The AS/400

The AS 400 is a midrange server ideal for a variety of business enterprises. The AS/400's operating system is called the OS/400. AS/400 customers can choose from thousands of applications that have already been written and many have been "Web-enabled." IBM points to the AS/400's "uptime" of 99.9%.

According to IBM, these are some important new uses for the AS/400:

  • Data warehousing: With multi-gigabytes of RAM and multi-terabytes of hard disk space, the AS/400 can be a repository for large amounts of company data.
  • Java application development: With its closely integrated Java virtual machine and new tools designed by IBM for building commercial applications with Java, the AS/400 can be used as a development system.
  • Web and e-commerce serving: Equipped with a Web server and applications designed to support e-commerce (taking orders, tracking orders, providing service to customers, working with partners and suppliers) and with firewall capabilities, the AS/400 can handle Internet serving for a moderate-size company.
  • Corporate groupware services: Assuming that Domino and Notes have been included with the system, it's designed to quickly provide a corporation with sophisticated e-mail, project file sharing, whiteboards, and electronic collaboration.
IBM Business Partner