Re: as400 maintenance contract

Debbie,

If you are asking about IBM Maintenance Contract vs Some-Other-Company
Maintenance Contract:
   You have to determine if the Some-Other-Company can give you the service
   level you need.  Do they have the knowledge, ability, and resources to
   support your operation?  The question is *not* "Are they as good as IBM", but
   rather "Can they provide the service my company needs".  Evaluate this from
   both a short term and long term perspective.  (I know, not a simple task.)

If you are asking about IBM Maintenance Contract vs IBM Per Call Service:
   From my perspective this is strictly a matter of the level of risk your
   company wants to assume.  The maintenance contract is like an insurance
   policy.  When you are on a service contract you know exactly what you are
   going to pay every month/year.  If you are working on a per call basis, it's
   kind of a crap shoot.  You may spend nothing this month, or you may spend
   $50,000 if you have a serious problem.  When I get into this discussion with
   the $$$ department here, I tell them that we will call IBM for service
   exactly the same whether we are under a maintenance contract or not.  After
   they consider this, they always agree it is better to stay with the contract.
   Oh yeah, there is one more thing:  I *believe* that IBM takes care of their
   contract customers first, so without it you become a second class citizen but
   I can't back that up with any evidence.

By the way, who is on the other side of the negotiating table?

Phil


     From: Debbie Helms <DHelms@Lance.com>
     To: "'MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com'" <MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com>
     Subject: as400 maintenance contract
     Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2001 06:52:40 -0500
     Reply-To: midrange-l@midrange.com

     Could anyone give me opinions / reasons for and against IBM hardware
     support?  We have IBM support which I personally think is excellent but
     they
     are on the expensive side.  I already know "you get what you pay for".  I
     need something tangible and convincing when we go to the negotiating table.
     As always I appreciate the feedback.

     Debra Helms
     Senior Technical Analyst
     Lance, Inc.