On the note of applications driving hardware purchases, it is now possible
to justify the cost of a System i5 purchase based on how much the hardware
has dropped in price. The issue then becomes how big of a system does one
need to run the application (i.e. is there a lot of Java or WAS involved).
Somebody on this list mentioned they were trying to sell i5's pre-loaded
with a decent software stack (open source JSF and PHP projects), but IBM
wouldn't allow them to do that as a business partner because of some obscure
rule. I forget who it was...
Aaron Bartell
http://mowyourlawn.com
-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-nontech-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:midrange-nontech-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Crump, Mike
Sent: Tuesday, November 20, 2007 8:56 AM
To: Non-Technical Discussion about the AS400 / iSeries
Subject: RE: iSeries revenue plummets
I would agree that it's applications. However, I wouldn't base it all
on just being hip. There are some very good applications out there that
just flat don't run on the i.
Here, we are a customer to a industry analyst firm. I think it's a
waste of money but the veep likes them. I swear they spend 90% of their
efforts looking for the killer application areas as well as the killer
applications. This isn't bread and butter applications. And while I am
cynical it's not to say that there isn't some sort of business benefit
in these new applications or app areas. They are constantly chasing new
apps and to me it seems like 99% of them do not run on the System i.
While I think there is a whole laundry list of things to work on this is
probably number one - get more applications and you have a chance to
revitalize the platform. I've said this many times on this list - SAP
on the System i is a great combination. But, you would never know it.
So it might not be enough to get the applications here - the word has to
get out somehow.
One other point to make - if you know of an application that should be
running on the System i it wouldn't hurt to start pounding that vendor
and IBM to see if it can be accomplished. Hopefully, they won't all be
in PASE or stay there............
Michael Crump
Manager, Computing Services
Saint-Gobain Containers, Inc.
1509 S. Macedonia Ave.
Muncie, IN 47302
765.741.7696
765.741.7012 f
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-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-nontech-bounces+mike.crump=saint-gobain.com@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:midrange-nontech-bounces+mike.crump=saint-gobain.com@xxxxxxxxxxx
m] On Behalf Of Paul Nelson
Sent: Tuesday, November 20, 2007 8:49 AM
To: 'Non-Technical Discussion about the AS400 / iSeries'
Subject: RE: iSeries revenue plummets
With all due respect to the programmers on the list, Aaron, it is not
languages that sell business systems, it's application software. That,
and
marketing.
The 30-something MBA's who are moving into decision making roles don't
remember the old adage that you won't get fired for buying IBM. Now, the
adage is that you won't get fired for buying Microsoft/Oracle/SAP. The
applications could be written in Swahili for all they care. All they
care
about is being able to use a mouse to drive it, and can they get their
spreadsheets out of it. How many new ERP business applications are being
written for the System i platform?
If it's not hip, they won't buy it. Look at the latest IBM Blade Center
ads.
The old guy (like me) is freaking out. The young guy comes to the
rescue.
The message is this: "Don't be like the old guy. Buy the latest buzz
words."
The youngsters fall for it every time, because they were raised in a
society
where stuff is disposable after they tire of its flashiness. Nobody is
concerned with ROI or TCO or MTBF or reliability or stability.
Just my gray haired two cents worth.
Paul Nelson
Cell 708-670-6978
Office 512-392-2577
nelsonp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-nontech-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:midrange-nontech-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Aaron
Bartell
Sent: Tuesday, November 20, 2007 7:01 AM
To: 'Non-Technical Discussion about the AS400 / iSeries'
Subject: RE: iSeries revenue plummets
Flashy-ness sells hardware. Unfortunately it isn't the flashy-ness of
the
hardware I am talking about, but instead what a developer sees as the
quickest path to their endpoint. There is a huge increase in the
language
and development environment determining what overall system is chosen.
That
is why we are seeing so many shops going Microsoft .NET - it is VERY
flashy
despite it's fragile nature. Sure, they are catching up, but they are
merely trying to get to what IBM has had for years.
The System i5 can sustain itself pretty well with it's existing customer
base, but as for new customers I am not so sure. What would be
somebody's
reason for becoming a new System i5 customer? I'd guess nobody would
choose
RPG as their "new" language moving forward. PHP and MySQL on the
machine,
with all the new virtualization stuff included, might make some people
jump
on the box.
Thoughts?
Aaron Bartell
http://mowyourlawn.com
-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-nontech-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:midrange-nontech-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
fbocch2595@xxxxxxx
Sent: Tuesday, November 20, 2007 6:51 AM
To: midrange-nontech@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: iSeries revenue plummets
What are the aspects of the iSeries that make it the best business
machine??
Are those things enough to keep companies buying it in numbers that will
keep the platform alive??
-----Original Message-----
From: Abacusflorida@xxxxxxx
To: midrange-nontech@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Mon, 19 Nov 2007 10:45 pm
Subject: Re: iSeries revenue plummets
Sad to say - They deserve to plummet.
When is the last time you saw any advertising outside of a technical
communication about the I-series (as/400)? TV, Super bowl, non-I-series
magazine.
I have I-series clients that receive no mail, calls, or anything about
I-series. I personally think that the switch years ago from IBM sales
reps
to
business partners was a cost reduction technique that will ultimately
spell
the
death of the I-series. Perhaps they don't have the financial
where-with-all
to
mass-market. It's a shame that the "greatest" business computer will
be
extinct without someone selling it. IBM sure isn't.
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