RE: In conclusion: IBM Spin Doctors on AS/400 Marketing

Gee, it sounds like I may have to issue PTF's to fix all those
"You don't need an army to run the system" buttons (based on the
successful UK ad campaign run a few years ago by the esteemed Mr.
Malcolm Haines) that I distributed at COMMON a few years ago.

If your eyesight was good enough you would notice a line on the badges,
and in the ads, that said "A system that will not put you on an annual
software maintenance charge."

Gee, how times change.  I wonder what the laws are in the UK regarding
advertising one thing and changing your mind (albeit a few years later)
?                               :-)


... Neil Palmer                                     AS/400~~~~~      
... NxTrend Technology - Canada     ____________          ___  ~     
... Thornhill, Ontario,  Canada     |OOOOOOOOOO| ________  o|__||=   
... Phone: (905) 731-9000  x238     |__________|_|______|_|______)   
... Cell.: (416) 565-1682  x238      oo      oo   oo  oo   OOOo=o\   
... Fax:   (905) 731-9202         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
... mailto:NPalmer@NxTrend.com          http://www.NxTrend.com


        -----Original Message-----
        From:   Mike Shaw [SMTP:mike@mikeshaw.com]
        Sent:   Wednesday, December 03, 1997 7:09 PM
        To:     MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com
        Subject:        Re: In conclusion: IBM Spin Doctors on AS/400
Marketing

        Don,

        This was touched on/announced at the August announcement.  From
the way it
        was presented in SF, there is going to be a maintenance fee for
the OS very
        similar to what software providers do.  And yes, the rock over
your head
        for PTF CUME tapes is a current account balance.  The rational
in IBM's
        eyes is the OS will be included in the base price of the system
if I heard
        it right. You are right in that it should be read as:  "It's
gonna co$t me
        some more money" for those of us who have been with the AS/400
from the
        beginning.  

        For new customer pricing that is one thing...But what about
those of us who
        have paid fees when we have upgraded our AS/400's and oh <BTW>
sprung for
        that nice fat little fee that went along with upgrading to V3R1,
not too
        long ago.  

        What was not known is how  you could pick and choose what
services that
        could included in this annual fee.  It should be going into
effect next
        year...Wouldn't be surprized if it will come with V4R2.

        Later,

        Mike Shaw

        ----------
        > 
        > 
        > Al,
        > 
        > While you're kicking ass and taking names, I understand that
hidden way
        > down in the depths of the v4r1 announcement is a demon called
SSA which is
        > going to be given more powers (read, gonna co$t me more).  I
just recieved
        > a fax this a.m. with a smattering of SSA and IFF I'm reading
this right,
        > users are going to be taxed with yet another fee.  This time,
we're going
        > to be saddled with BOTH MANDITORY support line (which is
generally decent
        > folks!) and MANDITORY SUPPORT FEEs...which heretofore (as I
recall) have
        > been part of the base licensing fees, (yes I know support line
is extra!).
        > This is to say, if I want a cum tape, I have to have PAID for
a SUPPORT
        > CONTRACT IN ADDITION to what I'm paying now?????
        > 
        > Needless to say the idea of yet more cut and charge doesn't
really settle
        > my bowl of pasta too well...  SO, would someone please let me
know what
        > the heck's going on here???   Frankly, I HOPE I'M WRONG!
...but I've been
        > right before...:)
        > 
        > What's goin on???
        > 
        > Don in DC metro
+---
| This is the Midrange System Mailing List!
| To submit a new message, send your mail to "MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com".
| To unsubscribe from this list send email to MIDRANGE-L-UNSUB@midrange.com.
| Questions should be directed to the list owner/operator: david@midrange.com
+---