IBM Allows i and 5250 Licenses to Jump Hardware
by Timothy Prickett Morgan

I think IBM might be coming around to the idea, however belatedly, that its pricing on the i 6.1 and i 7.1 software stacks is a bit too pricey for midrange and enterprise shops to handle. It has taken some time and IBM is not admitting this by coming right out and cutting its prices. But the company has been chipping away at systems software prices here and there and is now allowing customers to transfer operating system licenses if they move up to Power7 iron, and in some cases, if they move to Power6 or Power6+ iron, too. READ MORE >

Whatever Happened to Notes/Domino on the i?
by Timothy Prickett Morgan

Sometimes, I feel like I must have fallen asleep under an apple tree for a long time and what I thought was real and important was perhaps one of many dreams I had while I was sleeping. So it is with the Notes/Domino messaging, groupware, and application serving platform for the Power Systems lineup. Be honest. When was the last time you heard IBM talk about Notes/Domino on the i? Me neither. READ MORE >

Let's Take a Closer Look at IBM's Systems and Technology Biz
by Timothy Prickett Morgan

I am not an insider at IBM nor one of the big IT consultancies that get help from Big Blue as they build their economic models of the server business each quarter when the system makers close out their successive quarters. For several years, I have built a model of IBM's sales of mainframe, Power, and X64 server sales, and as the years go on, deviations in my model (which by necessity are not as solid as IBM's own numbers) have made it diverge from IBM's quarterly numbers. I am going to have to start from scratch and build a new model, starting back from 2006. READ MORE >

Mad Dog 21/21: Back To School
by Hesh Wiener

Back to school? Already? Didn't the kids just get out of school? Yes, yes, yes. But you sure can't tell by the computer business, which has turned its calendar ahead. Corporate computer suppliers are chasing opportunities that formerly fell to consumers' favorite vendors. Redefined laptops and desktops are spilling out far beyond the campus market; office computers are getting makeovers, too. Why should a corporate applications specialist care? Because new-fangled computers can louse up Webs, break intranets, confuse applications suites . . . and hide their mischief from developers. READ MORE >