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Izzi Software is expanding its reach in the IBM i market through a new partnership with Virtutem,aiming to modernize legacy code for Infor LX and other ERP system users. The collaboration brings together IzziS recently acquired Valence application modernization tool and Virtutem’s deep expertise in Infor’s ecosystem.
Modernization Options Expand for IBM i Users
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The partnership offers an alternative path for companies hesitant to fully embrace Infor’s IDF modernization strategy.
- Izzi Software acquired CNX and its Valence tool in 2025, marking its entry into the IBM i market.
- Virtutem, a long-time Infor partner, will now sell and support Valence to its customer base.
- The partnership addresses a gap in modernization options for IBM i shops with notable custom code or older ERP versions.
- Valence provides a path to web and mobile applications for systems where a full IDF upgrade isn’t feasible.
For IBM i shops grappling with aging codebases, finding the right modernization path can be a challenge. izzi Software, which entered the IBM i market in 2025 with the acquisition of CNX and its Valence application modernization tool, is now partnering with Virtutem to offer a broader range of options. This collaboration specifically targets users of Infor LX and other IBM i-based ERP systems.
A Veteran’s Perspective
Alwyn Francis, founder and CEO of Virtutem, brings decades of experiance to the table. He began his career as an RPG II programmer working on System/3, System/34, and System/36, before joining an SSA partner in the united Kingdom in the mid-1990s. After relocating to the US, he founded Virtutem in Chicago in 2008, focusing on providing technical services and consulting to the numerous BPCS installations in the region.
Virtutem has served hundreds of IBM i customers, specializing in Infor LX (formerly BPCS), PRMS, and other IBM i-based ERP systems. As an Infor partner, the company is well-versed in Infor’s modernization strategy, which centers around the Infor Development Framework (IDF).
Though, Francis notes that IDF isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. “Sometimes IDF is not the complete solution because, as you know, a lot of these shops have a lot of custom code, and IDF doesn’t sit over that very well,” he explained. “Sometimes we’re in customers that are on Infor LX 4 or 5 or some older versions, and upgrading to Infor LX 8.4 isn’t something they’re going to do. And sometimes we have homegrown ERPs where there is no vendor-supported path.”
Discovering Valence at COMMON
To explore alternative modernization options, Francis attended the COMMON conference in Anaheim, California, last year. It was there he reconnected with CNX and its Valence product. He’s known CNX co-founders Richard milone and Robert Swanson since 2001, and has followed their work within the IBM i space. Both CNX and Virtutem share roots in the BPCS and PRMS communities, prevalent in the manufacturing belt across the Great Lakes region.
“I respect Rich and Rob’s knowledge of the IBM i,” Francis said. “They’ve always focused on IBM i. And when I looked at other solutions that are out there and the technical chops that
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