I have read most all of these posts on this topic; some factual, some not.
I'll be brief with my opinion.
The bottom line is that if a company can find the software solution that
best supports the needs of the enterprise in the most cost-effective,
flexible method, then that must drive the hardware decision. We just
finished an ERP search and from a business perspective I don't care if the
darn thing ran on a cotton gin for hardware if it offered good
performance, scalability, and a secure platform. The solution we
ultimately selected doesn't happen to run on the i so this will be a new
and exciting chapter for me.
This is coming from someone who cut his teeth on a Sys/34 in the early
80's and have been on the IBM midrange platform ever since. I love the
iSeries platform and will argue that it is the best hardware option out
there even yet today from a technical perspective, however; the software
must drive the hardware decision. Look how many cutting-edge ERP
solutions there are out there for the i compared to other platforms. Do
you see where this is going? There is no turning back at this point and
the writing is on the wall already.
I won't soapbox too much but the pointy-headed IBM marketing wizards
really drove the platform into the ditch in about every way they possibly
could have.
Sad...
Dale Walker
Director, Information Technology
Le Sueur Incorporated
507-665-6204 ext 277
www.lesueurinc.com
"Mark Allen" <scprideandms@xxxxxxxxx>
Sent by: midrange-nontech-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
11/20/2007 09:49 AM
Please respond to
Non-Technical Discussion about the AS400 / iSeries
<midrange-nontech@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To
"Non-Technical Discussion about the AS400 / iSeries"
<midrange-nontech@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
cc
Subject
Re: iSeries revenue plummets
10 Reasons to switch from the System*i* to another platform as seen by the
Non-System*i *Management World
(thanks to Paul N for inspiring this..(ok I flat out copied some of it)
1. It would use a mouse to drive it.
2. It would have pretty colors, graphics and icons.
3. It would be "modern", it would support <insert latest buzz
words
here>
4. Hardwares cheap, so when more processing power is needed just
buy
another server.
5. *R*eturn *O*n *I*nvestment, *T*otal *C*ost of *O*wnership,
*M*ean
*T*ime *B*etween *F*ailure, reliability and stability are not that
important.
6. A new package would do everything needed, so there wouldn't be
a
need expensive programmers.
7. There would be lots of experts on staff (1 for security, 1 or
more for Data Base Administration and Tuning, 1 each for converting to
Microsoft's latest and greatest Operating System, version of whatever
language/framework is used, SQL Server version, security
system/methodology,
applying patches/service packs/hot fixes and probably a few more) so there
is the advantage of not relying on just one persons knowledge
8. Users would be able to easily extract and "manipulate" the data
to get what they need want.
9. Web browser based and be accessed from anywhere.
10. Interfaces to other packages and systems would be just a point
and
click process if they were needed at all (see item 6).
midrange.com
