RE: [MI400] IBM Marketing (was How does ....)

["Mohondro, Kevin" <KMohondro@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> From: Bale, Dan [mailto:Dan.Bale@handleman.com]
>
> The bottom line, folks, and I realize that some may disagree,
> but if IBM
> is forced to raise prices in order to maintain revenue
> because of CFINT
> "cheater" apps like FAST400 (assuming they become popular), who do you
> think is going to be hurt?  IMO, the entire AS/400 community
> is at risk,
> because IBM will lose its customers at the low-to-middle end
> because the
> iSeries systems they need will become priced uncompetitively.  In the
> end, if IBM does nothing to stop CFINT cheater apps, the iSeries will
> die off.

I don't think they'll become overly popular. As many of the others have
pointed out, there are too many risks involved with them. Rest assured, IBM
won't let the CFINT cheater apps let the iSeries die off. If this wonderful
machine dies off, it'll be slow and painful (to me at least) because of the
lack of new sales. I'm not talking about new boxes sold to old customers.
No, I'm talking new sales to new customers.

> What about the so-called IBM-blessed CFINT killer that we know as
> client-server (aka Joe Pluta's solution, as one example)?  Maybe the
> cost to IBM is having to support 5250, and maybe that is a huge cost
> that can be shed when 5250 ceasts to exist.  Even if that is not a
> reasonable statement, IBM has made it clear what the future is and is
> not.  C/S is the future and 5250 is not.

I'm not so sure about that, Dan. I don't think 5250 is going to leave for
quite some time. Whether IBM says C/S is the future and 5250 is dead will
make no difference. There are too many legacy applications that are written
and working in 5250 mode. I don't see IBM cutting support off of that
anytime in the relatively near future.

-Moe
-------------------------------------------------------
Kevin R Mohondro                kmohondro@salepoint.com
Software Engineer                         (858)373-2012
SalePoint Corporate Retail Solutions      San Diego, CA