Say Goodbye to Thick Clients: Automate Your Migration with HCL ZIEWeb

Still spending days patching hundreds of thick clients? With HCL ZIEWeb, all you need is a browser.

HCL ZIEWeb (Zero-footprint Host Access)—a browser-based solution that delivers host connectivity while reducing complexity and aligning with modern MFA/SSO mandates.

Why Enterprises Are Moving to HCL ZIEWeb

• No More Thick Clients – CIOs cut desktop patching and upgrade costs with simple browser-based access.
• Built-in Security & Compliance – Compliance Officers stay audit-ready with out-of-the-box MFA/SSO.
• Automation-First Migration – Unlike manual conversions that consume months and invite errors, ZIEWeb’s automation utility slashes migration effort by up to 70%, ensures accuracy, and delivers predictable outcomes at scale. IT leaders achieve in weeks what used to take quarters.
• Cost Advantage – CFOs see direct savings from centralized management and lower infra overhead.

5 Steps for Migration Journey

Step 1: Assess & Inventory

• Identify existing 3270 / 5250 thick-client users, configurations, and VBA macros.
• Map current authentication flows (password, SSO, MFA).

Step 2: Set Up ZIEWeb Environment

Deploy on-prem or in the cloud. Integrate with AD/LDAP for centralized access.

Step 3: Automated Migration – The Game Changer

Manual migrations are slow, expensive, and prone to silent errors. Every misstep adds risk, frustrates teams, and delays modernization.

HCL ZIEWeb flips the script with an automation-first approach:

1. Inventory thick client assets
2. Parse & normalize
3. Transform
4. Centralize preferences
5. Validate
6. Publish
7. Smoke test

Because the Thick Client → ZIE mapping is deterministic, our converter with built-in validation delivers fast, accurate, and repeatable results.

The Business Impact:

• Up to 70% effort reduction compared to manual processes
• Zero guesswork in file and keymap conversions
• Faster ROI with minimal disruption to end users
• IT teams freed from tedious conversion work to focus on higher-value initiatives

With automation at the core, your migration becomes not just smoother—but strategically faster, safer, and more cost-effective.

Step 4: Modernize

Enable APIs, RPA integration, and centralized logging to boost operational efficiency and compliance.

Step 5: Roll Out & Scale

Pilot with a small team, then scale enterprise-wide with browser shortcuts. Train users to unlock automation benefits

Who the Most This Migration Matters More Now

CIO Value - CIOs no longer need to budget for hundreds of desktop installs, patches, and version mismatches. With ZIEWeb, one centralized deployment means fewer IT fires, lower support tickets, and simplified rollouts across geographies.

IT Head Value - IT Heads often struggle with repetitive, manual processes that eat into team bandwidth. ZIEWeb’s automation-ready design enables existing macros to work seamlessly—cutting migration effort and  accelerate deployment from months to weeks

Compliance Officer Value - For Compliance Officers, every thick-client user is a potential audit gap. ZIEWeb aligns out-of-the-box with MFA and SSO frameworks, reducing compliance risk and making audit readiness part of everyday operations—without complex workarounds.

This isn’t just an upgrade—it’s a strategic move toward agility, compliance, and cost efficiency.

Ready to Discuss Your Migration?

HCL has helped global enterprises modernize host access with tailored strategies that reduce costs, strengthen compliance, and unlock automation at scale. Explore HCL ZIEWeb

Don’t let manual migration slow you down. Let’s discuss how automation can modernize your host access in weeks—not months.