RE: Microsoft goes after the iSeries

First off, our business leaders decided they _needed_ GUI moving
forward.  We had a ton of RPG experience with 5250 experience, but had
only started using WDSc for JSF with WAS.  It was a 1 year difference in
education that made the difference between sticking with the iSeries and
going with .NET.  I almost cried that day...

Our new direction is to develop C#.NET "Smart Clients".  Those smart
clients make SQL Stored Procedure calls to access all DB2 tables and
business logic.  The connection is using IBM's supplied .NET DB2 driver
(was code named DB2 Stinger I believe).

I didn't agree with the direction at all and thought we should have gone
Java with WAS using JSF coupled with WDO/SDO or Hibernate or some other
DAO concept. We actually looked at RPG.NET from ASNA about 1.5 years
ago.  I would have had to sell my children into slavery to pay for all
the components needed.  Us iSeries programmers take for granted
everything we get with OS/400 and an iSeries hardware purchase.  When
you look at it from a per developer cost, a medium sized shop easily
saves $100,000 in costs compared to M$.  We don't pay $3,000 per
developer for our IDE and supporting plugins.  We get DB2 for free with
OS/400.  WebSphere Express is completely free (today :-), etc.  And IBM
just announced that it is releasing patents on some of its technologies
to encourage usage in the open source community.  I just wish they could
double their speed to stay ahead of the M$ machine in all aspects.

I don't know why any iSeries shop would want to go Microsoft for their
mission critical applications.  Doesn't make sound investment sense.

Anyways, I digress. . .

Aaron Bartell

-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-nontech-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:midrange-nontech-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] 
Sent: Tuesday, January 11, 2005 12:36 PM
To: Non-Technical Discussion about the AS400 / iSeries
Subject: RE: Microsoft goes after the iSeries


Aaron,

I agree.  I just think it also creates opportunities for your
competitors and allows the costs more reputation to continue to exist.
Not all customers will go Java and WAS (which is one of the main thrusts
of the Midrange Alliance).  To me, it's like the train barons only
worrying about their market and not seeing the outside
competitor......or the planned obsolescence market dictated by another
US industry....

But I fully agree, new systems and non-interactive......it is very hard
to beat.

BTW, what is your new software development approach?  I'm always
curious.....well as long as it's not from CSP or ASNA....lol.

Mike




 

             "Bartell, Aaron

             L."

             <ALBartell@taylor
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             corp.com>                 Non-Technical Discussion about
the  
                                       AS400 / iSeries

             01/11/2005 12:36          <midrange-nontech@xxxxxxxxxxxx>

             PM
cc 
 

 
Subject 
             Please respond to         RE: Microsoft goes after the

               Non-Technical           iSeries

             Discussion about

                the AS400 /

                  iSeries

             <midrange-nontech

              @midrange.com>

 

 




 >Now, with IBM's pricing charge of the 5250 tax it is possible to save
money with a Wintel solution.......

Their pricing is perfectly aligned with the direction they are going.
They want you to go Java and Websphere, and what better way to do that
than to keep interactive pricing high.  We are pricing out two new i5
boxes of medium size, and being that our new software development
approach is not using 5250 we can practically cut out the interactive
charge.  THIS CUTS THE PRICE OF THE BOX AND SOFTWARE IN HALF!!




-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-nontech-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:midrange-nontech-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Tuesday, January 11, 2005 10:12 AM
To: Non-Technical Discussion about the AS400 / iSeries
Subject: Re: Microsoft goes after the iSeries


I think I'll extend my boycott of California Software products to ASNA.
While I'm all for alternative programming environments I struggle with a
number of inaccurate statements being made within the Midrange Alliance.

I'll repeat my position that with the i5 and the standard or value
license the iSeries is not the most expensive system and when you add
all the manpower issues around MS 2003 server, SQL server, disk storage,
etc.  it is the most affordable system.  Assuming you are a small,
medium, or large customer running an enterprise environment it is
improper to assume that the iSeries is more expensive.

Now, with IBM's pricing charge of the 5250 tax it is possible to save
money with a Wintel solution.......

1.)  I think IBM needs to revisit it's licensing practices - including
hardware maintenance......why give anyone an opening like that......?

2.)  I think IBM needs to respond aggressively to this garbage......

Do you think Mark Shearer is listening to this stuff?










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