Re: IBM, iSeries and Linux

It's easy.
As a software vendor, announce that you'll no longer support your product on
the i,p, and zSeries systems after a certain date, and offer them a
replacement product that runs on Linux.

(And at the same time, announce that you have a profe$$ional $ervice$
division that will assist in the migration...)

This certainly fits the IBM marketing model, since they now get a majority
of revenue from *services*, not hardware & software sales.

Steve

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bill" <billzbubb@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Midrange Non-Tech" <Midrange-NonTech@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, September 03, 2003 1:30 PM
Subject: IBM, iSeries and Linux


> I ran across an interesting letter to the Editor in my latest InfoWorld
> (08/25/03).  It's from David Chow, CEO of ShaoLin Microsystems and
Chairman
> of Hong Kong Linux Industry Association.  In the letter he begins by
> defending Linux as more than just a "commodity system for low-end,
PC-based
> hardware".  Here is the second to last paragraph:
>
> "My company offerrs OS (kernel modules) integrated management solutions.
> IBM is also pushing Linux on pSeris, iSeries, and zSeries.  On behalf of
> the Hong Kong Linux Industry Association, we've also received a donation
> from IBM for a zSeries mainframe capable of running thousands of copies of
> Linux with management tools that are tightly integrated with the mainframe
> hardware and Linux OS.  IBM has been pushing Linux on mainframes for
server
> consolidations for a couple of years."
>
> Nothing much exciting there, then came the final paragraph:
>
> "Sun seems to be the only vendor that is still pushing proprietary Unix
> systems hard.  In fact, I am receiving marketing funds and proposals from
> IBM and their partners (that market iSeries and pSeries major) to convert
> existing i/p/z Series customers to Linux.  This is because IBM doesn't see
> any new revenue models that it can dig out from existing customers who are
> using proprietary platforms."
>
> What exactly is involved in pushing a customer to Linux?
>
> Bill
>
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