RE: Certification

Exactly.  And because the PCAS400 program isn't exactly what I'd call 
'foolproof' you need to have a reasonable knowledge of what's allowed 
and what isn't when configuring various models. You can't rely on 
PCAS400, expecially after a major announcement had been made requiring 
many changes to the code.



Neil Palmer         DPS Data Processing Services Canada Ltd.
                                             AS/400~~~~~
Thornhill, Ontario,  Canada    ___________          ___  ~
Phone: (905) 731-9000  x238   |OOOOOOOOOO| ________  o|__||=
Cell.: (416) 565-1682  x238   |__________|_|______|_|______)
Fax:   (905) 731-9202          oo      oo   oo  oo   OOOo=o\
mailto:NeilP@DPSlink.com    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.DPSlink.com        AS/400  The Ultimate Business Server 


-----Original Message-----
From:   Mike Shaw [SMTP:mshaw@ncal.verio.com]
Sent:   Tuesday, September 29, 1998 8:35 PM
To:     MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com
Subject:        Re: Certification

You hit it right on the head Don!  The business partners know how to 
run the
configuration program, but do not have a clue if what it spewed out is 
right
for their customer.  Some of them can't even get the right power cord 
in the
config (and you have ordered multiple systems from them in the past)! 
  =:-)
IBM has done little or nothing to make sure that the systems assurance
process has happened...They assume their bp was diligent and got it 
done.

The whole issue with bp's for me has been they are more concerned with
selling their wares than making sure that me, the customer, is getting 
what
I really need.

There are a few, and I do mean few who do their job well....But the
majority...That's another issue and I hope IBM will step up and educate 
the
bp's as they would their own internal folks.

Mike Shaw
-----Original Message-----
From: Don <dr2@access.digex.net>
To: Larry Bolhuis <lbolhui@ibm.net>
Cc: MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com <MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com>
Date: Monday, September 28, 1998 10:08 PM
Subject: Re: Certification


>
>
>Larry, Steve,...
>
>I think you're both hitting a very serious and much needed point. 
 That
>being that IBM needs to do some SERIOUS quality control in the ranks 
of
>their "business partner's" products and services.
>
>For too long this has been absent, provided the bp was selling, 
selling,
>selling....
>
>Frankly, I've had too much crap software from "business partners" and
>implementation documentation that makes my MAD Magazine(s) look like a
>Encyclopedia Brittanica!  To us the term "business partner" is more of 
a
>red flag warning than strategic alliance indicator.
>
>People need to believe that when there's a business relationship that
>IBM has certified the quality of the product and services I'm 
recieving,
>not that they can sell hardware and run the configurator.
>
>
>> >
>> > There should be a way that the local IBM branch office can vouch 
for
the
>> > skills of the business partners and let them do their job!
>> >
>
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