Re: Software life cycle - was IF ACTIVE

>In my heart, I am in agreement regarding 
>modernizing apps but there is a "CATCH-22" 
>for AS/400 evangelists:  one of the big 
>points made in marketing the AS/400 is 
>it's ability to help a company retain 
>it's investment in software. 

I completely agree.  The sticker is that "retaining your investment" all 
too often really should be interpreted as "don't spend any money until you 
absolutely have to."  If the shop has an implied policy of "run it until 
it's completely useless, then buy/build a new package" then watch the shop 
go bargain hunting for the cheapest solution of the moment.  I have come to 
believe that this is how midrange programmers lag their mainframe and PC 
counterparts in terms of skills and pay.  Putting one's energy into 
maintaining dead end code for an antique application is only postponing the 
inevitable, I think.  Having said that, I would say that not all 
conversions fall into this category - sometimes the converted applications 
are still in the prime of their life.  I only wonder how many really fall 
into that category?

Respectfully,
Buck Calabro
CommSoft, Albany, NY
mailto:mcalabro@commsoft.net




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