Re: decommissioning

It sounds like you're still thinking of my other post but I don't mean it like that. I don't know what practice causes this but systems are almost never sold with complete software and new software cost dwarfs the used hardware cost as far as I can tell.

Based on what I found out which is admittedly just guessing:
V5R4 $8500
5722WDS $2500-$5000

But you can buy a bare 520 for maybe $1500 or less even. Sometimes sellers throw in the OS sometimes they don't. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it. You would think a system bundled with software would cost $11,000 if that's what it's worth. Can the license be sold independently? So knowing these things if I were to be in IT procurement I would think you might as well just buy the new hardware since it's going to perform better and only be marginally more expensive due to the high software cost. Therefore the used market is well.. worthless. That is unless I'm wrong and new hardware can't be had for less than $30,000 or so. I can't imagine that to be the case but again on the outside I have to guess.



.... But since you want to go into my other post, I don't really understand IBM's motivation. In theory they are helping persuade people to buy new hardware and get old hardware out of circulation. In practice they are pushing people away from the platform. If someone doesn't want to upgrade the old AS/400 in the back room, they aren't going to. If someone can't buy used hardware they have to move platforms to try to conserve costs. It sounds expensive until you realize the talent pool is much bigger, younger, and cheaper on other platforms. Would you put your entire business into something a relatively small number of people 5 years from retirement know and barely anybody under 30 has exposure to? Maybe executives can't think 10 years ahead anymore?

You can sing the praises of the system all you want but I think from a more practical perspective IBM is collectively a bunch of idiots. They destroyed OS/2, who is to say they can't do it again.

Thanks,
Mark



On 9/11/2012 3:19 PM, DrFranken wrote:

Do you keep the key to your house under the mat and the one to your car
above the visor? Seriously IBM keeps a grip on keys and software
because they invest a phenomenal amount of money writing and maintaining
it and giving it away doesn't do anything for their bottom line. Would I
like to see better deals, lower prices, or developer license pricing?
Sure I would but poking IBM for keeping control of what is theirs
doesn't get us there. Oh and if you think IBM is tough try getting keys
for most of the ERP and other LOB software! IBM is positively
overflowing with grace compared to most of these companies!