Re: CL enhancements

** Reply to note from Mark Lazarus <mlazarus@ttec.com> Sat, 14 Mar 1998 21:00:43


> Either way, I think you're missing the point:  At times IBM loses sight of 
> what the customer needs / wants and then after enough complaints are 
> registered or sales are down, a new mwnager comes in and makes it "the year 
> of the customer" or whatever and we get listened to for a while.  
> DISCLAIMER:  The IBMers listening / participating on this board are doing a 
> great job and really care!  I am referring to the process in general and 
> the Y2K issue in particular. 
>  
>  -mark

Mark, I think you're missing my point. 

Let me preface this with, "No offense intended!"

I think that sometimes people feel a company has done something wrong and
want to give a little "payback". So, in a case like the messages I saw
from you on this topic, it seemed to me that you are trying to vent a
little at IBM by attributing untold millions in lost revenue to your
imagined slight. 

I think that such messages do us all a disservice. I am sure IBM could
have released a Y2K product in the early 80s or something. I doubt that
any of IBM's customers would have moved any more quickly. I certainly
don't think that the customer you refer to would have opted for conversion
any time sooner, regardless of what claims are made (by you or them). IBM
is not the only game in town, and a company that has so greatly modified
their own software could have (and should have) sought to solve this
problem by other means at an earlier date.

Also, IBM's "too little too late" modifications to the data base have
nothing to do with the issue. The company I work for markets a Y2K
compliant software package that makes no use of IBM's date data types at
all.

Now, perhaps the company you refer to was very naive and they waited and
waited for IBM to announce a cheap solution. Or, it could be that they
(like many companies) put off doing something for too long. When they
finally evaluated to create a plan, they looked at all the options. They
reached a decision to change platforms. 

What would be beneficial is to see what the real reasons for the change
were. Probably the decision has some error in it (or so a guy who uses the
email address Mr.AS400 would like to think) but without being able to
evaluate the reasons, it isn't likely to assume there will be any
correction. 

That is to explain my reason for calling you to task on your post. 

It is quite alright with me that you assume that I am simply nuts and not
even bother replying. 



Chris Rehm
Mr.AS400@ibm.net

How often can you afford to be unexpectedly out of business?
Get an AS/400.
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