Re: Death of the AS/400 (was Death of the RPG Programmer, List Activity)

They keep them, but then of course, they're building a new system that will
integrate everything along with a data warehouse, again of course on a SQL
Server. They have more support personnel, and programmers, but that doesn't
seem to matter. I'm not sure of the breakdowns in this company, I've only
been here 6 months. When I was interviewing 6 months ago, I also heard a
horror story at a well known apparel company about their previous Unix
system crashing all the time, and how happy they are with their heavily
modified apparel package on the AS/400. However, I
originally was interested in any tips that AS/400 people have in learning
something new, simply because, even if there is work, consulting or
full-time, our rates are very low, as compared to the other technologies.
Since I am also involved in recruiting, I noticed, for example, that there
is a shortage of consultants who know Documentum, is this something, that
can be learnt somehow on owns own, or is there something like that?

----- Original Message -----
From: <booth@martinvt.com>
To: <CONSULT400@midrange.com>
Sent: Wednesday, June 14, 2000 6:15 PM
Subject: Re: Death of the AS/400 (was Death of the RPG Programmer, List
Activity)


> Phil, (and others),
>
> Are you seeing SQL and VB going in and staying in?  Have these migrations
> to other platforms completing successfully?
>
> I ask because just the other day someone was telling of an NT warehouse
> solution in the 7-figures category that was thrown in the trash after
> almost 2 years of failed installation efforts.
> _______________________
> Booth Martin
> Booth@MartinVT.com
> http://www.MartinVT.com
> _______________________
>
>
>
>
> pike4@ix.netcom.com
> Sent by: owner-consult400@midrange.com
> 06/14/2000 08:31 AM
> Please respond to CONSULT400
>
>
>         To:     CONSULT400@midrange.com
>         cc:
>         Subject:        Re: Death of the AS/400 (was Death of the RPG
Programmer, List Activity)
>
> I agree with most of what you said. I do think there is still a lot of
> Full-time, although I'm starting to see salaries coming down.
> I think the reason is that new development is done on other platforms,
> where I work, there are several financial systems that are newly
> developed, (as this company aquires other smaller companies),typically on
> SQL Server w/ VB, and then there are interfaces to the AS/400. How long
> does it take to write an interface, 2-3 weeks at most?
> Phil
>
>
> > Folks,
>
> I'm not even going to quote a pertinent piece here, as so many were right
> and
> so many more were wrong on this subject.  AS/400 consulting and perm work
> is
> in the toilet right now, period.  Don't espouse JAVA to me, I've _GOT_
> JAVA
> experience but cannot find work there.  ILE?  Yeah, right.  RPG?
> Fuhgedaboutit.  There _IS_ little to no work to be had for AS/400
> professionals right now -- contract _OR_ perm.  I am forced to swallow my
> earlier words about consultants not saving enough money to get through the
>
> annual "January slowdown", because said slowdown has now lasted until
> June.
> I saved enough for this, but I certainly don't expect everyone else to do
> so.
>  There are folks out there, just like you and me, that are working the
> census
> right now in order to feed their families.  So much for the much
> ballyhooed
> "high tech career".
>
> I (and most other industry analysts) figured that, with the dissolution of
>
> Y2K, that companies would be screaming for help to do the stuff that
> they'd
> put off for the past 2-5 years.  Perhaps the e-business trend would even
> further accelerate the latter -- WRONG.  Companies are still griping about
> an
> IT worker shortage, but it seems that they're only interested in _LOW
> PAID_
> IT workers when it actually comes down to having to hire someone.  H1-B
> folks
> around here earn around $55K per year -- good money, but it won't get you
> a
> trailer within an hour's drive of the Research Triangle for housing.
> Forget
> owning a reasonably new car to navigate our complete lack of public
> transportation.
>
> Sorry, but contracts _AND_ permanent employment on the AS/400 seem to be
> pretty much dead.  If it makes you feel any better, it appears that the
> other
> midrange platforms are suffering equal problems...
>
> JMHO,
>
> Dean Asmussen
> Enterprise Systems Consulting, Inc.
> Fuquay-Varina, NC  USA
> E-mail:  DAsmussen@aol.com
>
> "It's what you learn after you know it all that counts." -- John Wooden
>
>
>
>
>