INDUSTRY // RETAIL. TECH

The integration closes a longstanding gap between digital engagement and core retail operations, allowing in-store displays and interactive experiences to reflect accurate, realtime product availability, including automatically suppressing out-of-stock items, prioritising available inventory and aligning promotions with what can actually be purchased in-store.

IBM AS / 400( now commonly referred to as IBM i) has long been considered the gold standard for high-volume retail inventory and transaction processing, underpinning operations for many of the world’ s largest retailers. Global brands such as Walmart, Costco, Target and Walgreens have all relied on AS / 400-based systems to manage core functions like inventory, transactions and supply chain operations at a massive scale. Known for its unmatched reliability, uptime and ability to process real-time data across complex store environments, AS / 400 remains deeply embedded in modern retail infrastructure. By integrating directly with these systems, OnQ’ s Converge platform connects to the same proven backbone that powers day-to-day retail operations, bringing a new level of accuracy and operational alignment to the instore digital experience.

OnQ’ s AS / 400 integration moved beyond the pilot phase to real-world deployment throughout Costco’ s network of 610 club stores in the United States. Costco is among the first to leverage this new capability, using Converge’ s AS / 400 integration to better align digital experiences with inventory systems across its store environment.

“ We believe the future of retail belongs to platforms that connect everything,” said Paul Chapuis, Founder & CEO of OnQ.“ Not just screens and content, but inventory, reporting, operations and the customer experience itself. Converge was built from the ground up to be that kind of platform. It’ s already an incredibly robust system for managing devices, content and engagement across retail environments. Now, with AS / 400 integration, it extends even deeper into the retailer ecosystem, helping brands and retailers finally bring the operational and customer sides of the store together in a meaningful way.”

With AS / 400 integration, Converge enables retailers to:

• Display only in-stock products and dynamically suppress unavailable SKUs

• Align digital promotions with real-time inventory conditions

• Reduce friction between product discovery and purchase

• Improve operational accuracy across store environments

• Create more responsive, data-driven in-store experiences

Built from the ground up by OnQ specifically for retail applications, Converge provides a centralised system for managing complex, multi-location deployments, eliminating the need for disconnected tools, manual workflows or retrofitted platforms not designed for the realities of store execution. OnQ’ s Converge platform brings retailers’ core capabilities into a single integrated platform.

The addition of AS / 400 integration builds on Converge’ s foundation as a purpose-built retail platform designed to unify the key elements of modern display programs: remote device management, content management and reporting and analytics. �

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