RE: Microsoft and AS/400 -- MIDRANGE-L

This story is true but old news.  Microsoft has used AS/400's for their
software distribution for many years.  However, they never allowed IBM to
use them as a "focus" customer or disclose their use of AS/400 technology
for obvious reasons.  Bill G. wanted to get off the AS/400 platform as early
as 1994-95 but they did not have the technology (scalability) to do so at a
reasonable cost.  If you ever get a chance to tour the MS Redmond Campus you
will be shown plenty of propaganda.  You will see a sea of Compaq servers in
an enclosed room that are used to "run the company" as your tour guide will
explain.  As the tour progresses to software distribution you will see a
similar room with tinted glass.  Here is the AS/400's running the show but
you will never know that while on the tour.  I state this from personal
experience.  I worked for IBM for 8 years and spent the last four  1992-1996
with IBM Rochester.  I worked with MS on some SNA server issues and other
technology.  I don't why this would come as a surprise to some people.  Do
you really think in 1994 that MS could run a global software distribution
process on Windows NT 3.x?  Just imagine the weekly outages to apply
hotfixes and service packs.  The next time your looking at MS shrink-wrapped
software on the shelves at Best Buy or Comp USA just remember what
technology allowed it to get there.
 
"The opinions expressed above are my own and do not necessarily represent
those of my employer"
James A. Olliges 
Smurfit-Stone ITD Chicago  
jolliges@smurfit.com 

   
 
 
 -----Original Message-----
From: Chris Whisonant [mailto:Chris.Whisonant@RHTelCo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, October 24, 2000 1:46 PM
To: MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com
Cc: Scott.Belk@BankOfAmerica.com; nickyet@millenicom.com;
rdetjen@infoave.net
Subject: Microsoft and AS/400



This was from another list to which I am currently subscribed...

This was on the SAP400 newsgroup.

For all the AS/400 followers out there, you need to get your hands on a 
copy of the Midrange Technology Showcase November issue. There is an 
article on the front page entitled "IBM's Frank Soltis, Uncensored". 
Here's an excerpt:

Dr. Frank Soltis, the IBM engineer who has been called "the AS/400's 
Elvis," recently shared a success story during a keynote speech at a 
user conference in Florida. This particular company was in the software 
distribution business and at one point had 23 AS/400s located around 
the world. The company was a very good customer, went from CISC to 
RISC, and was always one of the first to upgrade to new technology, he 
said. Then came the Year 2000 problem, and despite five years of 
dedicated service during a period of great revenue growth, the company 
decided that it was time to move off the AS/400. So in June of 1999, 
the company unplugged its AS/400s and powered up 1200 NT servers it 
needed to replace them. But things didn't quite go as planned. "They 
found they couldn't make it work," Soltis told the crowd. "Today, one 
year after unplugging their AS/400s, they're back on the AS/400." That 
company is Microsoft. "They viewed that as a point of embarrassment," 
Soltis said. "We thought it was kind of fun....Can you think of a 
company with greater incentive to move to NT, and they couldn't do it?"
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