I have been watching these threads keep coming up lately, and it's true, people
buy applications, not machines. Everyone I know that switched to an AS400 did
it for some application. Here is the problem that I face as a software vendor;
What application is going to sell? there are all sorts of niche markets out
there that I would never think of off the top of my head, but for someone to
spend the time and energy building or porting an application, they need to have
a feel for where the market is. You want to be able to sell a few hundred
applications to make it worthwhile.
so anyone have any input on what they would like to see?
______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: =?iso-8859-5?Q?R=3Ff._:_Re:_The_Future_if_the_3000?=
Author: [log in to unmask] at Internet-Mail
Date: 4/30/98 2:59 AM
CHRISTIAN LHEUREUX@MOULINEX
30/04/98 11:59
Hello fellow listers !
First, this is a longish reply. Sorry for the use of bandwidth, but I felt
the urge to express myself !!!
For those of you who don't know me, or who knew me in one of my former
lives, I now work as an MPE/iX Systems Engineer in the middle of AS400
Systems Engineers, AS400 System Administrators, AS400 Performance
Specialists, AS400 Network Experts, AS400 Database Administrators, and so
on. Instead of circling the wagons, I am trying to evangelize all these
brilliant people to the openness of the HP3000, its reliability, its
performance, its ease of use, its ease of maintenance, its low cost, its
seamless integration with the rest of the shop, and so forth. To be honest,
the battle is definitively uphill.
Paris, the capital city of my country, France, has a motto that says
Fluctuat nec Mergitur. Yes, that's Latin !!! It can be loosely translated
as "It's hit by the waves, but does not sink". I mean, the HP3000 has
almost everything it needs not to sink under the combined waves of Open
Systems, NT, AS400s or anything else, but surf these waves. The only
critically missing item, especially here in France, is Applications,
Applications, and more Applications.
Therefore, I strongly support Paul's opinion. Historically, HP3Ks have been
first "sold" to technically-aware audiences, i.e. SysAdmins, SysEngrs, and
so forth, and then sold again to the real decision makers, whereas
you-know-who has consistently addressed the Board of Directors, and sold
AS400s like candy. Whether directors are technically aware or not is
irrelevant. They make the decisions and write checks, which makes them
significant people to talk to when you're trying to place orders and get
sales.
The "Palo Alto-Way" could be summed up as "Evangelize the techie, then
convince the bean counter". The "Armonk Way" could be summed up as "Sell it
to the bean counter, and the techie will follow". Or, in other words, kill
two birds with the same stone. Or top-down (Armonk) vs. bottom-up (Palo
Alto).
First disclaimer : I'm not saying that one product is better than the other
one, or that one company is better that the other one, or even that one way
is better than the other one. Please don't misunderstand me, I've been an
HP3000 Evangelist since almost I can remember. I'm just trying to find ways
to actually push HP3000 sales beyond the technically-aware market, and/or
beyond the actual installed base. What is currently killing the HP3000 at my
shop is not the HP3000 itself, it's the lack of applications.
Second disclaimer : Definitively my own opinions, not necessarily my
employer's !!!
OK, should I get my flame suit now ?
This was just my $.02, or shoud I say Euro0.02 ?
Christian Lheureux
HP3000 Systems Engineer
Cap Gemini ISM
Paris, France
[log in to unmask] on 29/04/98 23:32:27
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Not a plug!!
It should also be noted that a large and diverse library of applications
exists (or at least did exist) for the HP3K platform. New tools, new
technologies, and new methods can often be applied to these "legacy"
applications if only there is the will to do so.
In many cases the justification for moving from the HP3K involves the
perceived liabilities of "legacy applications", expressed most often
through user complaints regarding the "old look and feel" or user
frustration with "non-integration" of common (especially reporting)
desktop tools. In other cases, the justification has more to do with
real or perceived benefits often associated with our industy's
"buzzwords" (such as "Open", "Web Enabled", etc.). If the owners of the
applications invest in revitalizing their products, and if HP
aggressively positions the HP3K as a modern, open, vibrant, successful
platform for the future, well then anything might just be possible.
One additional note: Application providers should be out selling their
apps to existing and new users in the user's forum, not just hiding in
the safety of HPWorld and the like. HP's positioning of the HP3K should
be targeted at the corporate board room, similarly to IBM's efforts to
position the AS400 as an ideal webserver (you know, the ads on ESPN,
Delta Airlines, etc). It should not be "laser focused marketing to HP3K
champions. The pulpit and the choir should be singing to the
congregation and drawing in those passing by, not just singing to one
another other.
Just my 2 cents.
Paul F. Dorius
eXegeSys Inc.
-----Original Message-----
From: Nick Demos [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Wednesday, April 29, 1998 3:24 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: The Future if the 3000
I want to revive an old thread.
A few weeks ago it was agreed that new applications is what
would keep
the 3000 a desirable system well into the future. The
availability of
the 918DX to developers at a reduced price was mentioned as
well as HP
support and marketing of the platfform.
All well and good as far as it goes, but I think more is
required. The
conversion of a Unix application should be almost a no-brainer!
"Plug
and Play. Now I know that this ideal is not quite possible,
but the
following would certainly help:
1. A miration to the 3000 guide for Unix applications.
2. Conversion aids.
3. A more adept Posix implementaton (get rid of the wall).
Then when a developer of a Unix applicaton is asked whether it
will run
on a 3000, his answer will be "sure, why not". If he says it
has never
been tried, then the prospect should be able to go to HP for
migration
assistance or do it himself, with the proper tools from HP.
Food for thought (are you listening, HP).
Regards to all true blue 3000 friends.
Nick Demos [log in to unmask]
Performance Software Group
Tel. (410) 788-6777 Fax (410) 788-4476
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