midrange.com - In My Humble Opinion

Being a member of the AS/400 Advocacy Group mentioned in today's "Midrange Computing Monday Morning Update", I was given a little pause. With little doubt, the article was fair. The latter should be expected from a magazine whose existence depends as much upon the survival of the AS/400 as does our own. However, nobody from "InfoWorld" or "Computer World" asked for the same access to the group as did the "Midrange Computing" author. I must take issue with the target audience ascribed to the group -- I thought that Corporate Earth would be the target of any ads, with the media, IBM, and its shareholders being secondary targets. Despite nearly a DECADE of our input, IBM just doesn't seem to "get" the AS/400 -- hence our appeal to persons outside of that environment.

"No clear consensus"? Of course not. We know that, if we're going to win, we must win on the facts. We cannot just go spouting off hither and yon about issues that we are not even sure are issues. Said speculation has already burned up FAR too much bandwidth on midrange-l, IMO. Until this weeks' announcement, we won't have all the facts. Speaking out now would only invite derision and discredit our organization before it even gets started.

The point is, we don't care about the AS/400 for the sake of the AS/400. It'll run JAVA, REXX, CGI, C, and the old standbys of CL, RPG, and COBOL. It will also run AIX via PASE, and service PC files via IFS. With the introduction of native TCP/IP support several releases ago, it remains, what I declared nearly seven years ago, "The most connectible box on the planet". What we DO care about is that the AS/400 is still IBM's most reliable product. Many of us have huge educational investment in a product which, while other products translate to it, its products do not necessarily translate to other boxes. Less reliable boxes. Less business-oriented boxes. Boxes that cannot be run by the company's accounting clerk after a few brief hours of training and no technical staff, as can the AS/400.

Believe you me -- the AS/400 advocates will certainly resurface after IBM's announcement. Hopefully, only to decide that we no longer have a job to do. I somehow doubt the latter, though. IBM's history of promoting the box has been spotty at best, detrimental at worst, and pandering to those of us that complain about the lack of advertising in the median.

A warning to IBM -- look at your average AS/400 sale, the number of people trained to support the box, and the third party companies that earn a living off of your only true "magic box" in the campaign of the same name. Then tell me we can't come up with the money for one of those full-page advertisements...

JMHO,

Dean Asmussen

You've done it, I've done it. For years. Almost everyone we know over the age of 18 has at one time or another. After you've been married for a while it becomes less frequent, but it still happens. Sometimes it's the best you've ever had, others, it's not very rewarding for either party. Often, you're fumbling around in the dark, not knowing what to say or do. Sometimes it makes you feel good, others, angry.

We're talking calling IBM about your billing. This problem has been going on literally for decades. Even when the bill is correct, you'll not receive one one month, and then receive two the next. Plays havoc upon the old budget process, doesn't it?

But a correct bill seems to be the exception rather than the rule. Your odds for a proper bill from IBM improve if you've had the same hardware and software for a while along with a comprehensive services agreement, but quickly go down hill if you change hardware or software or have service performed outside the services agreement. If you've never had an incorrect invoice from IBM, you've either never done business with them for more than one transaction, or aren't looking closely at your invoices. Or have never called for OS/400 support that was supposed to be free.

What are you to do? You call IBM. Sometimes, you get a helpful person who straightens things out right away. More often, you get a surly person bent on making you pay your incorrect invoice. In the latter case, you then call your IBM representative, who apologizes all over themselves and promises to take care of things. You feel good about the situation -- until next month's bill arrives with the same unpaid (and unearned) charges upon it.

So ensues the "30 day dance". With the arrival of your bill each month, you again point out the inappropriate charges. You are again promised that they will be "taken care of", and then you wait another thirty days to dispute them. If you do not finally cave in and pay just to eliminate the madness or because you just forgot, your problem should be taken care of within 90 days (although anecdotal evidence suggests that it can take longer).

IBM's inability to control one of the most basic computer applications, Accounts Receivable, stands in stark contrast to its message of handling e-business for dinky businesses overseas. Would YOU want to sell olive oil from Italy using systems from a company that overbills you every single month? I certainly wouldn't.

This problem has been ongoing since before the AS/400 was introduced. If IBM cannot get its own house in order, how are they supposed to do the same for the rest of us? A business computer company that cannot perform the most basic of all business functions on its computers? Ridiculous.

Set your own example, and speak for yourself, IBM. Fix this billing problem NOW. Set an example for your customers, and your potential customers. Do it.

JMHO,

Dean Asmussen