RE: Software Vendors (And US too) - A small rant -- MIDRANGE-L

Ok. I should probably be paid for this but what the heck here goes (my opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer).

From my knot-hole onto the universe I see no difference between how you say what you say and those you call complainers.

Robert,

You seem to have fallen prey to some weird sense of time. It has been (next month), FIVE years since the name change. In I.T., >that is an eternity - and way longer than a week.

And, we have seen charts supporting that through 2025:
http://ibmsystemsmag.blogs.com/you_and_i/2012/12/future-of-ibm-i-caac-buzz.html

It's probably time to pack up that old and tired myth and send it to the AS/400 cave. While your clients use old branding, you don't >need to. If you say "IBM i" like it is the current branding, they will get used to it.
If not, don't argue, just persist with the correct branding. You can support the platform, even if they don't care to.

The rebranding is no longer in the equation. IBM have given us the IBM i branding to match their Power brand, and it will be with >us for the long term.

Either we, as a community, promote the current and future branding, or we will be left behind in the DP department. And, with all >the noise from the MS crowd (and even Unix people), and some of our own community, we need to support this incredible >platform for the long term, not its glorious past.
The challenge is to stop using arguments that keep us mired in the old names and stuck in old ways of doing things.

Jim, Thanks for your support for my "rants".

There have been 4 rebrands in the last 25 years.
http://blog.angustheitchap.com/?p=475

Hardly "often" and hardly "whatever it is this week". It is time to put that one away now.

Dave,

You should call it IBM i. That is the current Operating System name, and if you want to look current on your CV, you should be up >to date. Of course, you should also include that you have had experience with AS/400, iSeries. You may also reference OS/400 and >i5/OS, and make a note that IBM i runs on Power Systems.

It is important that you look like you are up to date. Otherwise, you will be getting a job coding RPGII or RPGIII and miss out on all >the cool new stuff that a modern IBM i can do.

FWIW, there was never such a thing as i5. There was a System i5 for a short time - maybe a month, but that was actually a System >i before the branding was finalized. And i5/OS was the name of the operating system for only 2 years.

Regardless of whether or not it is a good or horrible name, if we fight it, we just look ridiculous. If we wish to support the platform, >and support our own future in this industry, fighting back with a personal beef about a branding is just going to make us all look >utterly incompetent, and really does not help the future of the platform.

IBM have given us the IBM i branding, whether we like it or not, it is the brand name that will be used for longer than any other on >this platform.
Not a single one of us is skilled at marketing or branding, and definitely not for a company like IBM. We don't and won't get a say >in the branding, period. It is time to get used to it, and get over our personal preferences.

Both sides have valid points of view. But it is the ultimate consumer of the product who isn't being listened to. To be blunt IBM needs to listen up. It is not the user community in jeopardy. It's IBM.

Where would everyone be if IBM faded away tomorrow? They'd be right where they are today. Businesses would still want to get as much ROI out of their equipment as possible. When replacement time comes they'll start looking around to see what's out there just like they do today. No IBM anymore? Oh well, too bad so sad. Let's move on.

There are a lot of very smart people on this list who are on the front lines every day. Listening to them earnestly can only work to IBM's advantage.

It isn't the back-end application or server that counts these days it's the interface. Those using iPhones, iPads, etc. (I'll call them clients) don't care what server they are connecting to. It could be called "Stinky Peter's Ultimate Roll Yer Own!" (SPURYOn! for short) for all they care. To them the name is iPhone, iPad, and so forth. Nor do they care what language their app is written in. In fact some may even like a retro-5250 look. Who knows; fashions come and go.

Frankly I don't think developers care that much about the server's manufacture's product name. They only want to know how to connect to it (I agree they should for resumes at least). Administrators care a bit more. After all they have to maintain them. Those higher up the food chain with "image is everything" on their minds care a bit more still being part of the iPhone, etc. user group.

Moral of the story...

If you're marketing or selling something (a product, idea or point of view) know your target market and act accordingly.
Denigrating the target market usually costs you sales.
Patient persistence pays greater dividends than angry or frustrated flair ups.

Thanks for listening.

-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Trevor Perry
Sent: Wednesday, December 12, 2012 1:39 PM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
Subject: Re: Software Vendors (And US too) - A small rant

Being cryptic does not make me find anything. I am not in your brain and cannot tell what you are pointing at. Please explain.

On 12/12/12 4:28 PM, "Monnier, Gary" <Gary.Monnier@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Trevor,

You're not listening to yourself. Look harder.

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