Por si alguien no lo hubiera recibido: * IBM RESPONDS TO THREAT OF FAST400
IBM had an unequivocal response to the onslaught of Fast400 this week: put it in your box and you're way out of line. In last week's iNEWSWire (see: http://www.iseriesnetwork.com/nodeuk/ukarchive/dsp_article2.cfm?CO_ContentID =14442 ), we reported the relaunch of Fast400, a software tool that optimises interactive capacity in iSeries boxes without the need for expensive interactive cards. But in a statement issued to us this week, an IBM Rochester spokesperson said: "IBM believes Fast400 modifies IBM Licensed Internal Code which is a violation of IBM's license agreements with its customers pursuant to which the customer agrees not to modify Licensed Internal Code. "When it comes to IBM's warranty and service, running Fast400 on a system (with its modification of Licensed Internal Code) constitutes an 'alteration' under the Multiple Supplier System Bulletin. In such case, IBM requires that customers notify IBM of any such alteration and that the machine be inspected, at customer's expense, prior to any IBM warranty or maintenance actions... After inspection, IBM will continue to make IBM warranty or maintenance service available for the unaltered portion of the machine." The spokesperson continued that in order for warranty and maintenance services to operate, "the Licensed Internal Code must be restored to its unaltered state". Isle of Man-based SSG (Software Solutions Group) launched the latest version of Fast400 on behalf of its anonymous developers last week, and reported that interest around the world had been huge already. SSG says Fast400 will increase the workload capacity of iSeries boxes so that users do not need to pay IBM for interactive cards that could cost them many thousands of pounds, just to release their machines' full capacity. Despite saying that patched programs such as Fast400 "can cause all sorts of problems, intended and unintended, that will affect correct operation of a system", IBM says that it will issue PTFs to address current and future unauthorised enablement of unpaid- for capacity which it will " require to be applied in service situations." Big Blue also said it will "make adjustments to OS/400 to address unauthorized enablement of unpaid for capacity, whether it be interactive, processor, DASD, etc." But according to Colin Wells, director of sales and marketing for SSG, Fast400 -- which is available for £600 per machine per year - - has been specifically designed to overcome present and future code that IBM puts into OS/400 to scupper its operation. Graham Hope, senior iSeries account manager at iSeries ERP specialists, Geac, confirms that Fast400 is a major problem for IBM in terms of revenue stream. He points out that the fact IBM moved so quickly to bring out a PTF to block the software when it first came out around 18 months ago demonstrates the company's desire to put a stop to Fast400. "It is a problem for IBM because the interactive feature continues to represent a substantial cost," he says. "There's still a lot of 50/50 based traffic out there... that hasn't transitioned to a true client/server scenario, hence IBM is making a lot of money out of the interactive feature." Hope reports that several of his customers have been asking about installing Fast400 in their box and adds that, at £100,000 a pop, "not having to pay to use the interactive feature is a big bonus for anyone". He adds: "It's a question of who gets there first and ultimately whether IBM can stop this thing working on their system." --Fenella Quinn, Industry Reporter. Vicente García Valero Departamento de sistemas Cerámica SALONI S.A. [EMAIL PROTECTED] _____________________________________________________ Forum.HELP400 es un servicio más de NEWS/400. © Publicaciones Help400, S.L. - Todos los derechos reservados http://www.help400.es _____________________________________________________ Para darte de baja, envía el mensaje resultante de pulsar mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?body=LEAVE
