Re: Any comments on Fontecchio's blog?

[Booth Martin <booth@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I do not mean Point four in a disparaging manner, Mike.  However through 
the years I have seen that it just happens to often to still be 
coincidence that the winning choice turns out to be "cheapest", but only 
*after* enough rationalization has been done.

As to number six...  Microsoft isn't at least as aggressive a competitor 
as Pepsi???



Crump, Mike wrote:
> "Forth  - Price is never the issue, *especially* when the decision
> makers 
> are spending OPM (Other People's Money)."
>
> I'd suggest that this can be a big issue.  There are people and
> companies that live by cost of acquisition.  You don't have the cheapest
> system you lose.  I spend others peoples money and price is always the
> issue.  However, I would not even suggest that price is the only issue.
>
> "Six    - Coca-Cola blundered, and for a while they pursued the "damn
> the 
> torpedoes, full speed ahead" approach to selling the newly formulated 
> Coke."
>
> I think that while there may be some similarities to New Coke there are
> just as many differences.  Coca-Cola blundered, but this was the direct
> result of competitor activities and very detail testing of their own.  I
> don't think I would call it a damn the torpedoes attitude.
>
> Not trying to be argumentative, IMHO some of the points may not be
> accurate....but thought provoking none the less.    
>
>
>
> Michael Crump
>  
> Manager, Computing Services
> Saint-Gobain Containers, Inc.
> 1509 S. Macedonia Ave.
> Muncie, IN  47302
> 765.741.7696
> 765.741.7012 f 
>
> This email and its attachments may be confidential and are intended
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>
> The easy way is always mined.
>  
> -----Original Message-----
> From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Booth Martin
> Sent: Friday, March 07, 2008 4:32 PM
> To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
> Subject: Re: Any comments on Fontecchio's blog?
>
> ??  oh?
>
> First  - I am, and will remain, an IBM bigot.  I make no apologies for
> that.
> Second - Moore's Law is a factor.  A 50% reduction in hardware cost 
> every 18 months since the 1960s (or before) is *going* to have an
> impact!
> Third  - The IBM Midrange machine is a niche product.  That is not going
>
> to change.
> Forth  - Price is never the issue, *especially* when the decision makers
>
> are spending OPM (Other People's Money).
> Fifth  - As a niche product, the IBM Midrange machine is, or should be, 
> outside the IBM mainline just as Saturn and Corvette are not in the 
> traditional General Motors Chevy-Buick-Pontiac-Oldsmobile-Cadillac 
> business model.
> Six    - Coca-Cola blundered, and for a while they pursued the "damn the
>
> torpedoes, full speed ahead" approach to selling the newly formulated 
> Coke.  That strategy didn't work for them, and it won't work for Trevor 
> or IBM.
>
> Where is the flawed or circular logic, Trevor?
>
>
> (Just to be really clear on this, I happen to think highly of Trevor 
> Perry.  He does sessions for the Dallas User Group and he does a first 
> rate job!  Plus, I believe he has a first rate mind and is a straight 
> thinker.   Unfortunately, it appears to me that he's gotten into the 
> kool-aid.  :)   )
>
>
>
>
> Trevor Perry wrote:
>   
> > Steve,
> >
> > Programmers asking questions on Midrange-L tend to be the ones already
> >     
> on
>   
> > Midrange-L - they just ask more questions, or engage in ridiculous
> >     
> name
>   
> > debates. Reaching new i5/OS resources on midrange-L does not
> >     
> correspond to a
>   
> > growth in business. Moot point 1.
> >
> > We sell lots of small 515 servers where there is no IT staff at all.
> >     
> No net
>   
> > new i5/OS employment does not equate to a growth in business. Moot
> >     
> point 2.
>   
> > User group attendance has reduced across the entire IT industry. How
> >     
> do you
>   
> > equate that to any growth in business? Moot point 3.
> >
> > Your points have no logic to them. Choose a better equation, or go
> >     
> talk with
>   
> > Booth - he understands circular and flawed logic.
> >
> > Trevor
> >
> >
> > On 3/7/08 2:19 PM, "Steve Richter" <stephenrichter@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >
> >   
> >     
> > > On Thu, Mar 6, 2008 at 7:12 PM, Trevor Perry <trevor@xxxxxxxxxx>
> > >       
> wrote:
>   
> > >     
> > >       
> > > > Booth,
> > > >
> > > > Where are you being told that IBM is not selling anything?
> > > >
> > > > Read some of Mark Shearer's words here:
> > > > http://blogs.systeminetwork.com/isnblogs/maxedout/
> > > >
> > > > "In my first two and half years in System i, I got an awful lot of
> > > > feedback
> > > > from clients that they wanted to pay for what they use, that they
> > > >         
> wanted
>   
> > > > us
> > > > to improve the price-to-value ratio . . . and we relaunched our
> > > >         
> entire
>   
> > > > entry-level product line back in April -- that ultimately drove more
> > > >         
> than
>   
> > > > 25
> > > > percent volume growth last year in System i."
> > > >       
> > > >         
> > > would it follow that there has been a 25% increase in programmers
> > >       
> asking
>   
> > > questions on midrange-l?  a 25% increase in system i5 employment
> > >       
> across the
>   
> > > board, an equivalent increase in attendance at user's groups and
> > >       
> COMMON
>   
> > > conferences?
> > >
> > > -Steve
> > >     
> > >       
> >   
> >     
>
>