Another thing to keep in mind, is business consolidation is just a fact today.
Yes, it's an imposed business climate.
Don't we have more important things to do than rant about something we can't change?
In the general I-T market things HAVE changed.
Discussions like this one sometimes provoke ideas that DO change things. Little MetroPCS pricing model forced the rest of them to change. Of course they've been bought by somebody bigger now, but looks like that bigger one is adopting that pricing model wholesale. Car dealers have told me that upstart Hyundai changed the auto industry with its 10-year warranty.
Nobody likes the result of consolidation, whether or not they think of it that way. Official policies that manage the makers and suppliers instead of letting consumer demand do it makes things worse for consumers.
What we really need is for more new, independent, vendors to start popping up....
Microsoft consolidated everything to do with PCs by dominating the OS and using it to control the OS and favor their own software atop that, and even IBM couldn't compete. Meantime, the AS/400 knocked out the midrange competitors too, remember, as the smaller computers and then network servers got more power. It has staying power.
The funny thing is that the consolidation in vendors whittles away with real-world effects at the IBMi support infrastructure, like Scott Klement said. Just like the general market consolidation, which also shoots itself in the foot by depending on an artificial business climate that favors bigness.
BUT, consider what a Red Hat developer said recently in an Open Source meeting, speaking as an Open Source advocate, "The war is over, and we won!" He was talking about how Android swept into the Smart Phone market and left Microsoft and the rest of them behind.. Microsoft developers have told me they are delighted about Linux bringing competition to it.
There are a few vendors in our space that have released base code to Open Source licenses. Let's notice them when they do this and help them, support them. PowerRuby looks great.
The rest of you vendors, if you do buy somebody else, maybe take a hint from a Warran Buffet strategy. Buy a business that's doing good and let it keep on doing what it's doing. BUT note also he buys into diverse markets, he doesn't just swallow up somebody who overlaps his other markets.
Alan Cassidy
Senior Developer
Hospital Physician Partners
954-693-0000 ext. 3433 - Direct phone
786-380-9236 - Mobile phone
acassidy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
www.hppartners.com
-----Original Message-----
From: MIDRANGE-L [mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Carl J Novit
Sent: Thursday, July 03, 2014 6:00 AM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
Subject: Re: Help Systems Acquires RJS
I've watched this thread since it started earlier in the week and decided to add my two cents.
I've been a long time customer of both companies.
We have used Sequel and Bytware before they were purchased by Help.
Since Help purchased Sequel the product had continued to be enhanced with more features. There is no way to know if ASC would have enhanced the product to the degree Help has.
We have no issues with Help Systems.
Another thing to keep in mind, is business consolidation is just a fact today.
I have been in the food service equipment business for three generations and in the last ten years we have seen our vendors and competitors consolidate two and three times. Cutting costs and overhead is a requirement to survive today's business climate. If a business can do the same volume with less overhead, they become more profitable, or may be go from a loss or break even to profitable.
Our ecosystem, IBM i, is small, so when vendors consolidate, it is very noticeable.
Don't we have more important things to do than rant about something we can't change?
Just my two cents.
Thanks,
Carl Novit
Vice President
Extension: 7708
From: Scott Klement <midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion <midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: 07/03/2014 12:11 AM
Subject: Re: Help Systems Acquires RJS
Sent by: "MIDRANGE-L" <midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
The other thing to consider about companies consolidating like this is the impact it has on the ecosystem of the platform.
Trade magazines thrive on ads. Each time two vendors combine, they purchase one ad, where they previously purchased two. I know that was a big reason that iPro Developer had troubles.
Same with trade shows like COMMON, et al. One booth instead of two...
it means less income.
Of course, just one vendor like RJS merging with another isn't a problem in itself... the problem is that this sort has been happening all over for a long time.
What we really need is for more new, independent, vendors to start popping up....
On 7/2/2014 10:05 PM, Darryl Freinkel wrote:
My opinion is that this is a loss for the i platform.
When software companies start buying up other companies, they land up
killing the opposition and competition. Take Infor as an example, they
own
most of the ERP solutions today and there is now absolutely no
competition
to keep Infor in check. Infor has lost a few potential sales caused by
poor
sales performance, a loss for all of us in the i-space.
Whilst the merging of software companies may be good in the sense that
after
the merge, a gap is left open for new competitors, the nature of the
industry is such that new entrants cannot make it in this market.
Where has the entrepreneurship of the midrange systems gone?
midrange.com
