Re: i NATION ListServer Confusion/ownership

[Chris Rehm <javadisciple@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Amusingly, the Mirage properties spent quite a lot of money trying to 
eliminate the AS/400s. IBM sales reps used to feel like it was a 
battlefield. Whenever Mirage Resorts wanted a price/presentation, they 
would go through it with only the slightest glimmer of hope. I recall in 
'97 when Mirage failed in their latest company conversion project to go 
to NT and sent home their team of Microsoft consultants. They summoned 
the boys from IBM in, and ordered three black boxes. I remember how 
surprised everyone was. They had let go their operations lady and didn't 
really have anyone over that area. They were looking for someone to run 
their AS/400s, but nobody really wanted the job.

 From what you say, it sounds like they gave in and deployed on the AS/400.

You say you think Vegas is about 70%, but I can't think of a property 
that doesn't run an IBM midrange. Unless some of the new ones don't. The 
only two places in Las Vegas where IBM hated to go was Mirage and Valley 
Bank. Valley Bank, later bought by B of A, was staffed with execs who 
used to work with Burroughs.

Here's another thing about how Vegas used to run, if you had a 400 and 
needed to do something with some tape drives or something and you had a 
big problem, you could call around and find someone who'd let you come 
into their shop in the middle of the night and do your tape work. Man, 
that was a great town. I remember once getting some software shipped to 
me that I really needed bad, but it was on the wrong tape format! The 
Luxor let me come in at 2:30am and copy it to another tape drive.

I think that sense of community was great. Even between competing 
properties. But a lot of that is gone these days.


jpcarr@tredegar.com wrote:

>Chris
>Without a doubt that needs to be done too.  I think Vega was around 70%
>AS/400's at the casinos and Atlantic City near 100 % of the casinos.   I
>think the Mirage(?) was just written up for a system where hotel people
>meet you at the door with Palm's and register you,  check you in, encode
>your room key all while you are just coming thru the door(everything going
>to the AS/400 of course).  You never have to see the front desk.     The
>war has a couple of front lines.    (oh ya,  how many know that the war
>crime court in The Hague has all it's files on an AS/400).    These ALL
>need to be done.    We can all pick a battle that interests us.
>
>John
>

-- 

   Chris Rehm
<mailto:javadisciple@earthlink.net>