entry level yearly volume license and purchase volume based on what you need to process. Volume count licenses are ordered for the specific bundle that is chosen.
PSIcapture Term/On-premise Subscription:
PSIcapture licenses are acquired on a term subscription basis, meaning that the license will expire after an agreed-upon time. Our current term/on-premise subscriptions are available at 12, 36 or 60-month intervals. Our support and maintenance is included during the licensed term. Upon expiration of the license, your organization will be able to renew with a new interval or license configuration, as desired. Upgrades for additional users or volume amounts can be added any time during your term. We offer custom terms to fit requirements outside of the terms listed here. Contact Sales for more details.
PSIcapture Scan Only Workstation:
The Scan Only license is designed for high volume environments, such as mailroom, facility management or Service Bureau operations. The license is typically used where a dedicated license would be operating high-speed scanners or auto-import of images while creating new batches. This license does not include OCR or ICR engines (nor can it be added) so separation rules cannot include the OCR, ICR or ADE options.
Scan Only licenses are shown below:
»»200,000 images per year
»»500,000 images per year
»»3,000,000 images per year
»»5,000,000 images per year
12Jun
30th Anniversary of the IBM i and IBM Power Systems
30 years ago IBM, with it AS/400, taught the market about the value that an integrated data base and software could deliver. Way ahead of its time, IBM designed OS/400 (and its descendants i5/OS and IBM i) as a “turnkey” operating system, requiring little or no on-site attention from an IT staff during normal operation. To facilitate this, IBM i has a built-in DB2 database which does not require separate installation. Disks provide multiply-redundant storage and can be replaced online without interruption. Hardware and software maintenance tasks are integrated. System administration has been wizard-driven for years, even before that term was defined. This automatic self-care policy goes so far as to automatically schedule all common system maintenance, detect many failures and even order spare parts and service automatically. Organizations using the IBM Power Systems sometimes have sticker shock when confronting the cost of system maintenance on other systems.
The early IBM System/36 and IBM System/38 series customers were a key target of the AS/400, so OS/400 (i5/OS and IBM i), have built-in subsystems that provide backward compatibility with these earlier IBM general business systems. For this reason, long time users, of which there are many, still refer to the platform as the AS/400. The current user base remains strong and committed and various user groups have played a major part in the evolution of the IBM i. Make no mistake, Power Systems and the IBM i are far from their 30 year old roots and green screens. They have been transformed. Built to crush the most advanced data applications, from the mission-critical workloads run today to the next generation of Artificial Intelligence.
This platform remains relevant for modern businesses today and in the foreseeable future. The Power Systems server and IBM i can accommodate emerging technologies such as mobile access and cloud computing. It can also run and interact with cognitive applications on other platforms. IBM Power Systems are ranked No. 1 in every major reliability category by ITIC and deliver the most reliable on-premises infrastructure to meet around-the-clock customer demands.
The true source of this platforms’ staying power through numerous generations of business computing comes from a wide-ranging group of talented business partners and their commitment to providing essential tools for modern computing. Importantly for Power Systems and IBM i users, partners such as inFORM Decisions have been around to provide innovative business solutions. Since 1994, inFORM Decisions has been a Document Automation provider specializing in state of the art Document Automation solutions for the IBM i – iSeries – AS/400 arena. inFORM’s biggest strength is that their solutions have always run natively on the IBM i and they continue to develop and enhance for this platform. inFORM customers appreciate this commitment and new customers are acquired every month who for various reasons are being forced to a much less efficient and less stable PC based solution.
This platform can do anything and after 30 years of innovation is just beginning. Just ask the users! inFORM Decisions is committed to the IBM i Power Systems platform forever!
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