Our offering as an IBM Business Partner

Apper has a long, close collaboration with IBM as specialists in Power Systems and IBM Z Mainframe. We can help you with everything from a needs analysis to solution proposals, quotations and implementation.

IBM Silver Business Partner

Modernisation IBM i

Modernisation enables you to retain the power of your existing IT solution and the competitive advantages associated with customer-specific systems, while increasing functionality, efficiency and user-friendliness.

This enables you to secure the many years of investments you have made in the solution and ensure you reap the maximum benefit from these to meet current and future business requirements.

Replacing a business-critical system often involves a major investment and some amount of risk in terms of time, resources and money. Modernisation means that you only pay for those parts that lead to a marked improvement in efficiency. It is also advantageous to take on smaller costs on an ongoing basis instead of spending a significant amount on a single large delivery.

Modern, service-based architecture is characterised by dividing the system into several smaller, service-specific modules instead of running many processes in one large program.

Not only does it result in better performance, but it also makes it easier to work with new applications When you can reuse methods and processes, you do not need to reinvent the wheel.

The best thing about modernisation is that you can take one step at a time and make decisions during the course of the work, instead of being bound to a major investment.

IT-support

It is important to realise that modernisation is not a delimited project. Having an open mind for development and change is key. In our eBook, Modernisation of Existing IBM i Systems (in Swedish), we explain the common modernisation areas and their benefits.

Innovative, future-proof IBM solutions

We start by mapping the current situation to identify the modernisation needs of a specific system. By dividing the system into different parts, you can simply choose to replace or upgrade certain parts and features, while keeping the ones that work well.

It is suggested that you choose an area to continue working with and return to the others when you have a proof of concept and a clear ROI has been demonstrated. The advantages of this approach are that costs, expectations and results become more tangible.

In some cases, it can be effective to transfer the management and modernisation of the existing IBM system to a knowledgeable expert and collaboration partner. This ensures that the right skills are available at all times and you will not have to worry about errors due to a lack of knowledge or commitment. We can be the partner to help you to carry out a current situation analysis, create an efficient and general roadmap, and implement the modernisations. The benefits will be many! With careful planning and ongoing support, you can get maximum benefit from the IBM system you already have, secure the investments you have already made, create business value and increase your competitiveness – now and in the future.

As part of our strategic investment in solutions and services to support our continuous modernisation offering, Apper Systems AB and ARCAD Software, a leading supplier of DevOps and solutions for the modernisation of IBM i, have begun collaborating to create the Nordic region’s most comprehensive offering for modernising systems on the IBM i platform.

Application management

We have been involved in development and administration since the early 1980s. Over the years we have realised that we possess unique expertise in how effective administration of systems within IBM Power should be managed. In 2011 we established a common platform for our administrative undertakings. Today we offer the market the best resources, effective administration and secure access to expertise.

We offer to take care of development, administration and operation of IBM Power System, both for customers with standard systems and for those who have developed their own systems. This means that you obtain long-term access to qualified expertise, resources and efficient management of IT support. A cost effective investment which can give IT systems an increased service life and major benefits.

Regardless of customer category, access to expertise in these systems is starting to become scarce, which risks impeding the development of the company’s business. We ensure that you can confront the future.

We often move in the borderland between IT and our customers’ business operations. Our understanding in relation to the administrative procedure and our insight into the particular business means that we take an active part in our customers’ development.

In our ”Administration of applications” offer, we have packaged services which cover planning, handover, reception and establishment. We can deal with all management of applications, or parts of it, over the entire lifecycle. This enables us to secure the future for your systems.

Modernisera

Stages in the administrative procedure

  • The lifecycle process – from idea to decommissioning

    “DevOps is all about fast incremental application improvements”
    This is where we establish the basis for efficient management of administration and development work. Our process is based on DevOps, since traditional development is no longer suited to modern business operations. “DevOps is all about fast incremental application improvements” To put it simply, DevOps is a word that describes the automation of three different but closely-related activities, namely: Development, Operation and Testing (QA)

  • The assignment process – from requirement to system

    We undertake a thorough analysis of your requirements and needs for both business operations and IT. This provides a good overall picture of what needs to be done, time required and costs. Our design of every detail is both iterative and agile. The projects are controlled via Pejl or in accordance with another steering model if you so require. We work with RPG in all dialects, SQL and Cobol. We have a large number of developers available for systems developed in CA 2E CA Plex, and a wide network of contacts in the Nordic region and the rest of the world. In addition, we are distributors of CA licences in Sweden, Norway and Finland.

  • The support process – from incident to action

    We can provide knowledge support and daily support for your users.

  • The operating process – from 0 to 24

    We help you to run your system with virtual resources in the cloud. This means that you avoid concerns about hardware, backup, security, communication and suchlike. In conjunction with our partners, we also offer to manage the everyday operation.