Re: Advanced Job Scheduler

I have long loved the irony of IBM internal systems not being part of the "Smarter Planet" initiatives they promote for your own business. I guess it would be easy to do if your business were monolithic and relatively small, but IBM acquires new companies like Solomon acquired wives, so I can imagine that integrating the ordering and invoicing across so many entities must be an enormous task.

That being said, I do business directly with IBM, not through a BP, because I am a developer and take advantage of the developer discount program and I marvel that in 2016 I still:

1) Have to remember to renew my SWMA (they don't notify me)
2) Can't get pricing on the SWMA without contacting a human and having them create a huge configuration before they can set pricing.
3) Get a paper invoice.
4) Have to pay by check.

I have been doing so since 1999 and the process really hasn't changed. At some point in the next few months I'll be moving off the JS12 Blade I have to a new Power 8 box and I expect it will be the long drawn out process it always has been. It would be pretty cool to make the process as cutting edge as a Power 8 is, but, alas, the process is still the same as when I ordered my first AS400.......

Pete Helgren
www.petesworkshop.com
GIAC Secure Software Programmer-Java

On 3/30/2016 9:16 AM, Aaron Bartell wrote:

Then again, I don't see any prices at

https://krengeltech.com/docutransfer/solutions/

KrengelTech has two divisions, one is IBM i, the other deals with mail
automation (not on IBM i). Website is actively being re-done to better
address this.

But to address your point, on rpg-xml.com we have an automated free trial
download. We follow-up with email asking about their situation because
there's usually handholding when an RPG shop does their first XML web
services, including the purchase of services.

Our next effort, Litmis Spaces (spaces.litmis.com), will be much more self
service. So maybe my stance needs to change to the personality of the
purchaser and what they're used to. There's a crowd that expects
Amazon-aws-like purchasing and then there are more traditional
I-want-a-call type personalities.

Maybe there are some products that should be purchased/installed via
shopping cart and others require BP intervention? Jim mentioned there are
much more complex situations. Maybe somebody could expound so I am no
longer ignorant?


Aaron Bartell
litmis.com - Services for open source on IBM i


On Wed, Mar 30, 2016 at 8:52 AM, Rob Berendt <rob@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Aaron,

I agree that you should be able to find this on the internet.
But I already listed my suspicions as to why not further down the list.

Then again, I don't see any prices at
https://krengeltech.com/docutransfer/solutions/


Rob Berendt
--
IBM Certified System Administrator - IBM i 6.1
Group Dekko
Dept 1600
Mail to: 2505 Dekko Drive
Garrett, IN 46738
Ship to: Dock 108
6928N 400E
Kendallville, IN 46755
http://www.dekko.com





From: Aaron Bartell <aaronbartell@xxxxxxxxx>
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion <midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: 03/30/2016 09:02 AM
Subject: Re: Advanced Job Scheduler
Sent by: "MIDRANGE-L" <midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx>

Call your Business Partner.

I almost bit my tongue, but decided against it.

Am I wrong to be fed up with the need to contact a business partner to
gain
access to products I already know I want to buy? IBM (Steve Will) is
agreeing that automation** is an ingredient of success. I see the formal
IBM Business Partners as an unnecessary hurdle to get over. Imagine a
world where I could click and pay on a web page to get new products
installed on IBM i in 2 minutes. What am I missing?

**http://bit.ly/youandi-strategy2015

Aaron Bartell
litmis.com - Services for open source on IBM i


On Wed, Mar 30, 2016 at 7:04 AM, Rob Berendt <rob@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

What it all boils down to is:
Call your Business Partner.

While it would be nice to simply find a list price on the internet and

be

done with it many software products simply do not work that way.

IDK why. I have my suspicions:
1 - To avoid sticker shock we want you to listen to our siren's. You
can't resist their voices.
2 - No one pays list. That's just there to gouge you on maintenance at

x%

of current list price.
3 - As long as you're looking at... you should really look at ... also.
4 - Honest attempt to make sure you're buying the right thing. Or don't
buy 5770-xyz when you may be entitled to a free upgrade from 5761-xyz.

Now, if you're trying to convince your boss and he's the only one who is
allowed to contact your business partner, then I can understand your
reluctance.

Some of the BP's on this list are getting tired of answering such
questions. Irks them when they do all the research and then you contact
your national BP who only says tell me what they told you and undercuts
the price.

Rob Berendt
--
IBM Certified System Administrator - IBM i 6.1
Group Dekko
Dept 1600
Mail to: 2505 Dekko Drive
Garrett, IN 46738
Ship to: Dock 108
6928N 400E
Kendallville, IN 46755
http://www.dekko.com

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