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I agree with you. Unfortunately, IBM does not have a configurator for customers anymore. I used the configurator in IBMLink until I had to use PCAS400 then a web configurator. Now there are no options. The configurator was very helpful when planning budgets. It's not unusual for us to propose an upgrade more than once (i.e. this year and next year) before it is approved. I hate to waste the business partner's time when most likely it will be cut the first year it is proposed. Diana Hicks Town of Jupiter dianah@jupiter.fl.us IBM Certified Specialist AS/400 RPG IV Programmer ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dr Syd Nicholson" <sydnic@ccs400.com> To: <midrange-l@midrange.com> Sent: Monday, February 25, 2002 5:11 PM Subject: Re: Configuring a new iSeries For many clients, the detailed configuration of an iSeries box comes towards the end of the sales process. The customer has the budget, is ready to buy, and needs an accurate price. There is no doubt that this detailed configuration is important when the sale is made. However, at the beginning of the sales process, the potential customer often needs only an approximate price (perhaps 10-20% margin of error). At this stage in the process it does not mater which power supply, which network, whether an integrated Netfinity server, etc., is present. The detail is irrelevant. If is often a slow and cumbersome business obtaining iSeries prices from IBM and its business partners. It is very easy for the potential client to perceive that buying from IBM is difficult. It much easier to price/buy a PC system and many potential sales can be lost. This is an area where IBM does need to sharpen up its act, or is IBM full of sales prevention officers. What I would like to see is a public IBM web site with a built in configurator. This web site would lead the visitor though a number of questions, ultimately providing the potential client with a number of iSeries configurations and prices. When the client is ready to buy the chosen configuration is passed to their IBM business Partner for validation and more accurate pricing. A web site of this nature would save both the valuable time of IBM and its Business Partner staff. They would not need to field as many unproductive queries. It would also make it considerably easier for potential clients to choose their hardware and obtain prices (e.g. for project budgets) long before they ready to buy. This web site could make the difference between a company deciding to deploy PC servers, or an iSeries system. Syd Nicholson Managing Director Castlehill Computer Services Ltd. Please visit the Town of Jupiter online at http://www.jupiter.fl.us
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