For the past several years, the community has embraced the IBM i Development Extension Pack, a group of open-source extensions for Visual Studio Code that brings modern application development tools to IBM i. Developers around the world have been relying on it to connect, edit, and build new applications on IBM i with the same intuitive experience as any other platform. The extension has grown into one of the most widely adopted open-source tools in the IBM i ecosystem, supported by an active and passionate community of contributors. Its success reflects the increasing importance of open development practices in helping clients accelerate their application modernization journeys.
I’m excited to share the next step we are taking in our journey with the IBM i Development Extension Pack. Starting today, October 7th, 2025, IBM will begin offering enterprise-level support for these IBM i extensions as a standalone offering. This service is called IBM i Extensions for Visual Studio Code Enterprise Support. With this service, clients can innovate, build, and modernize business-critical applications with confidence, with enterprise-level support backed by IBM.
What does this mean for the community?
IBM i has always been about providing a stable, secure, and modern platform for business-critical workloads and applications. At the same time, we know that our clients are evolving their application development and modernization practices, adopting open-source tools and technologies, and integrating their IBM i environments into enterprise-wide DevOps strategies. IBM i extensions have been a powerful enabler of that shift. But as clients expand adoption, many have asked for IBM Enterprise Support for the open-source extensions. With IBM i Extensions for Visual Studio Code Enterprise Support, that is exactly what we are delivering.
What can the community expect?
By choosing enterprise support for IBM i extensions, clients gain direct access to a world-class support organization for assistance with the IBM i extensions of Visual Studio Code. Clients get the assurance that as their development teams grow, their tools are supported, stable, and ready for mission-critical enterprise workloads and applications. They also have the confidence of alignment with the overall IBM i application development and modernization strategy, a continuation of our commitment to open innovation, ensuring clients can adopt the best of both open-source community and enterprise-grade support.
Continuing the Open-Source Spirit
It is very important to note that IBM i extensions remain open source and community driven. Developers can still contribute, experiment, and innovate freely. IBM i Extensions for Visual Studio Code Enterprise Support simply adds another layer for those clients who want the backing of enterprise support from IBM in business-critical production environments. This dual approach of open innovation with enterprise-grade assurance embodies the future of IBM i. We are enabling our clients to move faster while maintaining the reliability they expect from IBM i.
Looking Ahead
With IBM i Extensions for Visual Studio Code Enterprise Support, we are making it even easier for our clients to modernize application development on IBM i. This is just one more step in our ongoing commitment to empowering developers, extending the IBM i ecosystem, and helping clients accelerate their application modernization journeys. To install IBM i extensions and learn more on how to contribute to the open-source projects, check out the Visual Studio Marketplace page. I look forward to seeing how our clients and community use this new offering to bring even more innovation to IBM i.