Reader Feedback on The Carrot: i5/OS V5R4 Gets Execution Stay Until May
January 17, 2011 Timothy Prickett Morgan
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Hello, TPM: This is my second response to the 5.4 conversion requirement. Our company can’t–can not–get the source code for the menu/security portion of the ERP system we utilize. We have money and want to upgrade to Power7 hardware, but do not have the $700,000 to $1.5 million to upgrade or change our ERP system. IBM has told us, through our business partner, that it would cost them $8 million to allow i5/OS V5R4 to run on Power7 and that they don’t see the market to justify the expense. What is $8 million to IBM, a company party? Please, we are all not Jurassic laggards. Some of us–I intuitively believe a lot of us–are just plain stuck at V5R4 because of IBM’s not spending just a very little bit more to help the i community. –Roger Hi, Tim: Your article about IBM i 5.4 was spot on. I have spoken to lots of independent consultants and resellers. They see the biggest threat to the platform as the large number of organizations who are sticking with 5.4. Everyone’s first reaction was to blame IBM. (It’s more than a Pavlovian reaction, it’s our favorite sport). When we got down to discussing specific customers, however, it became obvious that the major cause is the high prices that software vendors are charging to move to a new release. IBM can make a good argument about why moving to a new system is more reliable, saves energy, etc. But none of that counts when vendors are asking huge sums for no increase in value. Everyone’s fear is that, when the inevitable comes and the software needs to be replaced, nobody will remember why they picked IBM in the first place. –Name withheld on request Hi, Timothy: We have upgraded to V6 last summer, and now we are migrating to V7. The conversion to migrating to V6 was just one command that runs without problem (in one hour on our system), migrating to V6 is not such a big deal. –Fred I hope you had a great holiday break, but I must say that I have really been looking forward to your return. Thanks for creating such a great newsletter and I hope that 2011 turns out to be your best year yet . . . . –JB RELATED STORIES The Carrot: i5/OS V5R4 Gets Execution Stay Until May The Stick: IBM Jacks Up i5/OS V5R4 Prices Whaaa? IBM Gets Stingier with Power Systems Deals Big Blue Widens IBM i User Fee Discount Deal IBM Gives Schools Discounts on Power Systems Iron Entry IBM i Server Deals Greased With License Discounts IBM Ducks i Pricing on Most Entry Power7 Servers IBM Allows i and 5250 Licenses to Jump Hardware Reader Feedback on Allowing IBM i and 5250 Licenses to Jump Hardware IBM Adds Power7 Boxes to Trade-In Deals IBM Slashes 5250 Enablement Prices, Other Power Systems Tweaks IBM Cuts Prices for Upgrades to Power 595s IBM Cuts Power 595 CPU Prices, Offers Remote Server Migration i/OS Gets Short Sheeted with Power7 Thread Counts The i/OS Roadmap Revealed–Sort Of IBM Tweaks Power Systems Trade-In Deal IBM Slashes Power Systems Memory Prices The i 7.1s Have It; i5/OS V5R4 Extended IBM Rolls Up an i 6.1.1 Dot Release The Curtain Rises a Bit on the Next i OS, Due in 2010 IBM Sunsets i5/OS V5R4, Kills Older 595 Iron i5/OS V5R3 Support Ends in April 2009 Some Info on i5/OS V6R1 and V6R2 Support Features Galore Inside i5/OS V5R4
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