AST, SPI bring flexibility to IEMAS`s IT environment

The AST Group and SPI Consulting have successfully re-hosted IEMAS`s legacy mainframe applications on a Unix platform, introducing operational cost savings and improved customer service.

IEMAS is the largest trade co-operative in southern Africa providing financing and insurance products and services to selected employer groups.

The primary objective of the project was to re-host the IEMAS application from the OS/390 platform to a new enabling platform. SPI Consulting`s application rehosting services and software solutions provide businesses with the flexibility and added functionality of an open systems environment, bypassing the costly and time-consuming software and business re-engineering process, with no interruption in their service to their customers.

"In the process of re-hosting their application, IEMAS achieved their long-term strategy of moving to open systems and thus driving down IT costs," explains Diellie Schmutz of AST AIS, the AST business unit responsible for the project management during the migration. "With the enhanced throughput of a true multitasking operating system, IEMAS now benefits from faster response times and lower data centre operating costs while preserving the best from their legacy application."

Hentie Pauley, technical director: SPI Consulting, says SPI has developed proprietary software specifically for the Unix environment, allowing for the seamless integration of IEMAS legacy mainframe applications into the open systems environment.

"With the re-hosting solution, IEMAS further benefits from the advanced job scheduling system Xi-Batch and the Xi-Text output spooling and archiving system, ensuring more effective transfer and control of business data," Pauley concludes.

The entire migration took only three months to complete and is an excellent example of success through hard work and cooperation between the IEMAS, SPI and AST teams.