Kirk Wolf writes:
>IMO, it is no coincidence that IBM's mainframe business
>was strongest when there was a competitive PCM market.
Is this true ("...strongest when...")? What about most of the 1990s? Just
asking. There's certainly a hyper-competitive business server market
today. I think that's been wonderful for mainframe technology progress and
for consumers.
I agree with Alan that IBM PWD is the go-to team for ISV support and
cultivation. However, let's be crystal clear: there's zero impediment that
I can see for basement tinkerers/inventors to create wonderful products for
the IBM mainframe.... when it's running Linux. At the risk of crossing
Alan's recommended line -- coming up to the edge with a personal
opinion/question here -- is Linux an appropriate "bootstrap" business
strategy for cash-poor but idea-rich BT/Is who ultimately want to expand to
the z/OS, z/VSE, z/VM, and/or z/TPF markets? Does Linux entry get them the
$1,000 U.S. per month (if that's what it is) from a venture capitalist,
from regular cash flow, or from other revenue sources to expand?
If there's a cogent argument why not, PWD needs to know and consider it.
Alan's right: it won't be solved in this forum.
Back indirectly to Kirk's point: in the fondly remembered yesteryear --
let's pick the 1970s as an example -- how much did BT/Is pay for MVS time
(in 1970s inflation-adjusted dollars)? As another data point (just for
fun), according to press reports the Sony Playstation 3 development kit has
a price tag somewhere between $30,000 and $50,000 U.S., and that does not
include the royalties Sony collects on every game disc you sell. That's
for a game that might have a sales life of a few months (if you're lucky),
not for access to, say, the world financial industry's data processing
software market for years or decades.
But if PWD needs to do better -- entirely possible -- is everyone sending
their good arguments to PWD?
- - - - -
Timothy Sipples
IBM Consulting Enterprise Software Architect
Specializing in Software Architectures Related to System z
Based in Tokyo, Serving IBM Japan and IBM Asia-Pacific
E-Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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