Re: iSeries (non-) Marketing - part 24,566

Hans - there is a self-fullfilling prophecy going on in the marketplace.

Lack of promotion of iSeries by IBM, while actively promoting xSeries
(and pSeries less so) is perceived by Business Partners and customers
as a lack of support by IBM (even though IBM continues to enhance iSeries).

Therefore, the BPs and customers get nervous and move away, or will not
consider iSeries.

Therefore IBM promotes it even less....   and on and on...

IBM has yet to break the public perception of CIOs, CEOs etc that iSeries
(usually pronounced AS/400 is old technology).
EVEN WITHIN IBM this perception is rampant. I've had discussions with
Websphere people in IBM that have not a clue their product runs on an
iSeries.
(within last 6 months). How is the public supposed to know when even IBM
internally doesn't "get it".

Since IBM is the great "services" company, and their services technicians
are
primarily Win & Unix, then that is what they promote, irregardless of what's
best for the customer. In numerous proposals from Global Services,
NOT ONCE have I seen IBM first lead with an iSeries solution for an
iSeries shop.     Try "we sell what's best for IBM stockholders..."
jim
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Hans Boldt" <boldt@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, September 10, 2003 1:32 PM
Subject: Re: iSeries (non-) Marketing - part 24,566


> M. Lazarus wrote:
> > ...
> >  BTW, I believe that should IBM choose to push the box they MUST train
> > and provide incentives to their sales people to sell the /400.  I know
> > of several /400 sales that were "stolen" BY IBM SALES REPS to push the
> > client to an RS/6000.
> >
> >  If IBM doesn't "believe" in their own product, then how can the
customer?
> >
>
> That is the key issue here, isn't it?
>
> IBM does indeed believe in it's products. All of them. Including the
> iSeries, zSeries, pSeries, zSeries, ThinkPads, IntelliStations,
> ThinkCentres, NetVistas, etc.
>
> If a salesperson encouraged a customer to by a pSeries instead of an
> iSeries, could it be perhaps that the pSeries was a better fit for
> that particular customer?
>
> Although I work on a product that runs on OS/400, I believe fully
> that the customer should be able to freely choose a solution from
> amongst any of IBM's offerings, to get the solution that's best for
> that customer. If that means some IBM product other than an iSeries,
> then so be it.
>
> Cheers! Hans
>
>
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