RE: iSeries Hardware/software maintenance contract

[rob@xxxxxxxxx]

Good luck with that.  After all, that's pretty much IBM's intent.

Try to go with the leasing option.  It's much easier to say "I'd like to 
get an upgrade to our hardware which should reduce our maintenance bill by 
more than the monthly increase in the lease amount - and give us better 
performance."  Than to say "How's about 6-7 figures and change to get some 
new hardware?"

Bean counters tend to like leasing:
- spreads out expenses instead of one big chunk.
- Makes your "return on assets - or ROA" look better because you now have 
less assets.

Rob Berendt