RE: The IBM iSeries word from FOSE...

Huh, Oracle and cheaper actually used in the same sentence.  :-)

Seriously folks, while it may not be your responsibility I'd always
recommend passing your concerns on to IBM.  I vaguely remember a discussion
somewhere about IBM creating resources for threatened customers (white
papers, sales support, etc.).  I think if the situation is presented to the
right people at IBM and your company is willing to listen, they will defend
the platform veraciously.

So far I have found Peter Bingaman, Mark Shearer, Bob McCormick, Malcolm
Haines, etc. to be very approachable.  Of course if your management is not
willing to listen or to try you may not have much of an option.  If they
are of an open mind, you have a chance......I'd recommend trying.  Tell
them your story and ask for help......

With the i5's, hardware maintenance, software maintenance, and support
personnel costs analyzed I think that you will find the iSeries to not
always be more expensive.  In fact I think it would tend to be on the
cheaper side....of course mileage will vary and not every situation is the
same.....


Michael Crump
Manager, Computing Services
Saint-Gobain Containers
1509 S. Macedonia Ave.
Muncie, IN  47302
(765)741-7696
(765)741-7012 f
(800)428-8642

"The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us
from the support of a cause we believe to be just"  Abraham Lincoln






                                                                           
             boyd bill                                                     
             <bill.boyd@tggrou                                             
             pna.com>                                                   To 
                                       Midrange Systems Technical          
             04/07/2005 10:01          Discussion                          
             AM                        <midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>           
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             Please respond to                                     Subject 
             Midrange Systems          RE: The IBM iSeries word from       
                 Technical             FOSE...                             
                Discussion                                                 
             <midrange-l@midra                                             
                 nge.com>                                                  
                                                                           
                                                                           
                                                                           



I was just told in a meeting last week that we have to move off of the
AS/400 and to something cheaper and that will support Oracle starting next
year. While I doubt it will actually happen next year since we always seem
to be behind, it does seem inevitable that our iseries days are numbered at
my shop.

-----Original Message-----
From: Don [mailto:dr2@xxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Thursday, April 07, 2005 9:40 AM
To: midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: The IBM iSeries word from FOSE...


Here in DC, we have an annual BIG expo of techno vendors, wares, etc.
It's kinda like the governments COMDEX if you will, it's just better run
and attended than COMDEX.

Dell had a BIG booth and well staffed.

HP had a BIG booth and well staffed...

Apple had a BIG booth and well staffed...

...as did alot of the major vendors....and these booths were BUSY.

IBM's booth, when I finally found it, was one guy sitting on a corner
postage stamp size of space with a little sign attached to a xSeries
cluster server saying "Linux DB2".  When I poped by to see what was going
on, he was complaining that his blade server had been stolen the night
before.  When I asked him about ANY ANY ANY iSeries representation at the
conference, I was told there wasn't any and further"...I don't do
AS/400..."   Frankly, it was safer for me to just walk away.

SO, is it any wonder that people here don't think of iSeries as
contemporary technology?  Is it any wonder that people here are very eager
to buy Dell and HP Servers?

Has ANYONE in Somers reviewed the current sales/marketing model (beyond
radio/TV/Print spots) and seen where it REALLY NEEDS to be improved?

No, you may not book alot of sales at a FOSE type event, BUT you do
get/keep market recognition...something that OS/400 has very little of
anymore.

Is it really any wonder why in our User Group meeting this week I was once
again deluged by people lamenting how hard it is to find work on a
AS400/iSeries/i5/(insert name here) ???

I don't give a damn if you call me a cormudgeon or not!  I'm in the
trenches here and I'm getting lots of calls for help from folks that are
seriousely looking for work....and there's REAL REASONS why there is
none...  Starting with "...I don't do AS/400...."  and the current sales
models.

Don in DC

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