Re: IBM knows how to treat it's employess.....

Janet,

I think suggested something similar to this back on 11/17 and didn't get much
response... It was in the Subject message: Interesting comments, AS/400 web
serving
and my blabber follows:

<I REALLY think what it is going to take is the folks at the BIG companies using
the
AS/400 (not the little ones like where I work...) to DEMAND an audience with the
powers that be at IBM. I was in Rochester a while back and heard talk of the LUG
(Large User Group - actually know someone in it and they have 41 AS/400's, 4 
ways
and 8 ways...). These folks OBVIOUSLY have a HUGE DOLLAR investment in AS/400's
and maybe THEY could get IBM to listen !!!!

JMHO !

Chuck>

I work at a small AS/400 site, but left a MUCH bigger one last year so can speak
from BOTH sides.

What's it take to get something like this going ?

Seems like it would be a FULL blitz by us, Midrange Magazine, Showcase, 
News/400,
IGnite 400, etc. (?)

Chuck



jkrueger@dhagroup.com wrote:

> I received the following note from one of the Rochester employees.  Do any
> of you view this as a practical suggestion?  I'll be interested to hear
> your thoughts...
>
> Janet Krueger
> Rochester Technology Center, part of D H Andrews Group
>
> Janet,
>     The attached note got me to thinking.  AS/400 has some of the most
> committed customers and business partners in the industry.  What if one or
> all of the following took place:
>
>     1)  A significant number of large customers and business partners
> petitioned the board of directors, complaining of the lack of advertising
> and marketing support for AS/400.
>
>     2)  A group of customers and business partners formed a consortium and
> kicked off an advertising campaign of their own.  You might ask, why should
> a non-IBM group step up to take responsibility for advertising an IBM
> product?  Well, the answer is in the attached note.  Our business partners
> in particular make a lot of money selling AS/400s, and their livelihood is
> threatened by the bizarre actions of these clueless IBM executives who have
> never even tried to understand the AS/400 or, for that matter, the I/T
> industry in general.  You too, though you're no longer an IBMer, have a
> vested interest in seeing the AS/400 continue and in fact flourish.
>
>     3)  A group of customers and business partners formed a consortium to
> purchase the AS/400 business from IBM.  This one may be really far-fetched.
> I have no clue whether any of our business partners would have the
> financial wherewithal to pull something like that off.
>
>     Janet, you have a lot of contacts and enormous respect with COMMONers
> and business partners.  Maybe if you could make this sort of suggestion to
> certain key people we would at least see 1) and I think even 2) is not
> really that far-fetched.  I suppose 3) is so far-fetched it would be best
> not even to mention it to anyone so as not to damage credibility.  Still,
> it's an interesting thought.  Someone in my department suggested that Al
> Barsa might be one that could pull some people together to get started on
> something like 1) or 2).  If you like any of these ideas and want to push
> them, please remove references to my name.  As a current IBM employee, I'm
> not sure what sort of retaliation from execs I might be opening myself up
> for by suggesting any of this. I'm legally protected for union organizing
> or EEOC filings, but I'm not so sure about this.  I don't want to give
> anybody any excuses.
>
> Subject:  IBM knows how to treat it's employess.....
>
> If nothing else, it's nice to see that at least some of our customers can
> see the effects of last week's announcement.  (For those who don't know,
> midrange-l is an e-mail discussion list about "midrange" computers, which
> contains lots of discussion about the AS/400.)
>
> This is from the midrange forum from a non-IBMr..........
> -------------------------------------------------
> Subject:  IBM knows how to treat it's employess.....
>
> First they mess around with the pension and then this.....
>
> Workforce cuts!  Looks like Palmisano's first move is to be a hatchet man
> and reduce the Server group workforce.  Supposedly the cuts affect all
> server groups but Rochester may face the worst of it.
>
> Let's see now.  Create a great machine.  Than market it like anthrax.  When
> things get a little tough take it out on the people's who's work and
> efforts you didn't market properly.  I hope Stephenson gets a equitable
> action taken against him.....
>
> This will be real interesting.  These cuts could be beneficial but they
> could spell more trouble.  There is a great risk that good people will
> leave (as they already have), that more will be let go, and that certain
> projects will be cut. All for what is essentially a management
> problem.......
>
> Sorry for the digression on this technical list but I feel this may all
> impact us eventually.
>
> Respectfully
>
> Mike Crump
>
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