TIMWare (Tecnologías de Innovación y Mejora S.A. de C.V.) - Comprehensive Analysis Report

Summary

TIMWare (Tecnologías de Innovación y Mejera S.A. de C.V.) is a Mexican company with over 35 years of experience, specializing in providing comprehensive solutions for IBM i systems, also known as AS/400 and iSeries. Based in Mexico City, its core mission is to empower clients to maximize the potential of their IBM i infrastructure. TIMWare focuses on enhancing system security, driving modernization efforts, optimizing spool management, implementing robust monitoring, facilitating DevOps practices, and ensuring high availability for critical 24/7 operations with minimal disaster recovery times. The company plays a significant role in helping organizations address technical debt and modernize legacy technologies to remain competitive and future-ready within the IBM i ecosystem.

1. Strategic Focus & Objectives

TIMWare's strategic focus is dedicated to enabling clients to fully leverage their IBM i (AS/400 – iSeries) systems.

Core Objectives

• Enhance Security Posture: Close security vulnerabilities of all types.

• Modernize Legacy Systems: Adapt and update legacy applications and infrastructure, including the transition from traditional green screen interfaces to modern web interfaces.

• Efficient Spool Management: Implement efficient solutions for managing system spools.

• Robust Monitoring Solutions: Provide comprehensive monitoring capabilities for IBM i systems.

• Facilitate DevOps Practices: Help organizations adopt the DevOps philosophy and automate processes.

• Ensure High Availability: Achieve 24/7 operations with minimal disaster recovery time.

• Optimize Computing Resources: Enhance the efficiency of computing resources.

• Address Technical Debt: Strategically manage and reduce technical debt associated with IBM i applications.

• Modernize RPG Code: Update and future-proof legacy RPG code to maintain platform competitiveness.

Specialization Areas

TIMWare possesses deep expertise in several key areas within the IBM i environment:

• Security: Implementing advanced solutions to safeguard IBM i systems.

• Modernization: Transforming legacy applications and interfaces, particularly from green screen to modern web environments, and updating RPG code.

• Spool Management: Providing tools and strategies for effective management of output spools.

• Monitoring: Offering solutions for continuous oversight and performance analysis of IBM i systems.

• DevOps: Guiding clients in adopting DevOps methodologies for improved development and operations workflows.

• High Availability (HA): Ensuring continuous operation and rapid recovery for critical systems.

• Cloud Integration: Facilitating the migration and integration of IBM i systems with cloud environments.

• Custom Development and Consulting: Offering professional services, custom software development, and specialized training.

Target Markets

TIMWare primarily targets organizations that operate with IBM i (AS/400 – iSeries) systems, particularly those looking to enhance security, modernize applications, and optimize operational efficiency within Mexico. Their services are geared towards professionals in IBM i.

2. Product Pipeline

TIMWare leverages both proprietary approaches and
solutions from strategic partners to offer a comprehensive product pipeline for the IBM i ecosystem.

Key Products/Services

• Profound AppDev:

• Description: A comprehensive suite enabling native development, modernization, and integration of applications on IBM i. It supports low-code development and features an intuitive graphical interface for creating web and mobile applications, eliminating reliance on traditional green screens.

• Key Features & Benefits: Allows coexistence and integration of RPG, CL, and Node.js within a single architecture; simplifies application development and modernization; attracts new development talent.

• Profound.js:

• Description: A tool for the progressive conversion of existing RPG code to Node.js.

• Key Features & Benefits: Facilitates the adoption of modern technologies while preserving IBM i investments and attracting new talent.

• ARCAD-Elias:

• Description: A solution that expands development capabilities on IBM i with modern tools.

• Key Features & Benefits: Integrates with modern development environments like VS Code, enhancing developer productivity and experience.

• Quick-EDD:

• Description: A high availability solution for IBM i systems offered through partnership.

• Key Features & Benefits: Ensures continuous system uptime and data integrity.

• Whiz-DOC / Whiz-SPOOL:

• Description: Solutions for document and spool management, offered through partnership.

• Key Features & Benefits: Optimizes the handling, distribution, and archiving of system output and documents.

• ARCAD Software Solutions:

• Description: Solutions for DevOps and modernization, offered through partnership.

• Key Features & Benefits: Automates and streamlines software development and delivery processes on IBM i.

• Assure Security:

• Description: An enhanced security solution for IBM i, offered through partnership.

• Key Features & Benefits: Strengthens the security posture of IBM i environments through advanced controls and audit capabilities.

• Profound Logic Solutions:

• Description: Application development and modernization solutions, central to transforming IBM i applications with modern web interfaces.

• Key Features & Benefits: Enables the integration of new programming languages and modern user experiences.

3. Technology & Innovation

TIMWare's technological edge stems from its deep specialization and innovative application of platforms within the IBM i ecosystem.

Technology Stack

• Core Platforms and Technologies: Deep expertise in IBM i (AS/400 – iSeries) operating systems.

• Proprietary Developments & Strategic Implementations:

• Profound AppDev: Utilized for native development, modernization, and integration, emphasizing low-code capabilities and intuitive graphical interfaces for web and mobile applications. It supports multi-language environments including RPG, CL, and Node.js.

• Profound.js: Employed for the progressive conversion of RPG code to Node.js architectures, bridging legacy systems with modern development paradigms.

• ARCAD-Elias: Integrated to enhance development workflows on IBM i by enabling the use of modern tools like VS Code.

• Scientific Methodologies: Focus on strategic modernization approaches for green screen interfaces to web, and addressing technical debt by updating traditional RPG code.

• Technical Capabilities: Expertise in High Availability, security enhancement, DevOps integration, spool management, and application modernization. This includes capabilities in migrations, consulting, custom software development, and specialized training.

4. Market Analysis

TIMWare operates within the specialized and evolving IBM i market, offering solutions that cater to the unique demands of this robust platform.

Market Overview

• Total Addressable Market Size: The total addressable market consists of a vast installed base of companies globally and particularly in Mexico that rely on IBM i (AS/400 – iSeries) systems for their critical business operations. These systems are known for their stability, security, and scalability, making them prevalent across various industries like finance, manufacturing, retail, and healthcare.

• Growth Potential: The IBM i market, while mature, experiences continuous demand for modernization, integration with newer technologies, and enhanced security. Many legacy installations require updates to remain competitive, leading to sustained growth potential for specialized solution providers.

• Key Market Trends:

• Hybrid Cloud Integration: Increasingly, IBM i users are looking to integrate their on-premise systems with cloud environments for greater flexibility and scalability.

• Application Modernization: A strong trend towards modernizing green screen applications into intuitive web and mobile interfaces to improve user experience and attract new talent.

• DevOps Adoption: Growing interest in implementing DevOps practices within the IBM i environment to accelerate development cycles and improve operational efficiency.

• Technical Debt Reduction: A critical focus on remediating accumulated technical debt, particularly in RPG code, to ensure long-term viability and ease of maintenance.

• Enhanced Security: Continued emphasis on strengthening security measures to protect critical data and ensure compliance.

• Market Challenges and Opportunities: The primary challenge lies in the perception of IBM i as a legacy platform and the potential shortage of skilled RPG developers. This presents a significant opportunity for TIMWare by offering solutions that bridge the gap between traditional IBM i capabilities and modern IT requirements, such as enabling Node.js development on IBM i without costly migrations, and providing training and consulting services to upskill workforces.

5. Strategic Partnerships

TIMWare enhances its offerings and market reach through robust strategic partnerships with leading technology providers in the IBM i space.

• Quick-EDD:

• Nature of Partnership: Provider of High Availability solutions.

• Strategic Benefits: Allows TIMWare to offer comprehensive disaster recovery and business continuity for IBM i systems.

• Whiz-DOC / Whiz-SPOOL:

• Nature of Partnership: Provider of document and spool management solutions.

• Strategic Benefits: Enables TIMWare to deliver tools for efficient handling and distribution of system output.

• ARCAD Software:

• Nature of Partnership: Provider of DevOps and modernization solutions.

• Strategic Benefits: Bolsters TIMWare's ability to implement agile development practices and application transformation on IBM i.

• Assure Security:

• Nature of Partnership: Provider of advanced security solutions for IBM i.

• Strategic Benefits: Strengthens TIMWare's portfolio in helping clients secure their sensitive data and comply with regulations.

• Profound Logic:

• Nature of Partnership: Provider of application development and modernization tools (e.g., Profound AppDev, Profound.js).

• Strategic Benefits: Central to TIMWare's strategy for modernizing IBM i applications to web interfaces and integrating new programming languages like Node.js.

• ARCAD-Elias:

• Nature of Partnership: Provider of tools for modernizing development environments.

• Strategic Benefits: Extends TIMWare's capacity to integrate contemporary development tools like VS Code with IBM i, enhancing developer experience.

6. Operational Insights

With over 35 years of accumulated experience in IBM i systems, TIMWare possesses a deep understanding of the platform's operational intricacies and client needs.

• Current Market Position: TIMWare is positioned as a highly experienced and specialized provider of IBM i solutions, particularly in the Mexican market. Their long history in the industry signifies a profound knowledge base and established trust among clients.

• Competitive Advantages:

• Deep Domain Expertise: Extensive experience translates into a nuanced understanding of IBM i challenges and effective solutions.

• Comprehensive Service Portfolio: Beyond product implementation, they offer migrations, consulting, custom software development, and specialized training.

• Commitment to Support: Emphasis on providing rapid and effective support for all offered solutions.

• Focus on Operational Objectives: Direct alignment with client goals such as 24/7 system availability and optimized disaster recovery.

• Operational Strengths:

• Consultative Approach: Assisting clients in finding the best strategies for improvement and remediation.

• End-to-End Solutions: Covering areas from security and high availability to modernization and DevOps.

• Client-Centric Development: Custom software development tailored to specific client requirements.

• Knowledge Transfer: Specialized training to empower client teams.

7. Future Outlook

TIMWare's strategic roadmap is focused on continuous innovation and fostering the evolution of the IBM i platform to meet modern technological demands.

Strategic Roadmap

• Planned Initiatives:

• Addressing Technical Debt: Continued focus on managing and reducing technical debt to ensure the IBM i platform remains competitive and future-ready.

• RPG Code Modernization: Facilitating the modernization and updating of traditional RPG code.

• Growth Strategies:

• Integration of Modern Development Tools: Enabling clients to adopt contemporary development tools and languages, exemplified by the integration of Profound AppDev and Profound.js.

• Node.js Integration: Allowing Node.js developers to work within the IBM i environment without requiring costly migrations, thereby attracting new talent to the platform.

• Expansion Opportunities:

• Evolving Internal Systems: Helping organizations evolve their internal systems by adopting innovative tools while preserving the inherent stability and security of IBM i.

• Future Challenges and Mitigation Strategies: The ongoing challenge of balancing modernization with the inherent stability and investment in IBM i will be met by enabling gradual and integrated transitions, ensuring that clients can embrace new technologies without massive overhauls or risks to core operations.