RE: Mutlti-Platform AS/400 -- MIDRANGE-L

Title: Mutlti-Platform AS/400

"IBM also plans to allow Windows/NT and Linux to run natively on the AS/400." Third paragraph, first line, future tense. The next line might be referring to the IPCS but it's unclear. Maybe LRS thinks that IBM's going to make 400s with Intel chips instead of PowerPC chips. My boss has asked them for more info and we haven't got it yet.

However, since no one else on this knowledgeable list has heard of any of these plans, I'm forced to conclude that this fax is indeed mostly marketing hype. It's nice to have a source to check on these pronouncements.

Guy Murphy - FACTS system
University of Illinois
217-333-8670

-----Original Message-----
From: David Dunfield [mailto:ddunfie@net-link.net]
Sent: Wednesday, January 26, 2000 1:32 PM
To: MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com
Subject: RE: Mutlti-Platform AS/400

Looking at the press announcement I don't see any mention of a "Native NT". The announcement implied that NT runs on an Intel Based Board (can you say IPCS, FISIOP, NETFINITY Server?)

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-midrange-l@midrange.com [mailto:owner-midrange-l@midrange.com]On Behalf Of Murphy, Guy
Sent: Wednesday, January 26, 2000 12:17 PM
To: 'MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com'
Subject: Mutlti-Platform AS/400

        We got the following fax from Levi, Ray & Shuop Inc. an IBM business partner and the people who sold us our AS/400s. It's quite stunning and I'll present the fax in its entirety. Has anyone else received similar information? I've looked on the IBM Announcement web site and found nothing like this. I did find http://www.ibm.com/servers/news/linux.phtml and it does mention that IBM is going to make the AS/400 Linux friendly.

DATE:           January 25, 2000
FROM    :       John Schnell
COMPANY:        Levi, Ray & Shoup, Inc.

SUBJECT:        IBM AS/400 to Offer Operating System Choices

IBM announced on Tuesday that it will offer additional operating system choices on the IBM AS/400, part of a new strategy to allow IBM's business computers to run multiple types of operating software.

It's an idea whose time has come. The AS/400 uses only IBM PowerPC processors. That will allow IBM to easily port IBM AIX, IBM Unix operating system, to the AS/400.

That's just the first step. IBM also plans to allow Windows/NT and Linux to run natively on the AS/400. IBM has developed technologies to plug-in Intel chips, so that the AS/00 can run the fastest growing platforms, like NT and Unix. In time, IBM plans to have AS/400's running Linux.

Big Blue's brawny AS/400 computers are the company's stalwarts, with a large following of corporate customers who love the servers for their reliable performance. The AS/400's run complex business software, such as financial programs and enterprise resource planning (ERP) applications, used to manage finances and control business operations.

IBM had continued to augment the functional capabilities of AS/400's over the years. Linux will be a high-profile add-on. A more robust version of Linux for AS/400 will allow Linux to run large business computers more reliably. All IBM enhancements to Linux will be made available to the worldwide Linux community.

The AS/400 becomes the first IBM computer to work with three different operating systems(OS/400,Windows/NT, and AIX), with plans for a fourth (Linux). The multi-operating system capacity will extend the life of the AS/400, and give Linux its biggest endorsement to date.

IBM sees Linux as one key to driving application development for its specialized and single-purpose servers. But while IBM is tapping Linux's devoted, worldwide developer community, it is clear that no single technology architecture solves all of a business's problems. IBM sees an enormous opportunity to help companies integrate disparate systems, and plan for the explosive growth of the Internet.

Enter the multi-platform AS/400

Sincerely

John Schnell
Senior Marketing Representative

Guy Murphy - FACTS system
University of Illinois
217-333-8670