It includes data transfer capabilities that are similar to those of IBM i Access for Windows. The new software supports multiple concurrent 5250 sessions, and supports multiple languages. The software provides 5250 display and printer emulation based on IBM’s Host-on-Demand software, and a 5250 session manager modeled after IBM Personal Communications’ (PCOMM’s) Session Manager. IBM i Access Client Solutions should look, feel, and behave much like the other members of the IBM i Access family, including IBM i Access for Windows, IBM i Access for Linux, and IBM i Access for Web. But buried further down in the announcement was the new cross-platform 5250 emulator, which bears the IBM product ID 5733-XJ1. The big news in TR4 was Live Partition Mobility (LPM), a must-have feature for the new cloud world.
IBM first announced IBM i Access Client Solutions in April as part of its IBM i 7.1 Technology Refresh 4 (TR) release. The new offering addresses two difficulties faced by IBM: keeping users of its Windows-based i Access current, and offering an emulator for non-Windows devices. In mid-July, IBM made available for download the technology preview of IBM i Access Client Solutions, a new Java-based version of the IBM i Access emulator that can run on Mac, Linux, and Windows. IBM Delivers Tech Preview of New Java-Based 5250 Emulator