Dave Jones wrote:
IBM's actions here (not offering very cheap/"free" software licenses, free
hardware, etc.) as compared to what other vendors are willing to do might be
a result of the anti-trust cases brought against it decades ago (last one in
1969?).
IBM was accused of maintaining it's near-monopoly position in mainframe
hardware and software by bundling them together...buy the hardware, get the
software for nothing. IBM was ordered by the courts to unbundled the
software from the hardware and charge for it, thus helping start today's ISV
business. So no more free software or below cost hardware.
As far as I know (and I am no lawyer) the consent decrees that IBM agreed to
to settle these antitrust cases are still in effect. It could be that these
legal agreements are preventing IBM from offering such inducements.....just
a thought.
Have a good one.
Thanks for the response.
But I'm wondering: if the consent decree is still in effect, then how
is it that they can offer us deep discounts (HESC used to give us about
an 80% discount) if we limit the use of the software to instructional or
research only? I can't imagine the consent decree allowing them to
continue their predatory practices as long as it was only for
instructional or research use.
Oh well. It's a moot issue for us anyway. Our mainframe is scheduled
to be gone by the end of 2008 (BTW: I'll believe it when I see it ...
it's a long story). And the high price of software contributes greatly
to this decision.
--Stephen
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