Transoft to Use ASNA’s System i Modernization Tools

September 15, 2009 Alex Woodie

Transoft and ASNA, two longtime competitors in the System i modernization and code migration business, are now working together as partners thanks to a technology agreement hashed out by their parent companies, IRIS and BluePhoenix Solutions, respectively.

Transoft, which is based in Atlanta, Georgia, has completed hundreds of code migration and modernization projects involving AS/400, VAX, HP3000, and other business systems. The company continues to operate as its own entity, even though it was acquired in 2005 by the British company Computer Software Group, which in turn merged with another private British firm, IRIS Software Group, in a £500 million deal in 2007.

While Transoft develops some of its own migration technology–it issued version 3.3 of its Transoft Component Adapters (TCA) product earlier this summer that introduced support for i OS applications and the capability to create Web services from RPG and COBOL applications–the organization is not opposed to bringing in outside technology from time to time. For example, in 2007, Transoft signed a deal with the German company SYKORA-ML to use its System i modernization and RPG code conversion tools in its customer engagements.

Now, Transoft is turning to ASNA, which continues to operate somewhat independently as a business unit of BluePhoenix, and its respected Monarch suite of code migration and application modernization tools. As part of the deal, Transoft consultants will combine ASNA’s Monarch toolset with its own modernization methodology and approach to project management.

Engagements begin with a “PathFinder Assessment,” in which Transoft consultants conduct a full evaluation of the customers’ System i applications and develop a modernization roadmap.

The ultimate goal is to transform customers’ RPG and CL code running on System i machines to become C# or ASNA Visual RPG (AVR) applications running under .NET and Windows. Green-screen user interfaces will be transformed to “exciting Web pages,” Transoft says. As is the case with all Monarch and AVR engagements, customers will have the option of retaining DB2/400 as the database layer, or moving whole-hog to SQL Server.

Transoft is keyed up on Monarch. “We are very excited about bringing our strong project management skills and experienced consultants to work with ASNA, the proven tools and solutions vendor in the System i marketplace,” says Transoft managing director Paul Bradbrook in a press release.