Seems strange (don't read if you don't want to hear about marketingcomplaints)

[Mike.Crump@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

I'm really trying to be positive and not just sit around and complain about
IBM marketing with the iSeries.  I'm not as good as John Carr but I do try.
I like what I hear from Anne Lucas and Buell Duncan.  I can't say I've seen
anything yet but I do like what they are telling us.  I'd rather try to be
a part of a positive force.  But sometimes it is very hard to do.

Today I was checking the iSeries site and I noticed something.  Nothing
unusual, it's been done before.  But there at the top of the announcement
list was an item for the mainframe and it's dedicated Linux server.  That's
nice, it's along the party lines, I'm sure I've seen other non-iSeries
stuff on there before.  But then I got to thinking.  I can't remember there
ever being something on the other servers sites referring to the iSeries.
So I checked.  xSeries - nothing.  pSeries - nothing.  Surely the zSeries
could respond somewhat in kind.  Nope.  Not a thing.  Maybe I've just
missed them over time but the cynic in me doesn't think so.

Now, I'm probably a little sensitive currently because I really have
concerns in the Websphere arena with regards to the iSeries.  But something
just seems strange.  One of the largest ad campaigns recently started that
mentions specific IBM servers and the iSeries isn't included? Something
that is intended to convey integration and e-business (doesn't our i stand
for integrated, isn't the iSeries a viable e-business computer)?  Something
to highlight the strengths of IBM? The iSeries web site routinely
displaying non-iSeries news and announcements but nothing reciprocated?

The issue of iSeries marketing is very divisive amongst customers and
business partners.  There are a thousand different opinions as to what is
wrong and how to fix it.  Much as I'd like to think that I know what is
exactly wrong and what needs to be done I'm sure I don't.  One thing I feel
very sure about is that this problem has existed for a long time.  It
became a very prominent issue around the announcement for the AS/400e and
the following COMMON (thank you Bob Tipton).  Years of passed and I don't
feel like there has been any real improvement.

Am I missing something here?  Or am I just being to hard on IBM?
Personally, I think I'm being very nice under the circumstances.........

My company is a decent sized iSeries customer.  We do a fair amount of
business every year with them.  In fact we have a nice $400,000+ upgrade
that I am currently working on.  We are not a leading edge customer but we
do some new modern applications on the iSeries - our extranet runs on
Domino on the iSeries, we use Domino for internal applications, we use
Websphere on the iSeries, we run a huge data warehouse on the iSeries, we
plan on running our intranet (including QuickPlace and Sametime) on an
iSeries, I plan on using Connect for the iSeries, etc.  In fact I'm up in
Rochester next week on a iSeries e-business class (ha, they evidently
didn't see the commercials).  My point is that with this lack of support
from IBM I sometimes wonder if it is worth the hassle to keep on adding
applications and functionality to the iSeries.

Well, there is my rant on this subject.  My apologies in advance if you are
tired about hearing on this subject.  Unfortunately, I'm not.

Michael Crump
Saint-Gobain Containers
1509 S. Macedonia Ave.
Muncie, IN  47302
(765)741-7696
(765)741-7012 f
(800)428-8642

mailto:mike.crump@saint-gobain.com