Golden Path Digital, a leader in enterprise modernization solutions, today announced the launch of AS/Forward, an advanced intelligence and automated transpilation platform designed to address the critical challenge facing the IBM i community: the Workforce Cliff. By combining deep codebase forensics with automated RPG-to-modern-language migration, the platform provides a secure, high-speed bridge for organizations transitioning away from legacy dependencies without disrupting core business operations.
For decades, the IBM i platform, formerly known as the AS/400, has served as the backbone of global commerce, powering mission-critical operations in banking, logistics, and manufacturing. However, the ecosystem faces a systemic threat as the average age of an RPG developer is now 55 or older. As this veteran workforce reaches retirement age, companies are losing the tribal knowledge required to maintain and evolve these complex systems. AS/Forward was built to preserve this institutional logic by automating the migration process.
Unlike traditional lift-and-shift tools, AS/Forward emphasizes Codebase Clarity as the foundational phase of modernization. Before any code is transpiled, the system performs deep-tissue dependency mapping and impact analysis, uncovering hidden relationships within the codebase. It generates automated, natural-language documentation and audit-ready descriptions of business logic, providing IT leadership with an X-ray view of their entire estate. This transparency enables stakeholders to make informed, data-driven decisions.
The platform converts legacy RPG into modern languages such as Python, Java, Node.js, JavaScript, C#, and .NET. This multi-language flexibility allows organizations to break their reliance on a dwindling supply of RPG specialists and integrate with modern DevOps practices and cloud-native architectures. By moving core business logic into languages with global talent pools, enterprises can hire from millions of skilled developers.
AS/Forward also offers an incremental de-risking approach through program-by-program migration. This methodology allows organizations to validate each workflow in a production-like environment before fully decommissioning legacy components, reducing the risk of business interruption. The financial benefits are transformative: traditional consulting models cost between $5 million and $20 million per project, while AS/Forward delivers 10x to 50x cost reduction. Modernization goals can be achieved within 12 to 24 months, compared to 5 to 7 years with manual rearchitecting.
For regulated industries, AS/Forward is provider-agnostic and supports local deployment via Ollama or secure private cloud environments like AWS Bedrock. This ensures data sovereignty and compliance, as sensitive logic never leaves the client firewall. The platform does not require an external internet connection, protecting intellectual property.
AS/Forward represents a paradigm shift in how enterprises approach IBM i legacy systems, moving from high-stakes, multi-year gambles to strategic control and operational clarity. As the window for controlled transition narrows due to the aging workforce, the platform provides the tools and roadmap to secure the operational future of the enterprise.
