Re: The Greying of COMMON - Long! -- MIDRANGE-L









> COMMON too on an average has gotten older.   I realized that the energy
that once permeated and drove COMMON was >youth!

You are probably correct.  One good note was that over 1,000 attendees were
first timers.


 >" They all love it,  after they find out what it is".

Agreed

        >If the Fall ?97 COMMON had a message or theme it was "Its the
Marketing,  IBM".   This message was >trumpeted again and again during
soundoff to the IBM panel.   People asked what was being done to make the
AS/400 more >visible in the market place.   Numerous others asked the IBM
panel what being done to get the AS/400 taught in colleges and
>universities.  Others related tales of funds being cut at colleges
teaching the AS/400.  And then it occurred to me  "Wait a >minute,  I
thought COMMON was supposed to be dedicated to AS/400 education?".    Maybe
part of the
>reason that the Industry, the Colleges, and Dick?s friends didn?t know
about the AS/400 is because WE didn?t tell them!
>That?s when I had a second revelation,  "Its the Marketing, COMMON" !

Amen!

         >Foster a partnership  between  COMMON-IBM  and Universities and
Colleges.

        >COMMON conferences (both national and regional)  visit many cities
across the U.S. each year.   In and around >each of those cities reside
numerous colleges and universities.   COMMON & IBM  should meet with
university/college course >curriculum administrators  in the cities where
the COMMON convention is  being held.  Another approach would be for
>COMMON-IBM to have  "Pre-conference"   meetings with course administrators
and teachers from the universities and/or >colleges.  This "pre-conference"
meeting (may be Day -1 or Day-0)  would focus on all aspects of AS/400
education.   Schools >could even share solutions with each other concerning
funding, enrollment, curriculums, marketing, and other challenges they
>face.

        I really like this idea.

        >IBM could describe the AS/400 job market to the curriculum
administrators.   Show  them  some of the names of >the companies (BIG
names)  that send their employees to COMMON.  Tell them that over 90% of
the Fortune 100 companies >have AS/400?s.    Explain how much of a demand
there is for AS/400 talent.  Explain that the demand will continue past the
>foreseeable future.    Maybe share COMMON?s  Top Concern?s results with
the curriculum administrators.     Contact companies >within the area of
the conference who are COMMON members.  Have the Companies along with IBM
business partners, >COMMON,   IBM,  and the Colleges meet in a round table
and talk about the real needs of the business community in regards to
>their graduating classes and the AS/400 job market.

        IBM has a slew of technical marketing information that should be
collated and condensed for this purpose.  Things like number of installs,
cost of ownership studies, customer satisfaction, and other industry
reports (Gartner, Bob Tipton, DH Brown, David Andrews, Atre Associates,
etc.) that speak volumes to the viability of the AS/400.  In this area I
think IBM has done a great job in collecting.  Disseminating is another
issue.

        Big time snip.  I agree with all of these ideas in concept.

To me the big question is who should be/is willing to take on this task and
 can it be performed quickly?






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