IBM i: A Continued Evolution
Fortra’s 2025 IBM i Marketplace Survey provided insights on the attitudes and practices of IBM i shops as they continue to modernize their systems
To assess the state of IBM i, Fortra polled 250 users of the platform for its 2025 IBM i Marketplace Survey, spotlighting trends in hardware and OS use, software development, staffing, security and modernization, among other topics. Here, we look at the survey’s findings on IBM i users’ top concerns, the development tools they’re using and business applications they’re deploying.
Cybersecurity is still top of mind.
IBM i Skills: 60%
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Transform COBOL to Java
Organizations that move from the reliability of COBOL (and/or CA 2E/Synon) to the flexibility of Java open the door to endless opportunities. This shift not only future-proofs their systems but also provides a significant advantage in today’s rapidly evolving market.
By embracing Java, businesses become more agile, cost-efficient, and gain access to a wider pool of skilled talent. They're also better equipped to adopt cloud computing and artificial intelligence, positioning themselves for growth and innovation.
Java allows for writing reusable object-oriented code, which means developers can build upon existing codebases instead of starting from scratch each time.
Java can be open sourced, IDE's and compilers are low cost or free, and specialty processors can lower processing fees on mainframes.
A Java-based system is easier to integrate with modern platforms, critical for businesses looking to adopt a microservices or expand their suite of applications.
Moving to cloud servers can be less expensive to operate than on-premesis midrange or mainframe hardware, with the right amount of preparation and planning.
IBM i developers are using a range of tools.
Q. What application development tools are you using?
- Application Development Tool Set (SEU, PDM, etc.): 77%
- RDi: 54%
- Visual Studio Code: 54%
- Other (write-ins): 16%
- Merlin: 2%
77%
54%
53%
16%
2%
Git usage jumped from 21% to 29%, while Apache HTTP Server remained the most popular open-source tool.
Git
Apache Tomcat
More developers are writing in a combination of languages, with Python and Node.js gaining in popularity.
Q. Which development languages do you use for new development on IBM i?
- RPG: 91%
- SQL: 85%
- CLP: 70%
- Java: 41%
- Python: 26%
- Node.js: 21%
91%
85%
70%
41%
26%
21%
The majority of IBM i shops are using business applications written in-house.
In-house-written