Izzi Taps Virtutem To Modernize Infor LX Environments With Valence
January 19, 2026 Alex Woodie
Izzi Software entered the IBM i market in 2025 with cash for acquisitions, and promptly landed CNX and its Valence application modernization tool. Fast forward to 2026, and Izzi has formed a strategic partnership with longtime Infor partner Virtutem to sell and support Valence to users of Infor LX and other IBM i-based ERP systems.
Virtutem founder and chief executive officer Alwyn Francis has a long history with the IBM i platform and the BPCS product from Infor. He was an RPG II programmer working on System/3, System/34, and System/36 before joining an SSA partner based in the United Kingdom in the mid-1990s. After moving to the US and continuing to work with the system integrator, he ventured out on his own and in 2008 he founded Virtutem in Chicago to provide technical services and consulting primarily for the large contingent of BPCS shops in the region.
Virtutem has worked with hundreds of IBM i customers over the years, with a specialty on Infor LX (formerly BPCS), in addition to PRMS and occasionally other IBM i-based ERP systems. As an Infor partner, Virtutem is well-versed in Infor’s modernization strategy, which hinges on the Infor Development Framework (IDF) and related tooling.
While IDF works well for many Infor LX customers, it’s not always the right solution for every IBM i shop, according to Francis.
“Sometimes IDF is not the complete solution because, as you know, a lot of these shops have a lot of custom code, and IDF doesn’t sit over that very well,” Francis said. “Sometimes we’re in customers that are on Infor LX 4 or 5 or some older versions, and upgrading to Infor LX 8.4 isn’t something they’re going to do. And sometimes we have homegrown ERPs where there is no vendor-supported path.”
In these situations, Virtutem would like to have another path for modernizing their legacy code. To gauge what the IBM i market had to offer, Francis attended the COMMON conference in Anaheim, California, last year. That’s when he was re-introduced to CNX and its Valence product.
Francis has known CNX co-founders Richard Milone and Robert Swanson since 2001, and he has followed their careers over the years. CNX also is based in Chicago and also comes from the world of BPCS and PRMS, two IBM i-based ERP systems heavily used in the manufacturing belt spanning the Great Lakes region of the United States and Canada.
“I respect Rich and Rob’s knowledge of the IBM i,” Francis told IT Jungle. “They’ve always focused on IBM i. And when I looked at other solutions that are out there and the technical chops that goes with it and their commitment to that platform, I pivoted to Valence because I think it’s the best of breed that’s out there that’s IBM i-centric.”
Alwyn Francis is the CEO and founder of Virtutem.
When an opportunity was presented to partner with CNX, which was acquired in 2025 by Izzi Software, Francis didn’t hesitate.
“We wanted to partner with CNX, which I think that fills a critical gap where the vendor-provided solution isn’t appropriate,” he said. “Valence, which is very IBM i-centric and delivers Web applications, mobile applications, and so forth, fills that gap awesomely.”
CNX and Izzi Software are happy to extend their reach into Infor’s IBM i customer base with the partnership with Virtutem, said Iwona Montgomery, director of channel relationships for Izzi Software.
“CNX always heavily relied on partners and resellers. They were always a very important part of our business,” Montgomery said. “And now that we are part of Izzi, we’re really trying to reinforce that idea of how important channel partners are for us.
“Virtutem will be one of those partners, not just a reseller,” she continued. “They have a really strong relationship with their customers. They understand their customers’ needs and how fast or slow their customers can modernize. And that is where our partnership, I think will really shine with Virtutem, being not only the reseller of Valence but also the advocate that will help install and get the get the customers going with the Valence solution.”
While Virtutem primarily targets Infor LX and PRMS users, the company also occasionally works with customers running on other ERP systems. Francis said he is open to working with JD Edwards customers that need a modernization path. He even recently ran into a MAC-PAC customer.
Izzi, which launched in early 2025 with a goal of consolidating independent IBM i and zSystem software vendors under a single roof, also announced a partnership with IT Service Alliance to resell its ColeSoft offering for the mainframe.
“Everyone at Izzi is very excited about our new partnerships with Virtutem and ITSA,” Izzi CEO Jennifer Nelson stated. “These are companies that stand out in their fields and already provide amazing services to their clients, and whose offerings will be bolstered for IBM i and IBM Z users. As we expand our company and build our market share, partnerships like these will considerably extend the value and reach of all Izzi products.”
Izzi acquired CNX last summer, and it continues to operate as an independent entity, with Milone and Swanson enjoying their new roles helping customers with technical IBM i challenges instead of running reports and submitting invoices.
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