Believe it or not, the leasing industry has many sneaky tricks that are still in use today. I want you to know what they are so you can protect yourself from paying WAY too much. In this second part of a three-part series, I will cover: Sneaky Trick #5 — Software Fair Market Value: Set-Up for a Nasty Surprise, Sneaky Trick #6 — Interim Rent: Extra Fees that Would Make a Pickpocket Envious. Moral Fore-warned is fore-armed. Your best defense against sneaky tricks is your own … [Read more...]
Leasing’s Sneaky Tricks — Part 1 of 3
We are getting closer to that time of year when businesses are most active adding new IT hardware. Many finance these new acquisitions with lease financing. In the 1980s, I was in the leasing industry and saw first-hand many sneaky tricks that are still in use today. If you are unaware of them you may wind up paying WAY more than you ever expected and, unfortunately for you, you will have no legal recourse to get your money back. So, how do you protect yourself? Well, here’s what to look … [Read more...]
Does IBM i Have A Future? You Bet! – Part 3
Influx Of Younger Programmers And Application Modernization. Many in the IBM i community are concerned for the future of IBM i. While we read headlines about users leaving the platform, we may not be aware that the Windows platform is also in decline compared to the rapid growth of Linux. So what? With technology there is ALWAYS change. But, Bob, you may say, isn’t that too simplistic? You are right. It is too simplistic. So let’s dig deeper - and focus on IBM i. We … [Read more...]
So You Have IBM i (iSeries/AS400) High Availability Replication Are You Good To Go?
The purpose of this blog is to highlight the importance of High Availability Monitoring, Problem Remediation, and Maintenance Services. Disclaimer: IBM i is an operating system. iSeries and AS400 are legacy IBM servers that run i5/OS and OS400 respectively. I use all 3 terms interchangeably to attract a wider audience on the web. If you are using High Availability (HA) to replicate your IBM i production environment to a secondary system – Congratulations on making a great move to protect your … [Read more...]
Is Your IBM i Server (iSeries, AS400) Nearing End Of Life?
The purpose of this blog is to identify end of life servers and factors so IBM i users can start thinking about their options. Disclaimer: “IBM i” is an operating system. “iSeries” and “AS400” are servers that IBM used to market. I use these terms interchangeably to reach a broader audience who Google for information. IBM users should be aware that many IBM i Servers (iSeries/AS400) will have hardware support withdrawn between 2019 to 2020. Most notably, these are 9406-520, 9406-525, 9407-515 … [Read more...]
IBM i. Unbeatable.
Why Your IBM i (iSeries/AS400) Is One Of The Best Decisions Your Organization Made This blog is meant to be shared with IBM i user management and stakeholders to remind them how their operations benefit from this marvelous server. IBM i is truly a remarkable business platform without peers. Let’s be clear. Business people focus on revenue, costs and profit. Obvious? Yep. Let me highlight the IBM i key features that business people “get” right away when it is explained: 1) … [Read more...]
Does IBM i Have A Future? You Bet It Does!
The purpose of this blog is to assure IBM i POWER Users (who also think their server is an iSeries/AS400) that there is a future for IBM i. Disclaimer: "IBM i" is the operating system. "iSeries" and "AS400" are IBM servers that precede IBM POWER. I knowingly use these terms combined to reach a larger audience with web site that host my blog. As an IBM Business Partner and cloud hosting provider, I talk to IBM i users every day. A lot of “pundits” claim IBM i is old, dying technology. I … [Read more...]
How To Prepare For IBM i/iSeries/AS400 Cloud Hosting – The Basics
The purpose of this blog is to prepare you to streamline your process to determine if cloud hosting makes sense for you. My sense is that you don’t do this every day, so this checklist will help you gather the key information you will need to quickly figure out if cloud hosting can work for you. Getting A Quote When you think about the possibility of cloud hosting, you want to get an idea how much it will cost. After all, hosting has to be economically feasible if it is going to make … [Read more...]
IBM i Security Built In From The Beginning. Integration And Hardware Independence, Too.
A few weeks ago I published a blog about IBM i security built in at the beginning. I want to highlight sections of Frank Soltis book “Inside the AS/400.” Dr. Soltis notes that the AS400 security features were not an afterthought. Specifically, the IBM i has actually 2 operating systems – the IBM iOS and the License Internal Cover (LIC or microcode). IBM iOS runs on top of LIC, which is part of the POWER server hardware. LIC runs “under” iOS. LIC knows the details of the hardware and … [Read more...]
Where Is The ROI To Leave IBM i In Favor Of Another Platform? – Part 2
Cost Factors To Assess When Moving From IBM i To Windows I frequently hear about IBM i users that are thinking of moving to Windows because it is “more modern” or “mainstream.” We have all heard the IBM i basher point out that “character-based screens” is “old technology.” Unfortunately, those who want Windows do not really understand IBM i technology and its remarkable architecture. Those who favor IBM i struggle to explain how IBM i is superior for business critical applications. All … [Read more...]