AS400 training?

kbowen0188

My current company is a local bank that operates on an AS400. I do a little work with it, generally just running and printing reports, resetting passwords and setting up workstations to access the AS400 resources. I've wanted to become more knowledgeable with the technology though, and I am curious how to go about this besides what hands-on experience I am getting.

Doing a little research, it seems the AS400/iSeries software is a bit outdated? Or am I mistaken? Is it worth further educating myself in this technology, besides the benefits of being more skilled for this specific job?

If I do want to further advance my knowledge, are there entry level certifications out there?

N2IT

I think it's worth pursuing. iSeries servers are like snakes, cut the head off and it keeps going.

Vask3n

It's still used in some medical environments as well, it seems to be a stable enough infrastructure for those kinds of long-term deployments.

ande0255

My brother uses it at his law office to process evictions and such, and my last job used it for insurance claims, and that was a pretty large company. I didn't even think of training, but that'd definitely show some ambition at work, and hopefully move you on up the ladder.

It's amazing how that ancient software has withstood the test of time, and I'd bet will continue to, nice little niche cert for sure.

Bryzey

Sql is beneficial to learn if your spending time with as400/iseries

Chev Chellios

As the guys above have said it is worth learning more about, we used it in my previous job at a large construction company and many large businesses use it still, as it has been proven to withstand the test of time and is very reliable.

the_Grinch

IBM still releases updates and new versions for the AS400. A lot of companies don't bother with the updates, but they are out there. The casino industry is still using AS400's heavily. The issue is you'd be hard pressed to find any training for it, but with it on your resume you can basically write your own ticket. My dad's company used AS400's and their lead programmer left for a very high paying job for a local bank (about 20 branches and he was the head of the team). The company had an issue and he was the only one who could fix it, let's just say he made a lot of money for a few hours of work.

colemic

I would learn all I can - while it is a niche market, as you well know there is a demand for it in the financial industry, and it will be years upon years before the core providers move away from them.

RomBUS

Never thought I would hear it mentioned around these parts

Still use it at my job here almost everyday. Basic administration stuff though

gorebrush

AS400 work will still pay well. I bet some of my old employers still have it running their payroll.