RE: Microsoft goes after the iSeries

Have iSeries sales actually declined?  I still wonder how any product can
survive while Moore's Law is driving the selling prices into the ground. 
 
---------------------------------
Booth Martin
http://www.martinvt.com
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-------Original Message-------
 
From: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
Date: 01/10/05 08:30:22
To: 'Midrange Systems Technical Discussion'
Subject: RE: Microsoft goes after the iSeries
 
Joe,
 
This has been a hot topic in print during the past couple weeks, paired with
reports of a decline in iSeries sales for the 4th quarter.  I've read
articles about Microsoft's Midrange Alliance at iSeries Network, MC Press
Online, Midrange Server, and several other sources.
 
On a side note, several partners in the "alliance" are large consulting
firms which are pioneers or leaders in Indian outsourcing.  We're seeing the
convergence of major forces against the iSeries, which Microsoft is
characterizing as a platform in decline.
 
The irony is that Microsoft is tailoring its message to RPG developers,
telling them that IBM has abandoned them by its prolonged emphasis on Java,
Websphere, J2EE, and Linux, which Microsoft claims has divided and weakened
the iSeries platform.  There may be some truth to that, but we need to
realize that it's a divisive tactic.  Microsoft and its partners would just
as soon see the native environment further crippled by more applications
migrating to Wintel servers.
 
I'd like to see IBM and iSeries developers answer this criticism by
investing in, and promoting the native environment, as well as strengthening
Java-ILE interfaces.  The iSeries is the best platform for hosting Web
applications, which Microsoft must see as a threat to .Net.
 
Nathan.
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Joe Pluta
Sent: Friday, January 07, 2005 11:16 PM
To: 'Midrange Systems Technical Discussion'
Subject: Microsoft goes after the iSeries
 
 
Up until now, I had been a fan of ASNA and their products.  That all changed
when I read the following:
 
http://www.theserverside.net/news/thread.tss?thread_id=30588
 
The "Midrange Alliance Program" is Microsoft taking DIRECT aim at the
iSeries, encouraging people to move off the platform to some
cobbled-together wannabe.
 
They first tried the mainframe market, using a combination of Fujitsu
hardware and Fujitsu NetCOBOL.  I'm not sure how well that's going (my guess
is NOT), so now they've somehow convinced ASNA to jump to the dark side.
 
They're also partnering with the fine folks at California Software.  Now
even Microsoft gets it... the vast panoply of RPG applications is simply too
large to replace, so instead they want to move it lock, stock and barrel to
Windows.
 
Since it can't beat the iSeries, MS will attempt to absorb it.  In that
vein, .NET becomes the great amorphous blob under which all things can run.
The IT department is reduced to a common mediocrity in hardware AND
software.
 
"One .NET to bring them all and in the darkness bind them."
 
Joe
 
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