RE: IBM getting rid of RPG -- MIDRANGE-L

IBM's interactive penalty may be an example of "It hurts me more than it
hurts you."

This comes back to IBM's need to prove that iSeries is a real server.  All
those HP and Compaq server farms are marketing opportunities but the iSeries
is still not considered to be a Plug-N-Play replacement for Wintel boxes.
This all comes back to applications: when IBM can point to hundreds of true
client-server applications available on iSeries, it will be tough to dismiss
the iSeries as a green-screen machine.  On the contrary, IBM will point out
how versatile the iSeries is with its ability to run both client-server and
green-screen environments (albeit with a green-screen penalty).

From a tactical standpoint, IBM probably considers a large portion of the
iSeries install base (particularly those site with traditional
manufacturing/distribution ERP packages) vulnerable to displacement by
Wintel client-server solutions.  With or without WebFacing, you're not going
to rewrite a traditional green-screen application in a few weeks or even a
few months; such a transition will not be like going to the S/36 environment
on the AS/400.  So IBM's task is to persuade several hundred thousand
installations that true server technology is the way to go.  The market for
green-screen applications pales in comparison to the client-server
applications market.

Yes, IBM's making you pay for interactive but look at what you get for free
with V5R1 and WDT/400: a bunch of languages and a package of great tools.
IBM doesn't give labor-intensive stuff away, so there's a message here.  We
just have to figure out what it is!

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-midrange-l@midrange.com [mailto:owner-midrange-l@midrange.com]On
Behalf Of William A Pack
Sent: Saturday, July 28, 2001 12:09 PM
To: MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com
Subject: IBM getting rid of RPG

        I liked Mr. Rockwell's comments.  IBM is trying everything to get
people to
abandon current applications and migrate to something they want to sell,
like Java or Domino.  They are good alternatives for new apps, but if I have
a business running for 5-10 years on good software, why should I change just
because IBM wants me to?  IBM is going to piss off quite a few customers,
who will remember the favor that IBM did them by jacking up the cost of
interactive workload.  If they have to change applications, my guess is they
will be implemented on a cluster of Wintel boxes, just to return the favor
to IBM.  I really want to now the technical reasons IBM has for costing on
interactive features.  They claim it is harder to do 5250 now that 3 years
ago.  Why?
        The System 3/x family was sold as a programmerless systems.  The
AS/400 was
sold as a system that will maintain investment in applications and business
practices.  Now, the only thing that sets the 400 apart from the sea of
Intel based clones is the single manufacturer.   Looks like the future
belongs to Wintel and C#.


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