Thanks for all the responses to my column, "Can you still afford 5250?" A number of e-mails came in promoting other options than WebFacing to do something similar: provide Web access to 5250 applications without using interactive CPW. Others sent e-mails clarifying pricing options and benefits.
Our net savings when selecting an 810 with Standard edition server running WebFacing applications was over $75,000 AFTER paying for the WebFacing conversion compared to the 810 with the Enterprise edition package. The 810 WebFacing configuration also included double the memory and CPU compared to the Enterprise edition configuration.
The Enterprise edition package on the 810 doesn't offer much software compared to the Enterprise edition on the higher models (825 to 890). Of course, at the higher end the difference between Enterprise edition software and Standard edition can be over $1 million!
So the basic question remains for IBM. What will they do to improve the value of an iSeries server running 5250 applications for more customers? Options include:
- Eliminating the interactive CPW tax altogether
- Offering Enterprise edition in the same "on demand" model they sell other software: buy what you need (on a processor or user basis)
- Add system screen support to the WebFacing option so companies can move to WebFacing without losing any 5250 access capabilities
- Any combination of the above or?
