Re: Seems strange (don't read if you don't want to hear about marketingcomplaints)

Mike,

I think you raise excellent points and that you presented them in a very fair 
way.

I have forwarded this (hopefully that is OK; should have checked first... ) to 
various contacts
that I have from being on the iSeries Nation council.

We will see...

Thanks,

Chuck

Mike wrote:

> I'm really trying to be positive and not just sit around and complain about
> IBM marketing with the iSeries.  I'm not as good as John Carr but I do try.
> I like what I hear from Anne Lucas and Buell Duncan.  I can't say I've seen
> anything yet but I do like what they are telling us.  I'd rather try to be
> a part of a positive force.  But sometimes it is very hard to do.
>
> Today I was checking the iSeries site and I noticed something.  Nothing
> unusual, it's been done before.  But there at the top of the announcement
> list was an item for the mainframe and it's dedicated Linux server.  That's
> nice, it's along the party lines, I'm sure I've seen other non-iSeries
> stuff on there before.  But then I got to thinking.  I can't remember there
> ever being something on the other servers sites referring to the iSeries.
> So I checked.  xSeries - nothing.  pSeries - nothing.  Surely the zSeries
> could respond somewhat in kind.  Nope.  Not a thing.  Maybe I've just
> missed them over time but the cynic in me doesn't think so.
>
> Now, I'm probably a little sensitive currently because I really have
> concerns in the Websphere arena with regards to the iSeries.  But something
> just seems strange.  One of the largest ad campaigns recently started that
> mentions specific IBM servers and the iSeries isn't included? Something
> that is intended to convey integration and e-business (doesn't our i stand
> for integrated, isn't the iSeries a viable e-business computer)?  Something
> to highlight the strengths of IBM? The iSeries web site routinely
> displaying non-iSeries news and announcements but nothing reciprocated?
>
> The issue of iSeries marketing is very divisive amongst customers and
> business partners.  There are a thousand different opinions as to what is
> wrong and how to fix it.  Much as I'd like to think that I know what is
> exactly wrong and what needs to be done I'm sure I don't.  One thing I feel
> very sure about is that this problem has existed for a long time.  It
> became a very prominent issue around the announcement for the AS/400e and
> the following COMMON (thank you Bob Tipton).  Years of passed and I don't
> feel like there has been any real improvement.
>
> Am I missing something here?  Or am I just being to hard on IBM?
> Personally, I think I'm being very nice under the circumstances.........
>
> My company is a decent sized iSeries customer.  We do a fair amount of
> business every year with them.  In fact we have a nice $400,000+ upgrade
> that I am currently working on.  We are not a leading edge customer but we
> do some new modern applications on the iSeries - our extranet runs on
> Domino on the iSeries, we use Domino for internal applications, we use
> Websphere on the iSeries, we run a huge data warehouse on the iSeries, we
> plan on running our intranet (including QuickPlace and Sametime) on an
> iSeries, I plan on using Connect for the iSeries, etc.  In fact I'm up in
> Rochester next week on a iSeries e-business class (ha, they evidently
> didn't see the commercials).  My point is that with this lack of support
> from IBM I sometimes wonder if it is worth the hassle to keep on adding
> applications and functionality to the iSeries.
>
> Well, there is my rant on this subject.  My apologies in advance if you are
> tired about hearing on this subject.  Unfortunately, I'm not.
>
> Michael Crump
> Saint-Gobain Containers
> 1509 S. Macedonia Ave.
> Muncie, IN  47302
> (765)741-7696
> (765)741-7012 f
> (800)428-8642