IBM i teams can now convert their own RPG applications to Java with 1,000 free credits, or have Fresche run the modernization end-to-end through Modernization-as-a-Service

MONTREAL, Nov. 04, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --  Fresche Solutions today announced the general availability of Fresche X-Modernize AI as a self-service web application. IBM i development teams can now sign up, analyze their applications, and convert RPG code to Java on their own. The launch extends the X-Modernize AI platform, which until now has been delivered as a fully managed service, so organizations can choose to run conversions themselves or have Fresche run them through Modernization-as-a-Service (MaaS).

“For 50 years, Fresche has worked alongside the teams who keep IBM i running, and this launch puts our modernization technology directly in their hands,” said Joe Zarrehparvar, CEO of Fresche Solutions. “Whether a team runs X-Modernize AI themselves or has our experts run it for them, they keep the business logic their company depends on and gain Java code they own.”

X-Modernize AI first launched in November 2025 as Fresche’s third generation of IBM i modernization technology, powering Fresche’s own MaaS engagements. One year later, the same enterprise-grade conversion engine is available directly to the developers who know these applications best.

Three Steps from RPG to Java

With the self-service web app, IBM i teams move from RPG to Java in three steps:

Analyze: Teams start with complimentary access to X-Analysis, which maps the entire application, from programs and files to every dependency between them, and divides it into manageable slices so each conversion starts with full context.

Convert: Metadata and application slices are directly exported to X-Modernize AI, where specialized AI agents plan, convert, test, and correct the code, producing clean Java and a new, modern web UI.

Refine: Developers download the converted code or pull it into Git and handle last-mile remediation in the tools they already use. The Java is theirs to keep, with no platform lock-in.

Pricing is simple: start free, prove the value, and pay only as you modernize. Every new account receives 1,000 credits to convert its own code, so teams can judge output quality, speed, and effort on real applications before they invest. Before each conversion, Fresche X-Modernize AI shows the estimated cost of that slice, so teams can plan both the work and the budget with no surprises.

“Until now, teams that wanted to modernize with their own developers had few purpose-built options, and general-purpose AI tools can’t see the whole application or tell you what a conversion will cost,” said Babar Ali, Lead Product Manager at Fresche. “X-Modernize AI puts what Fresche has learned across more than 800 modernization projects directly in their hands. Teams convert complete application slices at their own pace and budget, see the cost up front, and can call on Fresche experts whenever they need them.”

Modernize In-House or Have Fresche Deliver It

Organizations that want Fresche to run the work can choose Modernization-as-a-Service (MaaS), where Fresche’s modernization team uses the same X-Modernize AI technology to deliver whole-application transformation end-to-end. Teams can also start in self-service and bring Fresche in when a project grows in scope.

What Early Customers Are Saying

Among the first teams to use the self-service app is Fareway, a grocery retailer whose small IT team supports accounting, warehouse, and store operations on IBM i. Fareway developers used X-Modernize AI to convert sales reporting and warehouse programs from RPG to Java. After about an hour of onboarding, they were running conversions on their own.

“Once we got our first one going, it was like, oh, okay, this is simple,” said Heather M., Software Developer at Fareway. “The comments were really good. It helped me, not knowing how Java works, because I can go to the RPG code and find out what it was doing.”

Because each section of the generated Java maps back to the original RPG subroutine, the team could check the converted logic against the source. “We’re not necessarily looking at growing our team by headcount, but there’s a lot of complexity in our system,” said Maggie M., Team Lead, Application Development at Fareway. “We need these tools to help us get there.”

Georgia Crown Distributing Company, which also worked with Fresche ahead of the launch, sees the self-service app as part of planning for the next generation of its IT team. “The value in this for me and for my organization is succession planning,” said Mark S., Senior Programmer Analyst at Georgia Crown Distributing Company. “Somebody fresh out of school who knows Java could step in, start looking at that code and support it.”

Momentum Across Fresche’s AI Portfolio

The X-Modernize AI self-service launch follows a busy fall for Fresche’s AI portfolio. In October, Fresche also released OpsIQ, a free AI assistant for IBM i operations first previewed with the company’s 50th anniversary announcement in September. Fresche OpsIQ lets operators and administrators ask questions about their systems in plain language, ranks QSYSOPR messages by severity, and helps diagnose issues with suggested fixes. It is free to download and use.

Availability

Fresche X-Modernize AI self-service platform is available today for RPG to Java conversion. Developers can start free with 1,000 credits, no credit card needed, at freschesolutions.com/products/x-modernize-ai.

About Fresche Solutions

For 50 years, Fresche Solutions has helped organizations modernize, manage, and extend the IBM i and Microsoft systems that run their business, and turn their data into a foundation for AI-ready decision-making. More than 2,200 organizations worldwide trust Fresche’s application intelligence, modernization, managed services, security, and data and analytics solutions. Learn more at freschesolutions.com.