With all due respect to the programmers on the list, Aaron, it is not
languages that sell business systems, it's application software. That, and
marketing.
The 30-something MBA's who are moving into decision making roles don't
remember the old adage that you won't get fired for buying IBM. Now, the
adage is that you won't get fired for buying Microsoft/Oracle/SAP. The
applications could be written in Swahili for all they care. All they care
about is being able to use a mouse to drive it, and can they get their
spreadsheets out of it. How many new ERP business applications are being
written for the System i platform?
If it's not hip, they won't buy it. Look at the latest IBM Blade Center ads.
The old guy (like me) is freaking out. The young guy comes to the rescue.
The message is this: "Don't be like the old guy. Buy the latest buzz words."
The youngsters fall for it every time, because they were raised in a society
where stuff is disposable after they tire of its flashiness. Nobody is
concerned with ROI or TCO or MTBF or reliability or stability.
Just my gray haired two cents worth.
Paul Nelson
Cell 708-670-6978
Office 512-392-2577
nelsonp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-nontech-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:midrange-nontech-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Aaron Bartell
Sent: Tuesday, November 20, 2007 7:01 AM
To: 'Non-Technical Discussion about the AS400 / iSeries'
Subject: RE: iSeries revenue plummets
Flashy-ness sells hardware. Unfortunately it isn't the flashy-ness of the
hardware I am talking about, but instead what a developer sees as the
quickest path to their endpoint. There is a huge increase in the language
and development environment determining what overall system is chosen. That
is why we are seeing so many shops going Microsoft .NET - it is VERY flashy
despite it's fragile nature. Sure, they are catching up, but they are
merely trying to get to what IBM has had for years.
The System i5 can sustain itself pretty well with it's existing customer
base, but as for new customers I am not so sure. What would be somebody's
reason for becoming a new System i5 customer? I'd guess nobody would choose
RPG as their "new" language moving forward. PHP and MySQL on the machine,
with all the new virtualization stuff included, might make some people jump
on the box.
Thoughts?
Aaron Bartell
http://mowyourlawn.com
-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-nontech-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:midrange-nontech-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
fbocch2595@xxxxxxx
Sent: Tuesday, November 20, 2007 6:51 AM
To: midrange-nontech@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: iSeries revenue plummets
What are the aspects of the iSeries that make it the best business machine??
Are those things enough to keep companies buying it in numbers that will
keep the platform alive??
-----Original Message-----
From: Abacusflorida@xxxxxxx
To: midrange-nontech@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Mon, 19 Nov 2007 10:45 pm
Subject: Re: iSeries revenue plummets
Sad to say - They deserve to plummet.
When is the last time you saw any advertising outside of a technical
communication about the I-series (as/400)? TV, Super bowl, non-I-series
magazine.
I have I-series clients that receive no mail, calls, or anything about
I-series. I personally think that the switch years ago from IBM sales reps
to
business partners was a cost reduction technique that will ultimately spell
the
death of the I-series. Perhaps they don't have the financial where-with-all
to
mass-market. It's a shame that the "greatest" business computer will be
extinct without someone selling it. IBM sure isn't.
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