RE: iSeries vs. Unix vs. SQL Server vs. Oracle

David,

I would question the credibility of the representations made for the
SQL-Server package.  Below are some thoughts and questions which might
make for more accurate comparisons:

- How significantly will staff be reduced?  Most objective analysis of
Windows vs. OS/400 staffing would indicate that staffing levels will
increase.  How about a DBA?  (I'm assuming that you don't have one on
staff now?)  Or is the reduction in staffing dollars just accomplished by
dumping your current staff and replacing them with H1-B workers?  The
white papers should help here.

- Will your network need to be upgraded?  If you're looking at a thick
client with a SQL-Server back end, this is possible.  How about WAN
traffic?

- If staff reductions include a nearly complete turnover, will there be
anyone left on the technical side who knows anything about footwear?
They should care.

- Surely there is some demonstrable facet of the way you do business
which is not supported by the proposed package.  How can anyone possibly
claim a 100% current and future match?  What cheek!

- On their hardware quote, are they providing high-end RAID servers from
a high-end vendor (HP, Compaq, IBM)?  Does the database server
configuration provide for failover/redundancy?  These factors would make
the comparison more apples and apples.

- Has your iSeries vendor oversized your new hardware?  A green-screen
solution for 50-75 users certainly is not as expensive as it used to be.
Also, newer hardware should have lower maintenance costs than your
current platform.  If you can get your vendor involved in lowering the
three-year cost of the iSeries package, they may be able to do some
creative things with a new hardware platform.

Just some thoughts,
Good luck,
Andy Nolen-Parkhouse

> It is the front runner, but only because it's
> gui is more attractive.  And the fact that the salespeople have
> promised a couple of things: 75% reduction in MIS expenses/staff, and a
> 100% match to our business now & in the future.  This is all sales
> crap, but the GUI has a few key people convinced.  This package does
> not even have it's own Accounting...  It relies on MS's Solomon Acct,
> and our CFO has been quoted as saying 'If it is made by Microsoft, it
> must be good'...