Green Screen Future (was: Image catalog to install V5R2) -- MIDRANGE-L

Jan --

There are a LOT of companies in a dilemma similar to the one you describe.  My 
company uses an old green-screen version of BPCS, and money is tight.  
Nonetheless we are formulating plans for moving forward.

-> The "upgrade" path designed for green-screen is some kind of web-faced 
system and thin client browser devices.  Linux on an old PC can be done for 
LESS than a terminal today.  And IBM is pricing the interactive CPW such as to 
make that alternative more cost-effective.

-> You make an interesting point . . . it is ASSUMED by IBM and all of the 
software vendors that the GUI model is better.  I do not think that is a valid 
assumption for all cases.

-> It appears that IBM is prepared to lose these customers rather than continue 
to support 5250 over the long haul.  These customers are certainly low revenue, 
and very likely not profitable as well.  They MUST do some kind of planning, 
because the green screen apps will become untenable.  Eventually they will be 
unable to extend the life of the old system, or the cost to maintain it will 
become outrageous.  

-> If there is no plan to transition to something, they will be in trouble.  
The plan could be simple (lose the AS400 and revert to Excel), complex 
(implement an open-source ERP on Linux), or somewhere in between.  Having no 
plan is management malpractice!

On a side note:
"BTW: if I do not need to go 400+ miles to fetch my daughter, but only travel 
around town, why will a Model T not do?"

I couldn't agree more . . the Model T will do.  A modern day version of it is 
the GEM:  http://www.gemcar.com/  When my 10 year old gets to be driving, 
something like this is very likely what she will get!

Take care!

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: 23 Apr 2003 01:00:19 +0200
From: Jan Megannon <jmegannon@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: RE: Image catalog to install V5R2

Hi,

This is a somewhat emotive issue among some over here. The whole issue
around the Standard vs Enterprise models is pushing some customers off
the iSeries and what may be a trickle now could become a flood.
Especially so among the SMB customers. Most (if not all) of them run
Green Screen apps.The companies who previously opted for systems like
the 170-2290/2291 or the 720-1500/1501/1502 are now left with expensive
options, were they to stay on the iSeries.

Quite a number of these systems are installed at manufacturing
companies. The staff employed in the production environments are often
semi-skilled, with somewhat basic levels of education (the reasons for
which I will not enter into here in this forum). For them the most
appropriate applications are the Green Screen ones. These are also the
most robust apps for this type of environment. When I worked for the
local mining group De Beers, we had terminals that had been installed
620 meters underground, in all that dust and humidity. (Admittedly, that
was still on the 4381 and 9375, connected via muxes, 3174's and the
NCP).

In cases like this, the customer does _not!!_ want to GUIfy the apps.
What for? Just so that they can now force Mr Gates to take more of their
money? So now, what growth options are there on the iSeries? Extremely
(cost per transaction come to mind?) expensive ones! Maybe that is why
so many of our Small Medium Business customers are opting to live with
there current level of technology for as long as there are spares
available. In many ways, the system that they originally dedicated
themselves to (as far back as the S36) has gone beyond their reach.
Their bottom lines have not kept pace with the cost of the platform.
Sure, that is their problem. It is also a loss to us. BTW: if I do not
need to go 400+ miles to fetch my daughter, but only travel around town,
why will a Model T not do?

There are so many pros and cons to this over here that one could
virtually start a whole new list just for this.

Just my thoughts. Now go ahead and flame !! :-)

Cheers.

Jan.



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