WND Terminal vs. IBM Personal Communications (PCOMM)
Your PCOMM profiles, keyboard files and simple macros, imported. Then a Mac app, a browser option and a list of things PCOMM never did.
WND Terminal is a replacement for IBM Personal Communications (PCOMM) for mainframe (3270) and IBM i (5250) sessions. It imports PCOMM workstation profiles (.ws), keyboard files (.kmp), backup hosts, host code pages and macros (.mac, converted where they can be). Its IBM i keys follow PCOMM’s defaults, such as left Ctrl for Reset. PCOMM runs on Windows; WND Terminal runs on Windows, Mac and in the browser.
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 PCOMM |
|---|---|---|
| Windows | Yes: MSI for IT, per-user setup.exe | Yes |
| Mac | Native app for Apple Silicon and Intel, macOS 11+, MacBook key mappings | No (Windows only) |
| Browser access | Yes: self-hosted gateway, Entra ID, Okta, Google or OIDC sign-in, same policy and license, seats per person | Separate IBM products; check with vendor |
| IBM Z mainframe (3270, TN3270E, terminal names) | Yes | Yes |
| IBM i (5250) display | Yes: 24×80, 27×132, enhanced 5250 graphical windows, DBCS | Yes |
| Printer sessions | 3287 (SCS and 3270 data stream) and IBM i printers with host print transform | Yes |
| File transfer (IND$FILE) | Yes (DFT mode; CUT mode not supported) | Yes |
| 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 |
| Macro language | Short readable script (type, press, wait, move); PCOMM .mac import. No VBA or Basic: those macros are listed for a person | VBScript macros and EHLLAPI |
| Central lockdown | Group Policy (ADMX), Intune, Mac configuration profile, policy.json; enforced by the engine | 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 | Possible with macros or scripting |
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
- Drop the files on the window.A
.wsprofile dropped with the.kmpfile it names is linked to it. 5250 profiles bring the device name, screen size and code page; keyboard files bring every assignment, with Shift, Ctrl and Alt, including the 5250 keys. - Macros, honestly.PCOMM
.macmacros convert to WND Terminal macros where they can, fully or with message boxes left out; macros with program logic or screen reading are listed for a person. - The keys people know.Esc is Attention and left Ctrl is Reset on IBM i, as in PCOMM. Sites that put Field Exit on Enter or right Ctrl import their
.kmpfile and keep it. - Union Pacific’s proof.1,900 session profiles and 340 keyboard maps imported in two days, and 7,800 users moved in eight weeks against a nine-month estimate to rebuild by hand. Backup hosts imported from profiles meant no emulator calls in the next disaster-recovery test.
- Beyond Windows.A native Mac app and a self-hosted browser version, under the same policy and license.
- Honest gaps.No VT emulation, no VBA or Basic macros, and double-byte code pages for IBM i sessions only. The readiness report lists every file that depends on one.
What customers changed when they switched
From WND’s published customer stories. The stories don’t name the previous vendor.
- Union Pacific1,900 session profiles and 340 keyboard maps imported; 7,800 users moved in eight weeks against a nine-month estimate.
- 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.
- Texas HHSCAbout 60,000 hours of retyping removed a year with Copy as table; QA keying errors from 4.1% to 0.3%.
Questions about switching
Can WND Terminal import PCOMM workstation profiles and keyboard files?
Yes: .ws profiles (3270 and 5250), .kmp keyboard files and backup hosts, with host code pages. Keys WND Terminal doesn’t have are listed, not dropped silently.
Will my PCOMM macros work?
Simple .mac macros are converted automatically. Macros with program logic or screen reading are listed for a person in the Migration readiness report.
Is there a PCOMM for Mac?
PCOMM runs on Windows. WND Terminal runs natively on Mac (Apple Silicon and Intel) with the same sessions and keys.
Do we need to change anything on the host?
No. WND Terminal uses standard TN3270E and TN5250, including terminal (LU) names and printer sessions.
Other comparisons
Import a PCOMM profile in the first hour.
In a proof of value we import your PCOMM profiles and keyboard files with you, then a real team uses WND Terminal next to PCOMM for two to four weeks. Free.