Timothy Sipples wrote:
Steve Comstock writes:
I would guess the focus here was on jobs, plain and simple.
Maybe installed mainframe MIPS are increasing, but jobs,
especially for z/OS staff, appear to be declining (esp. in
the US, but some on the list have mentioned similar trends
in Europe).
[snip some valid points]
For what it's worth, I largely disagree with the rest of your comments,
Do you mean:
-----------------------
It would help if IBM would tell the story, then, wouldn't it?
An old thread: IBM doesn't seem interested in winning the hearts and minds
battle for the mainframe (esp. z/OS), based on lack of articles and ads
promoting and raising awareness of z/OS or even z Series.
A strong campaign would go a long way towards getting perceptions
"caught up with reality", eh?
------------------------
FWIW, I think you do an excellent job presenting an optimistic view
of the z/OS world. But on the whole, IBM does not. I'm not calling
this a conspiracy, I'm just saying a major reason that mainframes
are not really visible to the larger public is that IBM does not do
anything to raise visibility. Thus, I am often asked "Do they still
make mainframes?". The new (a year or two ago) head of computing in
Colorado was quoted in the local newspaper as saying "No one runs
mainframes anymore", despite the fact that the state is a z/OS user.
There was quite a debacle here when a new system failed to meet
the needs of its clients: people needing food stamps, welfare,
unemployment insurance payments, etc. I suspect it was a case of
trying to move an app off the "aging mainframe" to a "more modern
platform" that went awry, but the truth will never be published.
It seems to me we want to be in a position where using a mainframe
for apps should be included as one of the natural choices to
consider, whereas today, the mainframe has the [false] perception
of being obsolete, even non-existent, so the assumption by the
young IT managers is that the only choices are Unix and WinTel.
Steve. In particular, I've previously (and often) pointed out the fact that
IBM has repeatedly and substantially reduced pricing and increased value
*across the mainframe board* on a sustained basis for at least 10 years --
heck, it's right in The Mainframe Charter as our CEO's commitment to our
customers. Yet people want to deny that reality, too, and even suggest
conspiracy theories about z/OS.
Sorry, I'm just tired of the conspiracy theories, especially when I've just
spent the past several days working full time on serving the needs of
another prospective new z/OS customer with as much institutional support as
I could ever want or need. Perhaps too much. :-) Good grief, enough
already!
- - - - -
Timothy Sipples
IBM Consulting Enterprise Architect for
New, Advanced, and/or Innovative Solutions (VCT)
Based in Singapore & Serving the "Growth Markets"
E-Mail: timothy.sipp...@us.ibm.com
--
Kind regards,
-Steve Comstock
The Trainer's Friend, Inc.
303-393-8716
http://www.trainersfriend.com
* z/OS application programmer training
+ Instructor-led on-site classroom based classes
+ Course materials licensing
+ Remote contact training
+ Roadshows
+ Course development
----------------------------------------------------------------------
For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions,
send email to lists...@bama.ua.edu with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO
Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
