Organizations running IBM i systems face a unique challenge: how to leverage cutting-edge AI capabilities while preserving decades of investment in reliable, mission-critical systems. The answer lies in understanding that true transformation isn’t about choosing between legacy stability and modern innovation; it’s about creating a bridge that enables both.
According to the research, 50% of global legacy applications are expected to be transformed within the next two years, with 70–90% projected to be updated over the next years. This data underscores a global urgency. And this is where the powerful combination of Profound AppEvo and Profound AI creates something unprecedented – a complete futurization solution that transforms IBM i applications while simultaneously infusing them with intelligent AI capabilities.
Beyond Modernization: A Holistic Futurization Strategy
While most vendors focus on either application modernization or AI implementation, we are the only IBM i technology partner that takes you beyond modernization into comprehensive futurization.
Our integrated approach addresses the full spectrum of transformation challenges:
- Application Legacy: Converting RPG and COBOL to modern languages like Node.js, JavaScript, and Python
- User Experience: Transforming green screens into modern web and mobile interfaces
- System Integration: Enabling seamless connectivity through APIs and modern protocols
- Intelligent Automation: Infusing AI capabilities directly into futurized applications
- Developer Empowerment: Unlocking AI-powered development tools and automation that accelerate future enhancements
The Profound AppEvo Foundation
At the heart of successful IBM i transformation lies the need to preserve valuable business logic while enabling modern capabilities. Traditional “rip and replace” approaches risk losing decades of refined business rules and institutional knowledge, while simple UI updates fail to address underlying architectural limitations.
Profound AppEvo solves this challenge through our revolutionary coexistence technology and automated conversion capabilities. By transforming legacy RPG and COBOL applications into modern, platform-independent code while maintaining seamless integration with existing systems, organizations can futurize at their own pace without business disruption.
Profound AppEvo provides the essential foundation for IBM i futurization through our services-led, phased approach:
Automated Code Conversion
- Convert up to 100% of legacy RPG and COBOL code automatically
- Preserve decades of refined business logic
- Generate clean, maintainable code in modern languages
- Support multiple UI frameworks including React, Angular, and Profound UI
Database and Platform Flexibility
- Database Freedom: Stay on DB2 or convert to other databases like Microsoft SQL, MySQL, PostgreSQL, or Oracle
- Platform Independence: Deploy futurized applications on IBM i, Windows, Linux, or cloud platforms
- Hybrid Options: Maintain some applications on IBM i while moving others to cloud
- Data Migration: Comprehensive data migration services with integrity validation
Revolutionary Coexistence Technology
- Transform systems gradually without business disruption
- Run futurized components alongside legacy systems seamlessly
- Enable incremental transformation at your own pace
- Eliminate the risks of “big bang” approaches
Expert-Guided Transformation
- Comprehensive Profound 360 Discovery analysis
- Custom transformation roadmaps
- Ongoing support throughout the journey
- Knowledge transfer and training
The Profound AI Advantage
The beauty of Profound AI is that you don’t need to wait for complete futurization to begin leveraging AI capabilities. Organizations can start their AI journey immediately, whether they’re running purely legacy systems, during transformation, or fully futurized.
According to McKinsey’s State of AI report, 33% of businesses are using generative AI specifically to reduce costs, making it one of the most common enterprise use cases.
Key industries are already reporting measurable financial benefits:
- 32% of manufacturers saw 10–19% cost reductions
- 41% of supply chain organizations achieved 10–19% savings
- 25% of HR teams and 20% of sales/marketing departments reported similar results
With Profound AI’s native integration into IBM i environments, these cost-saving advantages are now accessible to organizations running mission-critical legacy systems. This empowers you to extract real-time insights, automate processes, and reduce operational expenses; whether your systems are fully modernized or still mid-transformation.
Our phased approach lets you introduce AI at your own pace, getting comfortable with the technology while building toward increasingly sophisticated implementations.
Profound AI delivers intelligent capabilities at every stage of your journey:
No-Code AI Agent Development
- Build sophisticated AI agents using natural language instructions
- No specialized AI expertise required
- Intuitive interface designed for business users
- Rapid deployment and iteration
Native IBM i Integration
- Direct connectivity to IBM DB2 databases
- Seamless integration with converted Node.js/Python applications and existing native IBM i applications
- Real-time data access without synchronization delays
- Preservation of existing security models
Multi-LLM Flexibility
- Support for commercial LLMs (OpenAI, Azure, Google, Anthropic)
- Open-source alternatives (Meta Llama, Mistral)
- Easy switching between models with simple configuration changes
- Vendor-agnostic approach prevents lock-in
Industry-Standard Connectivity with MCP
- Universal AI Compatibility: MCP acts like a “universal adapter” for AI agents, enabling any MCP-compatible AI (including ChatGPT, Claude, Microsoft Copilot, and others) to connect directly to your IBM i systems
- Plug-and-Play Integration: Configure MCP servers in Profound AI to expose IBM i data and programs to external AI tools without custom coding
- Future-Proof Architecture: As major AI providers (OpenAI, Microsoft, Anthropic, Google) adopt MCP as the standard, your IBM i systems are positioned to work with any AI tool that emerges
- Enterprise-Grade Security: MCP connections go through controlled Profound AI servers, ensuring secure, governed access to your IBM i resources. IBM found that the average cost of a breach in the financial sector is $5.9 million. Profound AI’s MCP enables governed, traceable connections between AI tools and IBM i systems, ensuring compliance while enabling innovation.
Unleashing Developer Productivity Through AI
The transformation to modern languages like Node.js and Python doesn’t just solve the RPG developer shortage. It opens an entirely new world of AI-powered development capabilities.
Once futurized through Profound AppEvo, your applications can leverage:
- AI Code Assistants: Tools like GitHub Copilot, Amazon CodeWhisperer, and OpenAI Codex that can generate code, suggest improvements, and accelerate development
- Automated Testing: AI-driven test generation and quality assurance that would be impossible with legacy RPG code
- Intelligent Debugging: Modern AI tools that can identify and fix issues faster than traditional methods
- Continuous Optimization: AI-powered code analysis that suggests performance improvements and security enhancements
This represents a fundamental shift in the value proposition: organizations aren’t just escaping the limitations of legacy code; they’re gaining access to development superpowers that their competitors using modern stacks already enjoy.
The combination of addressing the negative, like retiring developers, while enabling the positive, AI-accelerated development, creates a compelling urgency for transformation.
The Synergy: When Evolution Meets AI
While each solution delivers significant value independently, the real transformation occurs when they work in concert. Applications that have been futurized through Profound AppEvo create the ideal foundation for AI integration, with clean, modern code architectures, standardized APIs that AI agents can easily understand and leverage.
This synergy eliminates the traditional barriers between legacy systems and cutting-edge AI capabilities. Instead of requiring complex middleware or risky system replacements, the combination creates a seamless bridge where futurized IBM i applications become intelligent, AI-enhanced business platforms.
The true power emerges when Profound AppEvo and Profound AI work together, creating capabilities that neither could achieve alone:
AI-Enhanced Applications
Applications transformed through Profound AppEvo become the perfect foundation for AI integration:
- Modern Node.js/Python code easily integrates with AI capabilities
- Standardized APIs enable seamless AI integration
- Responsive web interfaces support AI-powered user experiences
- MCP-Ready Architecture: Futurized applications can instantly become accessible to any AI tool through Profound AI’s MCP server capabilities
Intelligent Business Processes
Futurized applications can now incorporate AI-driven capabilities:
- Predictive Analytics: AI agents analyze historical patterns to forecast trends
- Automated Decision Making: Intelligent agents execute complex business rules
- Natural Language Interfaces: Users interact with applications through conversational AI
- Real-Time Insights: AI provides contextual information and recommendations
Enhanced User Experience
The combination creates unprecedented user experiences:
- Modern web interfaces powered by intelligent backends
- AI assistants that understand your specific business context
- Proactive recommendations based on real-time data
- Seamless integration between human and AI interactions
Custom AI Development: Full-Service AI Implementation
Building AI agents that truly understand your business requires more than just connecting to data. It demands deep knowledge of your industry, business processes, and organizational context. Many organizations struggle with the gap between AI’s potential and practical implementation, often lacking the specialized expertise to map complex business domains into effective AI capabilities.
Recognizing this challenge, we bridge the expertise gap through our comprehensive Custom AI Development services. This done-for-you solution is complete implementation, our team handles the build, test, and deployment of your AI agents.
This white-glove service combines our proprietary automation tools with decades of IBM i consulting experience to deliver production-ready, department-specific AI agents without requiring any AI expertise from your team.
Custom AI Development delivers a complete, turnkey implementation:
Full-Service Build and Deployment Our expert consultants handle everything:
- Complete inventory of your DB2 tables, RPG programs, and existing metadata
- Transform complex data and logic into intuitive business domains
- Design and implement enterprise-grade security guardrails
- Build, test, and deploy department-specific AI agents ready for immediate use
Turnkey Results Without the Learning Curve
- Zero AI expertise required – we handle all technical complexity
- Production-ready agents delivered, not just recommendations
- Ongoing support to ensure successful adoption
- Complete knowledge transfer so your team can maintain and enhance
Real-World Impact: The Complete Solution in Action
The true power of combining Profound AppEvo and Profound AI becomes clear when we see it transform actual business operations. Rather than theoretical benefits, let’s examine how this integrated approach could deliver measurable results in this example scenario.
Consider how a manufacturing company could leverage both Profound AppEvo and Profound AI:
Phase 1: Application Futurization
- Legacy RPG inventory management system converted to Node.js
- Green screen interfaces transformed into responsive web applications
- Real-time APIs created for seamless integration
- Modern development practices implemented
Phase 2: AI Enhancement
- AI agents created to analyze production data and predict maintenance needs
- Intelligent inventory optimization based on demand patterns
- Automated quality control with real-time anomaly detection
- Natural language interfaces for production floor workers
- MCP Integration: ChatGPT Enterprise connected to the futurized system, allowing managers to ask questions like “What’s our current production capacity?” and receive real-time answers from IBM i data
Phase 3: Intelligent Operations
- Predictive analytics prevent equipment failures before they occur
- AI-driven scheduling optimizes production efficiency
- Intelligent supply chain management reduces inventory costs
- Real-time decision support for operations managers
- Cross-Platform AI Access: Multiple AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude, Microsoft Copilot) can all access the same IBM i business logic through standardized MCP connections
The Strategic Advantage
Companies that attempt to tackle these challenges independently often find themselves caught in a cycle of fragmented solutions, integration complexity, and missed opportunities to leverage their existing investments.
The integrated approach of combining Profound AppEvo and Profound AI breaks this cycle by creating a unified transformation strategy that compounds the benefits of both solutions. Rather than choosing between preserving legacy value and embracing AI innovation, organizations can achieve both simultaneously while reducing overall implementation risk and accelerating time-to-value.
Organizations that combine Profound AppEvo and Profound AI gain several critical advantages:
Comprehensive Transformation
- Address application futurization and AI implementation simultaneously
- Create a cohesive, future-ready technology stack
- Eliminate the need for multiple vendors and integration challenges
Accelerated Innovation
- Futurized applications provide the perfect foundation for AI capabilities
- Modern architectures enable rapid deployment of new AI features
- Continuous improvement through iterative enhancement
- MCP Connectivity: Instant compatibility with emerging AI tools as they adopt the MCP standard
Competitive Differentiation
- Unique combination of legacy preservation and cutting-edge AI
- Faster time-to-market for intelligent applications
- Superior user experiences that drive customer satisfaction
Risk Mitigation
- Proven coexistence technology minimizes business disruption
- Expert guidance reduces implementation risks
- Comprehensive support ensures successful outcomes
Looking Forward: The Future of IBM i
The combination of Profound AppEvo and Profound AI represents more than just a technical solution. It’s a strategic vision for the future of IBM i systems. Organizations that embrace this integrated approach will preserve their investments by maintaining the value of decades of business logic and institutional knowledge, while simultaneously accelerating innovation by deploying AI capabilities at the speed of business needs.
This modern, intelligent infrastructure attracts talent as contemporary technologies and AI-enhanced systems appeal to new developers, ultimately driving growth through enhanced capabilities that enable new business models and revenue streams.
Your Next Step
Don’t let the choice between legacy stability and modern innovation limit your organization’s potential. With Profound AppEvo and Profound AI, you can have both.
Whether you’re just beginning to explore futurization options or ready to implement a comprehensive transformation strategy, we offer multiple paths to success:
- Profound Discovery Essentials: Quick assessment in 3-5 days (starting at $4,800)
- Profound 360 Discovery: Comprehensive analysis over 4-6 weeks
- Profound AI Discovery: Turn Your AI Vision into an Actionable Plan for Innovation and Growth
- Custom AI Development: Full-service AI implementation with turnkey delivery
For over 26 years, Profound Logic has helped IBM i organizations futurize, refactor, and reimagine their core applications. Now, with the rise of enterprise-ready AI, we’re helping those same organizations take the next leap – confidently and securely.
Ready to explore how the combination of Profound AppEvo and Profound AI can transform your IBM i environment? Contact our futurization experts at Futurization@ProfoundLogic.com to begin your journey toward intelligent, future-ready applications.
The future of IBM i isn’t about choosing between legacy and innovation—it’s about creating a bridge that enables both. Let Profound Logic show you how to build that bridge today.