Re: database market share 2003

Basically ... one places an application on the mainframe (vs. on Intel/AMD/UNIX) when one needs the bullet-proof reliability, availability, security, and performance that the mainframe has had the time to attain as it is the most mature of all the platforms. There are companies like BMC and CA that have made billions of dollars developing and selling tools for monitoring and administering the mainframe environment. Every day, something you do touches a mainframe. Most banks, brokerage firms, airlines, car rental agencies, etc. use mainframes for their critical applications.

While the Intel/AMD/UNIX platforms have made tremendous strides over the years, they just do not yet approach what the mainframe can offer in the above areas. Yes, they are more expensive to manage and administer. But that cost is justified by the "protection" that they offer, or else customers wouldn't pay it.

Larry Edelstein

Data Goob wrote:
> Why would my question not be serious?
>
> I find the whole IBM landscape somewhat comical yet
> daunting. Lots of achievement and lots of angst
> over appearing too proud. On the flip side there
> is Oracle, with a lot of strutting around like a
> peacock, with totally undeserving value run by a
> pompous self-absorbed self-serving megalomaniac
> full of arrogance. But I'm getting redundant, and
> digress. There is a whole generation of computer
> users who will never see a mainframe, AS/400, OS/390,
> etc. etc. The fact that they won't know the value
> of old, big iron systems doesn't make them bad, it
> just means that a whole new generation of IT
> professionals are going to solve business problems
> outside the mainframe space, and would never even
> begin to consider them, instead trying to make Linux
> and Windows work faster and more efficiently. I'm
> simply asking questions about mainframes because I
> simply don't have a clue about that market, and find
> it curious that those that do, think that counting DB2
> on AS/400 is irrelevant or lies when it is clear that
> they really don't know jack about the DB2 market.
> Anyway, I remain curious about some kind of hidden
> value in the mainframe space that cannot be found in
> the Linux or Windows space. Enlighten me.
>
>
> "Larry" <Larry_at_nospam.net> wrote in message news:dyawc.32$c76.208994_at_news4.srv.hcvlny.cv.net...
>

>>It's hard to believe you'd be seriously asking this question. I can
>>guarantee you that something you did within the past week (if not
>>multiple things) touched an OS/390 or Z/os application. Banking, credit
>>card, airline or car rental reservations system, the list goes on and on.
>>
>>Larry Edelstein
>>
>>Data Goob wrote:
>>
>>>"Mark A" <ma_at_switchboard.net> wrote in message news:ieawc.71$5Z4.53931_at_news.uswest.net...
>>>
>>>
>>>>"Data Goob" <datagoob_at_hotmail.com> wrote in message
>>>>news:S7awc.8628$YQ3.8205_at_fe42.usenetserver.com...
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>You guys got me thinking, what would I find on IBM's web site
>>>>>about OS/390?  Got my curiousity going, and so I went over to
>>>>>IBM and did a search for OS/390.  What did I find?
>>>>>
>>>>>"IBM announces the end of service for OS/390 2.10, the last
>>>>>release of OS/390, will be September 30, 2004. Customers on OS/390
>>>>>2.10 should be making plans to complete their migrations to z/OS
>>>>>1.4 by this date. IBM also announces the end of service for z/OS
>>>>>1.2 will be October 31, 2004, and the end of service for z/OS 1.3
>>>>>will be March 31, 2005, as planned. The end of service for z/OS 1.4
>>>>>will be extended to March 31, 2007. This date is the same as the
>>>>>end of service date planned for z/OS 1.5. "
>>>>>
>>>>>Does Informix run on OS/390?
>>>>>
>>>>>I would think this a match made in heaven...
>>>>>
>>>>>:-)
>>>>
>>>>Support service for OS/390 is being discontinued and is replaced by z/OS. It
>>>>is basically the same thing as OS/390, but with enhanced ability to perform
>>>>as a server to web clients.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>OMG.  Are you human?  Just kidding!  Seriously, is there something about
>>>this platform that is compelling enough to consider it instead of doing things
>>>on Linux or UNIX?  Is z/OS a growth market or just something gradually
>>>disappearing?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>