IBM still supports a lot of the old hardware, even if the price for doing so
increases each year. There are other sources of support. Unsupported is not
the right adjective and is just a way to increase fud. If I spend a couple of
million on a capital project, I have every right to expect it to last longer
than a couple of years. Ideally, it should last longer than the tax
depreciation schedule.
The last time I checked, software doesn't wear out. The features of 2.10 that
are used in my shop work fine. Why should I care if one I don't use is broken
and won't be fixed? Why should I spend the resources (not just money but time
and effort but time and effort that could also be better spent) for some
upgrade for which there is no business.
I am sure that there are a small set of mainframe shops out there who
are static: their workloads don't grow, their data doesn't grow, their
technical needs don't change. So they can continue to use older
hardware and older software since it works and meets their needs. The
only incentive to change is the increasing cost to maintain their hardware.
But I believe that is the exception. Most shops will need to grow their
workloads and data. Modern processors and storage systems pack a lot
more into much smaller footprints, with lower cooling and infrastructure
costs, allowing growth without expanding the physical data center.
Modern equipment is also faster. But modern equipment usually means
modern software.
A new version every six months is not something IBM should be proud of. It's
the same marketing mentality that causes grocery stores to put the banana racks
in the middle of the cereal aisle, completely destroying the traffic pattern.
Shush! don't give my grocery store ideas!!
--
Bruce A. Black
Senior Software Developer for FDR
Innovation Data Processing 973-890-7300
personal: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
sales info: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
tech support: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
web: www.innovationdp.fdr.com
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