Re: Midrange Computing is liquidating.

[Chuck Morehead <cbmorehead@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Here's my two cents:  We don't know enough to make any conclusions.  If IIR
decided they could get a better return on their money in a different venture
then they made a business decision that has little to do with the AS/400 /
iSeries market.  (It's not as if their other publications are technology
based.)  Of course one wonders why they would shut MC down if it was
profitable; i.e. why not sell it instead?

As for the lack of jobs (full-time and contract) I believe this is just part
of a cycle.  IMHO, all of the work that was generated preparing for 4 digit
dates caused an artificial inflation in the IT job market.  So now we have
been coming down to the bottom of the cycle, but it feels worse because the
top was boosted up.  And I should point out that this is not AS/400
specific - all IT jobs are being affected accross the U.S. (and I suspect
the rest of the world too).  In Tulsa, OK we have had 4 large IT employers
go out of business or have substantial layoffs in the past 18 months.  This
floods the market until new jobs are created to replace those that were
lost.

So does the current job market and the closing of MC point to the end of the
AS/400?  I doubt it.  I've heard predictions of the demise of the AS/400 for
years and years...but it has survived due to its superior technology and
stability.  So while we can speculate on why IIR would make such a
(seemingly) poor business decision, and we can wish for more profitable job
markets, I think it is still way too early to start the "doom & gloom" talk.

JMHO,
Chuck


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