WND Terminal vs. IBM i Access Client Solutions (5250 emulation)
For the 5250 part of ACS: your sessions and keys imported, graphical windows as ACS draws them, and an app that isn’t Java.
WND Terminal is an alternative to the 5250 emulator in IBM i Access Client Solutions (ACS). It imports ACS 5250 session files (.hod) and their keyboard files, reads ACS batch files (.bchx, .bch) to list the sessions they start, and supports IBM’s enhanced 5250 interface (windows, menu bars, radio buttons, check boxes, push buttons, scroll bars) as ACS does. It runs as a native app on Windows and Mac and in a browser, and also connects to IBM Z mainframes (3270), which ACS does not.
Scope: ACS includes IBM i tools beyond 5250 emulation. This comparison covers 5250 display and printer sessions only; WND Terminal doesn’t replace ACS’s other tools.
At a glance
What WND Terminal does, from its documentation, next to what is publicly known about the other product. Where we couldn’t confirm something, the cell says so.
| Capability | WND Terminal | IBM i Access Client Solutions |
|---|---|---|
| IBM i (5250) display | Yes: 24×80, 27×132, enhanced 5250 graphical windows, DBCS | Yes |
| IBM Z mainframe (3270, TN3270E, terminal names) | Yes | No (5250 only) |
| Printer sessions | 3287 (SCS and 3270 data stream) and IBM i printers with host print transform | Yes (5250 printer) |
| Windows | Yes: MSI for IT, per-user setup.exe | Yes (Java) |
| Mac | Native app for Apple Silicon and Intel, macOS 11+, MacBook key mappings | Yes, as a Java application |
| Browser access | Yes: self-hosted gateway, Entra ID, Okta, Google or OIDC sign-in, same policy and license, seats per person | Check with vendor |
| Imports other emulators’ session and keyboard files | Yes: PCOMM .ws, .kmp, .mac; Reflection .rd3x, .rd5x, XML, .rsf (v11 and earlier); BlueZone .zmd, .zad; ACS .hod, .bchx; tn5250 | Check with vendor |
| Card-number and pattern masking (screen, copies, prints, AI) | Yes, IT-enforceable | Check with vendor |
| Audit log to Splunk and CEF/syslog (Sentinel, QRadar, ArcSight) | Yes, never screen contents or keystrokes | Check with vendor |
| Tamper-evident privileged session recording | Yes: SHA-256 hash chain and Ed25519 signature, your storage, search and replay | Check with vendor |
| AI screen explanation and Ask WND | Yes: model on the PC or in your network; Ask WND read-only by default | Check with vendor |
| Screen as a form, no host change | Yes: Modern view (Ctrl+Shift+M) | Check with vendor |
| Spreadsheet to screen, multi-page list to spreadsheet | Yes: Fill from Excel and Capture all pages, built in, no scripting | Check with vendor |
Competitor information is based on publicly available information as of October 2026; check with each vendor for current capabilities. “Check with vendor” means we could not confirm the capability from public sources. Reflection, BlueZone, Rumba and Extra! are trademarks of Rocket Software. IBM, Personal Communications and IBM i Access Client Solutions are trademarks of IBM. WND Software is not affiliated with or endorsed by these companies.
What changes when you move
- Same keys.As in ACS, Enter and right Ctrl are Enter and Ctrl+Enter is Field Exit.
- Sessions imported.
.hodfiles bring host, port, TLS, screen size, device name and code page; Kerberos sign-on and device-name patterns such asDSP*=are explained. - Automatic sign-on without sending the password.RFC 4777 password substitutes; the password is never stored.
- IBM i printers with message queue and host print transform, defined centrally by IT.
- Japanese, Chinese and Korean double-byte IBM i code pages.
- One app for IBM i and the mainframe, under one policy, with a native Mac app and a browser option. Then Modern view, Fill from Excel, Capture all pages, Ask WND on the IBM i job log, guided training, session recording and response times.
What customers changed when they switched
From WND’s published customer stories. The stories don’t name the previous vendor.
- Fifth Third BankEmulator bill down 81%; 3,300 of 7,400 licensed seats found unused in 90 days; about 7,000 PCs moved in 11 weeks.
- The Home Depot2,800 Mac users moved off Citrix; 38 Citrix servers retired; login to the first screen from 90 seconds to 5.
- Union Pacific1,900 session profiles and 340 keyboard maps imported; 7,800 users moved in eight weeks against a nine-month estimate.
None of these stories is an IBM i deployment; they show how WND Terminal rollouts go. 20% of the Fortune 100 trust WND.
Questions about switching
Can WND Terminal import ACS sessions?
Yes: .hod 5250 session files and the keyboard file they name, plus batch files listing their sessions.
Does WND Terminal show IBM i’s graphical windows like ACS?
Yes. It supports IBM’s enhanced 5250 interface (windows, menu bars, radio buttons, check boxes, push buttons and scroll bars) unless IT turns it off.
Does it run on a Mac?
Yes, as a native app for Apple Silicon and Intel, not a Java application.
Does WND Terminal replace all of ACS?
It replaces 5250 display and printer sessions. ACS’s other IBM i tools are outside its scope.
Other comparisons
Bring your .hod files.
Drop them on WND Terminal during a free proof of value. Your 5250 sessions connect with the keys your people know.