Re: An AS/400 - Y2K Ad Idea -- MIDRANGE-L

** Reply to note from Glenn Ericson <Glenn-Ericson@att.net> Sun, 21 Dec 1997 
11:08:56 -0500

> However you might mislead some people further into believing they are safe
> from Y2K on the AS/400.   It is not  true. They are better off then most,
> but not they are immune to Year2000.The  prime concern for us, on the'400'

Of course you are right. My intent with the ad wasn't to soothe AS/400
owners. Rather, since the Y2K issues are rather popular reading I felt that
such an ad could open additional doors for the AS/400. 

In an AS/400 shop, a well run Y2K project might include bringing in an
additional AS/400, setting up an environment on it and modifying all the
code/files/etc. that need changes for century handling. Porting data to that
environ and testing it as a live work environment. Then, switching over to
the new environ. 

Well, if the problem being faced was by a Unix shop, a Y2K project would be
a good time for converting to an AS/400. _If_ they could be influenced to do
so. Since a second environ should be set up anyway, and data needs to be
converted anyway, why not use this opportunity to move to an AS/400
application as well. Upgrade the applications and solve more than just the
Y2K issue. 

> If I  remember my numbers correctly as high as 70% 
> of the AS/400s have NOT started their Y2K projects.
>  Is that a false sense of security created by:

I would think this is higher than the industry standard. Not because I have
some concept that people everywhere are taking things more seriously, but
that it seems to me that most AS/400 buyers tend to want IBM to push them
along. 

> Back to the Main Point
> I am not sure I'd want to hitch my wagon [named AS/400] to the Y2K issue as
> there are an excessive number of outside variables that  might go  bad and
> being hitched to it  might cause you to sink by association.  Deserved or not.
>   
> Then there is this whole marketing/education issue[ or lack there of] that
> started this note.  They, are,  separate issues.

Well, let me put it this way: I don't see competing products failing to
manipulate the truth as much as possible. I think the AS/400 is the best
solution buyers can find, so I don't feel that the effort to sell AS/400s
should be limited by an ethic not held to by it's competition.

No computer, OS, application, etc. by itself is a Y2K solution. But if the
AS/400 OS is better prepped for Y2K than others might be, then there isn't
any reason not to use that fact to take advantage of a ton of free Y2K press
to build AS/400 brand recognition.
 

Chris Rehm
Mr.AS400@ibm.net

How often can you afford to be unexpectedly out of business?
Get an AS/400.
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