If you have some more background information on the situation it might be
helpful. Any formal business case analysis, for example? A couple immediate
thoughts, though:
1. Keep ordering at least new releases, to keep them "on deck," and at
least every no charge feature (e.g. the CICS Service Flow Feature). Sounds
like you already did that for z/OS 1.9, so bravo. Shop z is your friend.
2. For most vendors (including IBM), if you stop paying for subscription
and support ("S&S" in IBM parlance, sometimes known as "maintenance") on
your One-Time Charge (OTC, known as IPLA software in IBM parlance), you
have a considerable back payment to make when the likely inevitable future
S&S reinstatement happens, and there's usually a significant penalty.
That's a serious financial risk to the city taxpayers and part of the
picture. (My advice: don't end S&S unless and until you stop using the
software.)
What sort of applications are you running? What do they do for the city and
its citizens?
You might ask IBM and other vendors to characterize for the city what "out
of support" means, and the explicit and implicit risks associated with
that. Not a bad idea to have a written letter or two on file so everybody
(hopefully) has eyes wide open. Somebody -- ultimately the Mayor --
determines "acceptable" risks.,
I also think it's important to have "sunset" reassessments and checkpoints.
If target date X is not made then backup plan Y goes into immediate effect
-- that kind of thing.
- - - - -
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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