Due to several name changes, confusion has persisted that AS400 and IBMi are the same things. And this confusion between AS400 software and IBMi has been a significant growth obstacle for enterprises in the market considering IBM technology. Both are like two different fruits or in technical terms it’s like comparing hardware to software. AS400 software is the physical server developed by IBM in 1980s, and IBMi is the latest OS for today’s version of AS400, i.e., IBM Power Systems.

The IBM iSeries software running on the operating system/400 has a long history. And with the long history come several terms and terminology that tend to be “sticky.” And the event is not uncommon. Most of us have minicomputer in our pockets that we call smartphones, though today’s phones hold little similarity to the old generation stationary rotary phone. Today we might call electrical burners as stove, but they have gone through a total evolutionary in those decades and reached here from the original cast-iron stoves. But we still use and misuse (sometimes) the names of several products in our daily life.

Similar is the case with AS400 software and IBMi. Even in the IT sector, many people believe that these are two different iterations of the same technology. But the truth is that they refer to very other things, which has caused a lot of confusion. This confusion between as400 software and iSeries software has been a falling block to digital transformation for enterprises in the market considering IBM technology.

Source- https://www.integrativesystems.com/as400-software/