Re: Tipton's COMMON opening speech -- MIDRANGE-L



>>   I think the AS/400 will only survive because of it's loyal customer
base
>> because from all of the things I hear and see (Including Dr Franks
remarks), the
>>  IBM corporation does not care one whit about it.  - Larry
Bolhuis@lbolhui@ibm.net

Loyal customer base and the inovative solutions comming from Rochester that
is.

Frank's session was recounting something that us old time midrange(Sys/.38)
people
have always known.  The IBM Corp (Armonk)  don't understand us,  have never
under
stood us,   and Still doesn't know what is so special about the AS/400.   

They(Armonk) are not too much different than a lot of companies today(maybe
even yours),
Caring only for this quarter, and worring more about stock price and share
holders than quality of 
their products.

The AS/400 division(aka Rochester)  cannot go out and do TV ads.   Corp IBM
(Plus RS/6000, Netfinity, 
and others)  wouldn't allow it.   If AS/400 did advertise that it is more
relieable than the other computers, 
then that automatically means RS/6000, Netfinity,  etc.   

What am I saying?   Am I making excuses for IBM Corp?      NO.
But I realize that Rochester knows what's wrong just as well as we do.
They know what needs to be done just as well as we do.   

It's the IBM corp higher ups that need to be educated.   

I thought it was Ironic that Bob Tipton,  who BTW knows the above just as
well as I do, 
Gave a "Gas on the Fire"  type of session,  (A real easy target and pitch to
do BTW).

And if he did know the internal struggles at IBM (and I know he does),  what
has Bob
done to use his position to really effect some change in the market place.
Could you 
point me to his Pro-AS/400 articles in  PCweek, Computerworld,  Infoweek,
Infoworld, 
CIO mag,   or any of the rest of the Non-AS/400 concentric mags?   Has he
initiated a
letter writing pettion to Lou G. ?    Has he participated in any forum to
voice his support?

Other than his one page article in News/400 each month to the "Already Sold"

Where else is he effecting the change that he claims to believe so strongly
in?

Well  commentary *OFF
So I guess I should suit up with the asbestos now.

John 


-------------------------------------------------------
Jim,

 Actually there was a good turnout for Opening - I was there and I liked it
being on Sunday as well.  
  In one way there has already been a response to his comments by Dr Frank.
In
his 'Future of the AS/400' pitch (which interestingly was the only COMMON
session
that I have ever attended that changed rooms in the middle of the pitch) he
referred to Bobs remarks several times.  I also felt the tone of his remarks
were
defensive in nature as he recounted the many times in it's history where
Rochester got the short straw and in many cases explained Why that was the
case.  
  I think the AS/400 will only survive because of it's loyal customer base
because from all of the things I hear and see (Including Dr Franks remarks),
the
IBM corporation does not care one whit about it.
  - Larry Bolhuis@lbolhui@ibm.net



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