IBM i
From a single project to running your whole IBM i environment
Most clients start with one thing. Where you start depends on whether you have a change that needs making, hardware you’d rather not own, or daily operations nobody has time for.
Where to start
Four services, four different problems
People often arrive knowing something needs to change without knowing which service that means. This is the short version.
Start with consulting if…
There’s a specific piece of work in front of you — an OS upgrade you’re nervous about, a security audit finding, code nobody left can read, or performance that has degraded year over year.
Scoped engagement with a defined end. Your team keeps running the environment.
Start with hosting if…
The hardware question is the pressing one. A refresh is due, your disaster recovery is a tape and a hope, or you’d rather not make another six-figure capital decision on a box in a closet.
We run the infrastructure. Your team keeps the applications.
Start with managed services if…
The system works, but one person carries it, PTFs have slipped, and nobody is watching at 2am. The problem isn’t a project — it’s that operations compete with everything else your IT team does.
Ongoing coverage with defined response times.
Start with modernization if…
The applications themselves are the issue — fixed-format RPG nobody wants to touch, a green-screen interface your team is embarrassed to demo, or logic worth keeping trapped in a format worth changing.
Incremental modernization, not a rip-and-replace rewrite.
Building something rather than running it? See Software Development.
Where most engagements begin
What an IBM i assessment covers
Whichever direction you end up going, we usually start by establishing what you actually have. It takes a few days and it is the cheapest part of any engagement.
Engagement models
However it needs to be structured
Some clients want a fixed-scope project with a statement of work and an end date. Others want a retainer with a set number of hours each month for whatever comes up. Others want a Paragon consultant working alongside their team on their systems, effectively as staff.
None of these is our preferred model. The right one depends on whether your need is a discrete piece of work, an ongoing gap in coverage, or a capacity shortfall on a team that already knows what it’s doing.
Many clients start with an assessment and decide from there. That’s usually the least committal way to find out what you’re dealing with.
Common combinations
Hosting + managed services. The most common pairing. We run the hardware and the daily operations; your team owns the applications.
Consulting then managed services. An assessment or upgrade first, ongoing coverage once the environment is in a state worth maintaining.
Consulting + EDI. Where the IBM i work and the trading partner integration are really the same project, which happens more often than either side expects.
“Paragon’s consultants don’t just fix the immediate problem — they explain what caused it and how to prevent it next time.”Scott Reinhardt — Nucor Corporation
Talk to an IBM i consultant today
Tell us what you’re dealing with and we’ll give you a straight answer about whether and how we can help.
Schedule a free consultation Call 800-966-6725