29
Fri, Nov
0 New Articles

IBM Reveals Strategy for iSeries Sales Growth

Analysis of News Events
Typography
  • Smaller Small Medium Big Bigger
  • Default Helvetica Segoe Georgia Times

While iSeries sales during the fourth quarter of last year were disappointingly low on a global basis, there was one part of the world where purchases and revenues shot upward--in the Americas region, which consists of both North and South America. Now, IBM's sales team for the Americas region is launching new campaigns to keep the sales momentum going. Those campaigns could help iSeries professionals recapture mind share and computing workloads for their server of choice within their companies.

The fourth quarter of last year was a study in contrasts for server sales worldwide. While overall iSeries revenues declined by 13% over the fourth quarter of 2001, the Americas experienced a double-digit increase according to Paulo Carvao, Vice President of Sales for the Americas region. In discussions with Carvao and other IBM sources, I've learned that three major factors contributed to the Americas success story. First, the GreenStreak promotion--which was exclusive to the Americas region--led to thousands of model 270 and 820 sales. Second, the Americas sales team conducted a massive calling campaign to 42,000 iSeries customers that successfully activated many dormant accounts. Third, IBM account teams sold a large number of iSeries 840s and 890s as dedicated high-availability systems, since Americas customers could get rebates of up to $1 million for such purchases.

The 2003 Game Plan

Now that the end-of-year bonanza from these campaigns is over, Carvao's team is using what it learned from its efforts to keep the sales momentum going via new and expanded initiatives. At the highest level, these initiatives fall into two categories: new variations on last year's customer calling campaign; and a drive to sell iSeries software solutions in comarketing campaigns with independent software vendors (ISVs). Since the second initiative deserves an article unto itself, I'm going to spend the rest of this report discussing the customer calling campaign.

According to Carvao, IBM has identified around 80,000 AS/400 and iSeries customers in the Americas region. In keeping with IBM's pledge to contact those customers on a quarterly basis, he intends to have IBM's own "tele-representatives" contact around 42,000 of these customers each quarter. The other 38,000 will receive calls from traditional IBM sales representatives or local Business Partners.

No matter who initiates the contact, all IBM representatives are doing so while offering specific "reasons to call." During the fourth quarter of last year, those reasons included information about the GreenStreak promotion, a discussion about WebFacing applications, and the high-availability rebate offering. Recently, the January iSeries server announcement has been the reason to call. Now, the focus for many calls is shifting to a new subject: how the iSeries can reduce the total cost of IT by consolidating multiple application workloads, many of which may be running on other servers.

To help organizations identify workloads for consolidation to the iSeries while documenting the cost benefits of such a move, IBM and selected Business Partners are calling customers to offer a free evaluation known as Assessment on Demand. The evaluation uses a spreadsheet-based questionnaire to identify the customer's e-business initiatives and take an inventory of the servers and applications running at the site. It also generates a report that identifies how workloads running on other servers could be consolidated to the iSeries, then points customers to information about the cost and functionality advantages of such a consolidation. In most cases, the information shows how software included in the Enterprise Editions of the new iSeries servers--particularly WebSphere Application Server (WAS) and selected Lotus products--enables the iSeries to cost-effectively support e-business workloads. Customers who want to request an Assessment on Demand can do so starting on April 8 via the iSeries Edition page on IBM's Web site.

IBM's Sales Drive: How Customers Can Leverage It

While some customers may consider IBM's sales calls to be an inconvenience, they can also present iSeries professionals with opportunities to raise the visibility of their server within their organizations. In particular, Assessment on Demand reports could create opportunities to bring workloads running on Intel servers under the covers of the iSeries. IBM is clearly trying to create such opportunities, for it understands that in today's recession-prone economy, sales growth requires aggressive efforts to migrate workloads off competitive servers.

At the same time, some iSeries professionals may find that Assessment on Demand makes recommendations that run against the grain of certain strategic objectives. In its present state, the sales tool focuses heavily on the benefits of the iSeries Enterprise Edition and, by extension, IBM software. If your firm has already invested in third-party iSeries solutions that compete with Enterprise Edition software, you should discuss this with your IBM representative or Business Partner before doing an Assessment on Demand.

If Assessment on Demand doesn't appeal to you, there's a good chance that at least one of IBM's upcoming marketing initiatives with independent iSeries software vendors will help advance your iSeries objectives. I'll have more to say about IBM's plans for these initiatives in a future article, so keep an eye on this space.

Lee Kroon is a Senior Industry Analyst for Andrews Consulting Group, a firm that helps mid-sized companies manage business transformation through technology. You can reach him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

LEE KROON
Lee Kroon is a Senior Industry Analyst for Andrews Consulting Group, a firm that helps mid-sized companies manage business transformation through technology.
BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS

LATEST COMMENTS

Support MC Press Online

$

Book Reviews

Resource Center

  • SB Profound WC 5536 Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application. You can find Part 1 here. In Part 2 of our free Node.js Webinar Series, Brian May teaches you the different tooling options available for writing code, debugging, and using Git for version control. Brian will briefly discuss the different tools available, and demonstrate his preferred setup for Node development on IBM i or any platform. Attend this webinar to learn:

  • SB Profound WP 5539More than ever, there is a demand for IT to deliver innovation. Your IBM i has been an essential part of your business operations for years. However, your organization may struggle to maintain the current system and implement new projects. The thousands of customers we've worked with and surveyed state that expectations regarding the digital footprint and vision of the company are not aligned with the current IT environment.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT Generic IBM announced the E1080 servers using the latest Power10 processor in September 2021. The most powerful processor from IBM to date, Power10 is designed to handle the demands of doing business in today’s high-tech atmosphere, including running cloud applications, supporting big data, and managing AI workloads. But what does Power10 mean for your data center? In this recorded webinar, IBMers Dan Sundt and Dylan Boday join IBM Power Champion Tom Huntington for a discussion on why Power10 technology is the right strategic investment if you run IBM i, AIX, or Linux. In this action-packed hour, Tom will share trends from the IBM i and AIX user communities while Dan and Dylan dive into the tech specs for key hardware, including:

  • Magic MarkTRY the one package that solves all your document design and printing challenges on all your platforms. Produce bar code labels, electronic forms, ad hoc reports, and RFID tags – without programming! MarkMagic is the only document design and print solution that combines report writing, WYSIWYG label and forms design, and conditional printing in one integrated product. Make sure your data survives when catastrophe hits. Request your trial now!  Request Now.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericForms of ransomware has been around for over 30 years, and with more and more organizations suffering attacks each year, it continues to endure. What has made ransomware such a durable threat and what is the best way to combat it? In order to prevent ransomware, organizations must first understand how it works.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericIT security is a top priority for businesses around the world, but most IBM i pros don’t know where to begin—and most cybersecurity experts don’t know IBM i. In this session, Robin Tatam explores the business impact of lax IBM i security, the top vulnerabilities putting IBM i at risk, and the steps you can take to protect your organization. If you’re looking to avoid unexpected downtime or corrupted data, you don’t want to miss this session.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericCan you trust all of your users all of the time? A typical end user receives 16 malicious emails each month, but only 17 percent of these phishing campaigns are reported to IT. Once an attack is underway, most organizations won’t discover the breach until six months later. A staggering amount of damage can occur in that time. Despite these risks, 93 percent of organizations are leaving their IBM i systems vulnerable to cybercrime. In this on-demand webinar, IBM i security experts Robin Tatam and Sandi Moore will reveal:

  • FORTRA Disaster protection is vital to every business. Yet, it often consists of patched together procedures that are prone to error. From automatic backups to data encryption to media management, Robot automates the routine (yet often complex) tasks of iSeries backup and recovery, saving you time and money and making the process safer and more reliable. Automate your backups with the Robot Backup and Recovery Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAManaging messages on your IBM i can be more than a full-time job if you have to do it manually. Messages need a response and resources must be monitored—often over multiple systems and across platforms. How can you be sure you won’t miss important system events? Automate your message center with the Robot Message Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAThe thought of printing, distributing, and storing iSeries reports manually may reduce you to tears. Paper and labor costs associated with report generation can spiral out of control. Mountains of paper threaten to swamp your files. Robot automates report bursting, distribution, bundling, and archiving, and offers secure, selective online report viewing. Manage your reports with the Robot Report Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAFor over 30 years, Robot has been a leader in systems management for IBM i. With batch job creation and scheduling at its core, the Robot Job Scheduling Solution reduces the opportunity for human error and helps you maintain service levels, automating even the biggest, most complex runbooks. Manage your job schedule with the Robot Job Scheduling Solution. Key features include:

  • LANSA Business users want new applications now. Market and regulatory pressures require faster application updates and delivery into production. Your IBM i developers may be approaching retirement, and you see no sure way to fill their positions with experienced developers. In addition, you may be caught between maintaining your existing applications and the uncertainty of moving to something new.

  • LANSAWhen it comes to creating your business applications, there are hundreds of coding platforms and programming languages to choose from. These options range from very complex traditional programming languages to Low-Code platforms where sometimes no traditional coding experience is needed. Download our whitepaper, The Power of Writing Code in a Low-Code Solution, and:

  • LANSASupply Chain is becoming increasingly complex and unpredictable. From raw materials for manufacturing to food supply chains, the journey from source to production to delivery to consumers is marred with inefficiencies, manual processes, shortages, recalls, counterfeits, and scandals. In this webinar, we discuss how:

  • The MC Resource Centers bring you the widest selection of white papers, trial software, and on-demand webcasts for you to choose from. >> Review the list of White Papers, Trial Software or On-Demand Webcast at the MC Press Resource Center. >> Add the items to yru Cart and complet he checkout process and submit

  • Profound Logic Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application.

  • SB Profound WC 5536Join us for this hour-long webcast that will explore:

  • Fortra IT managers hoping to find new IBM i talent are discovering that the pool of experienced RPG programmers and operators or administrators with intimate knowledge of the operating system and the applications that run on it is small. This begs the question: How will you manage the platform that supports such a big part of your business? This guide offers strategies and software suggestions to help you plan IT staffing and resources and smooth the transition after your AS/400 talent retires. Read on to learn: