iSeries Misconceptions

[Rob Dixon <rob.dixon@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I have just a document from a US company about my iSeries product, ERROS.  They
make some very positive comments about the product, but say that as it was
developed for the AS/400 using RPG, this raises serious doubts about its
general
accceptability.

They also say that

   * the platform/language environment currently persists only because of a 
large
     body of existing legacy code.
   * the role of RPG programmers is widely being reduced to that of system
     maintenance
   * new development tends to be client/server
   * Unix and Windows are the environments of choice for new development.
   * After 14 years, they are phasing out their AS/400, apparently because they 
do
     not like "the function key interface"  (I demonstrated my product over the
     Internet using a browser but they seem to have missed this!)

As you may imagine, this put my blood pressure up and I sent a strong rebuttal.
I pointed out that I was unaware of anything that could be done on other
platforms that could not be done on an iSeries, that in the UK at least iSeries
sales are strong, etc., etc..

But there is at least some truth in what they say.

So which of you still uses RPG for new development?  Do you all use 
client/server or
do you think that it is a technology that is difficult to implement and which 
for
many installations has reached its "sell by" date. There is no point in 
commenting
about them phasing out their AS/400 as it seems so obviously wrong and the 
decision
has been made.

Any other points that I might not have thought of to counter their views?

Overall, this shows that IBM's marketing of the iSeries continues to be as
effective as ever it was!

Best wishes

Rob
________________________________________________________

Erros plc

44 (0) 1844 239 339

http://www.erros.co.uk - The AS/400 Neural Database for the Internet

_________________________________________________________


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