RE: RE: Say Hello to IBM System i5!

midrange-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

>Yeah, I heard that in a webcast yesterday. System i5, System z9, System p5 and 
>I don't know what became of xSeries.
>
>I really wish they would stop doing this. It is hard enough to cultivate 
>mindshare for these systems without IBM changing the name every couple years. 
>I think this constant name changing reduces the credibility of the whole 
>system. Every time you have to go to management and inform them of another 
>name change they just shake their heads. Whatever the name, seems I always end 
>up having to use "AS/400" as part of the definition. At least we have some 
>people in the company who never heard of it prior to "iSeries" so presumably 
>I'll be able to explain it to them as the "next generation iSeries".
>


I'm not clear on what it means to "cultivate mindshare" when the mindshare 
that's being cultivated seems often to be "Oh, AS/400; that old thing."

Perhaps the best direction is _not_ to try to link iSeries or i5 or System i5 
back to AS/400s.

I'm looking at an article in the June '97 issue of Midrange Computing, titled 
'Rebranding the AS/400'. The article argues for dropping the 'AS/400' brand 
name in favor of a new one plus aggressive marketing of the new name. (Author 
was Al Barsa, Jr.)

The rebranding did occur not long after, yet we're still arguing that 'AS/400' 
is the name everyone knows. The community also keeps pointing out that the rest 
of the world views 'AS/400' as old, obsolete, legacy and every other negative 
term we can think of. And we're still trying to explain to others that we work 
on "...well, you know, an AS/400."

Why? Apparently only so that they'll know the label to apply.

The label, but not the system. Who cares if they know the label? In fact, maybe 
it's better if they _don't_ know what label to use. Maybe it's better if 
'System i5' starts to stand on its own merit. There's perhaps no need even to 
mention compatibility with previous incarnations or past investment protection 
or that a System/38 program can be restored and it will run.

Instead, talk about _new_ stuff. Talk about the server technology, the 
security, the hardware improvements. Talk about how the JVM is implemented, 
about how multiple languages can be bound into single programs, about dynamic 
LPARs.

Don't mention AS/400. If they don't know what 'System i5' is, let them ask 
questions -- "Can it do this?" "Yes, it can."

I just don't understand what the problem is with others not knowing something 
about the system I work on. For me, I simply work on the best business platform 
available; it's _their_ problem if they don't, and I'm glad to help them be 
curious.

Tom Liotta