What 3X Software does

3X Software Ltd is a privately held UK software company, registered in England and Wales and headquartered in Old Colwyn, Colwyn Bay, that has operated continuously since 1984. Its core business is support, enhancement, and bespoke development for IBM midrange systems (AS/400, iSeries, System i, IBM i), with deep language expertise in RPGII, RPGIII, RPGIV, RPG ILE, free-format RPG, COBOL, and CL, alongside web extension capabilities in Java, C#, Python, HTML, XML, JavaScript, PHP, MySQL, and Java frameworks (Hibernate, Struts), plus IBM screen-scraping and web-facing tools (Websphere, Webfacing, HATS). The company is an IBM Partner in Development with solutions listed in the IBM Global Solutions Directory, and addresses a structural shortage of experienced RPG developers that is driving demand for outsourced legacy support and modernisation among IT directors reluctant to undertake full system replacement.

Beyond IBM i services, 3X Software distributes and supports a portfolio of packaged products: the Karova e-commerce suite (Store, Donate, Hosting), the 3X Secure payment plug-in (Verified by Visa and MasterCard SecureCode accredited), the Postcodes4u address lookup service (delivered under a Royal Mail Postcode VAR licence), and plugins for nopCommerce, WordPress, and WooCommerce sold through a dedicated storefront. Revenue is generated through a mix of professional services (RPG application support with emergency break-fix and major release planning, plus bespoke software development) and packaged product licensing, including subscription-style packaged software and one-time plugin licences. The go-to-market is sales-led and direct, primarily via telephone and a website contact form with UK office hours, supplemented by a content marketing blog covering IBM i topics and a presence on Facebook and X. No external funding, no disclosed headcount, and no published revenue or pricing data are available.

Name

3X Software

Legal name

3X Software Ltd

Website

https://3xsw.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Short description

3X Software is a UK private software company founded in 1984 that provides RPG application support, bespoke IBM i/AS400 development, and packaged products including Karova e-commerce, Postcodes4u address lookup, and 3X Secure payment processing for businesses running legacy IBM midrange systems.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Colwyn Bay

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Professional Services - RPG Application Support: Ongoing support services for IBM Systems written in RPGII, RPGIII, RPGIV, RPG ILE and free format. Includes emergency break-fix support, software enhancement, and planning/developing major new releases.
2. Bespoke Software Development: Custom software development services for AS400, iSeries, System i range and web applications. Development services using RPG/ILE, COBOL, CL and additional languages.
3. Packaged Software Products: Licensed and supported packaged solutions including Karova e-commerce (Store, Donate, Hosting), 3X Secure payment plugin, Postal Address Management (Royal Mail Postcode VAR), and Data Encryption products.
4. nopCommerce, WordPress and WooCommerce Plugins: Plugin products for popular e-commerce platforms sold via plugins.3xsoftware.co.uk.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

3X Software provides bespoke software development, ongoing RPG application support, and modernization services for IBM midrange systems (AS/400, iSeries, System i, IBM i), including emergency break-fix, software enhancement, and major release planning. The company also licenses a portfolio of packaged products: the Karova e-commerce platform (Store, Donate, Hosting), the 3X Secure payment plug-in, Postcodes4U postal address lookup, and plugins for nopCommerce, WordPress, and WooCommerce.

Product overview

3X Software is a software support and development company that offers a portfolio of proprietary products and services. Their core e-commerce offering is the Karova platform, which includes Karova Store (e-commerce), Karova Donate (donation functionality), and Karova Hosting. 3X Secure provides PCI-compliant payment processing certified by Visa and MasterCard SecureCode. Postcodes4u offers postal address verification using Royal Mail Postcode data. The company also provides plugins for third-party e-commerce platforms including nopCommerce, WordPress, and WooCommerce. Beyond product offerings, 3X Software delivers RPG Application Support and RPG Development services for IBM midrange systems (AS400, iSeries, System i), supporting legacy languages such as RPGII, RPGIII, RPGIV, and RPG ILE alongside modern web technologies. They are an IBM Partner in Development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Postcodes4u: Postcode Lookup service for capturing and verifying customer addresses quickly and accurately using existing websites.
• Karova Store
• Karova Donate
• Karova Hosting
• 3X Secure

Products and services

• Karova Store Karova Store is an e-commerce platform that enables businesses to sell products and services online, forming part of the Karova family of solutions offered by 3X Software.
• 3X Secure 3X Secure is a Verified by Visa and MasterCard SecureCode accredited Merchant Plug In that provides secure payment processing functionality for businesses.
• Postcodes4u Postcodes4u is a postal address lookup service that captures and verifies customer addresses quickly and accurately using the Royal Mail Postcode database, integrating with existing websites.
• Karova Donate Karova Donate provides donation functionality integrated with the Karova e-commerce platform, enabling online donation processing.
• Karova Hosting Karova Hosting provides hosting services for the Karova e-commerce platform.
• 3X Software Plugins 3X Software Plugins are plugin products for nopCommerce, WordPress, and WooCommerce platforms designed to improve online store functionality.
• RPG Application Support RPG Application Support provides ongoing support services for IBM Systems written in RPGII, RPGIII, RPGIV, RPG ILE and free format, including emergency break-fix support, software enhancement, and major release planning.
• RPG Development RPG Development provides bespoke software development services for AS400, iSeries and System i range utilizing RPG/ILE, COBOL, CL, and web technologies including Java, C#, Python, HTML, XML, JavaScript, PHP, and MySQL.

Quantifiable outcome

• Legacy replacement solutions cost 2-3 times the original budget and still often fail to meet business needs
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• IBMcoreTechnology or Integration3X Software is an IBM Partner in Development, with solutions listed in the IBM Global Solutions Directory. The partnership involves bespoke development for iSeries and web applications, and the company leverages IBM's midrange platform (AS/400, iSeries, System i, IBM i) as the foundation for its RPG development and support services.
• Royal MailcoreTechnology or Integration3X Software is a Royal Mail Postcode database Value Added Reseller (VAR). This enables the company to offer Postal Address Management products, specifically the Postcodes4U postcode lookup service that captures and verifies customer addresses using Royal Mail's postcode database.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Profound Logic: Provides RPG development tools, web-enablement, and modernization for IBM i. Directly comparable on IBM i web-facing and modernization capabilities such as those 3X Software offers via Websphere/Webfacing/HATS.
• ARCAD Software: DevOps, modernization, and testing tools specifically for IBM i RPG and COBOL environments. Comparable as a specialist vendor serving the same legacy IBM midrange modernization use cases.
• BCD Software: IBM i modernization, web enablement, and report-distribution solutions. Comparable on the modernization and web-facing capabilities that 3X Software positions alongside its RPG support services.
• Remain Software: IBM i DevOps, change management, and modernization tooling vendor. Directly comparable niche player serving RPG developers and IBM i customers seeking to extend and modernize legacy applications.
• Skookum: Custom software and digital product consultancy with a legacy of working across enterprise platforms including IBM i. Comparable as a bespoke development partner serving enterprises needing legacy system extension.
• Postcode Anywhere (Loqate / GBG): UK-headquartered address verification and data quality provider. Direct competitor to 3X Software's Postcodes4U offering for capturing and validating customer addresses in UK e-commerce workflows.
• Fresche Solutions: IBM i modernization, RPG application support, and legacy-to-modern development specialist. The closest direct competitor in the niche of supporting and extending RPG/COBOL applications on IBM midrange platforms.

Broad incumbents

• Shopify: Dominant SaaS e-commerce platform. Indirectly competes with 3X Software's Karova e-commerce offering and its nopCommerce/WordPress/WooCommerce plugins as the broader SMB e-commerce solution incumbents must contend with.
• Fortra (formerly HelpSystems): Broad IBM i-focused software and services company spanning automation, security, and modernization. Competes with 3X Software's adjacent modernization/data-encryption offerings as part of a far larger portfolio.
• Rocket Software: Established vendor of IBM i tooling, modernization, and connectivity products. Overlaps with 3X Software in RPG development and modernization support but operates as a much larger, multi-product portfolio incumbent.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/3xsoftware
• Facebookfacebook.com/3xsoftware

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about 3X Software