RE: What are the needs of IBM i Consultants in the community? Please reply off list

This is the short answer...Marketing

We need IBM to market the box in a way that shows the business community AND the general community (particularly the youth!) in a way that highlights the fun and power of the machine. Hire apple's advertising firm...the Mac vs. PC campaign was pure genius. Maybe screwdriver vs. pile driver? /Hot Wheels toy car vs. Formula 1 Ferrari Racer?

We, as the IBM i development/using community, need to support organizations like YiPS and promote a pro-IBM i curriculum in all levels of education to draw younger developers into the fold. We also need to get off our comfortable methods and embrace things like RPG Free, ILE, SQL, etc. Why would any self-respecting young person want to look at your shop and find he/she needs to discard most of the new technology they have spent a bunch of money to learn? Of course they will go to the more progressive shop...wouldn't you?

We can be a local influence by getting our local user groups to involve themselves with local grade schools.

I'm sorry...starting to rant. :-)

Promote the box and embrace change.

Steve Needles

-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Dan Rasch
Sent: Wednesday, November 10, 2010 12:03 PM
To: midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: What are the needs of IBM i Consultants in the community? Please reply off list


IBM - market the box better. Everything else rolls downhill,

Date: Wed, 10 Nov 2010 10:56:22 -0700
From: pete@xxxxxxxxxx
To: consult400@xxxxxxxxxxxx; midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: What are the needs of IBM i Consultants in the community? Please reply off list

Quick answer: More work!

What I need are some specifics. David has graciously allowed me to
cross-post this on both the Midrange and Consult400 lists. My question
is this:

What things could Common provide to consultants in the IBM i services
space that would assist you in building your business? Web site
hosting? A consultants page at common.org? Discounts on things like
WebEx hosting? Mailing list access? And ... ?

During the last Common Board of Directors strategy and planning meeting
(of which I am a member) the idea surfaced that perhaps Common could
assist consultants with marketing or managing their business. I agreed
to pursue the topic. I would appreciate all and any ideas. The hope is
that Common could offer a package of services that would be both
beneficial and economical. As a consultant myself, I am always on the
lookout for additional opportunities.

If you have ideas you'd like to share please send your replies off list
to me directly pete@xxxxxxxxxx and make sure that "IBM i Consultants" is
in the subject (or just reply to and change the email address) so that
the email can make it through my Spam filter.

Thanks for your input!

--
Pete Helgren
Value Added Software, Inc
www.asaap.com
www.opensource4i.com

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