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What Is IBM AS/400 Hardware?

A plain-language explanation of what AS/400 hardware is, how it became IBM Power Systems, and why the name still matters to today's buyers.

From AS/400 to Power Systems

AS/400 was IBM's original branding for a line of midrange business server hardware introduced in the late 1980s, built for reliability and integrated business application support. Over subsequent hardware generations, IBM renamed the platform several times, through iSeries and System i, before consolidating today's hardware under the Power Systems brand.

Throughout every rebrand, the underlying architectural philosophy stayed consistent: dependable, integrated server hardware built for business-critical workloads.

Why the name still matters

Despite the official rebrand to Power Systems, AS/400 remains deeply embedded in how buyers, IT staff, and even job postings describe this hardware ecosystem. A current Power Systems server running IBM i is still commonly called an AS/400 in daily conversation, especially among people who have worked with the platform for years.

That is why hardware sourcing and research content still needs to answer AS/400-labeled searches even when the actual hardware being discussed is a current-generation Power server.

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Refurbished and Used Systems

Certified Refurbished AS/400 9406 System

A tested and warrantied legacy AS/400 9406 system for buyers running stable older workloads or maintaining a matched spare or lab environment.

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