Confused about what IBM is going to do for a kicker for the 3090J machines this year? That, explains respected Annex Research commentator Robert Djurdjevic, is because there is a war going on in IBM between the Enterprise Systems Group and the sales force: the former believes that adding fibre optic cabling to the existing Js will give users enough of a boost to keep them happy, while the people at the sharp end in the salesforce want the guts of the J repackaged in a new cabinet with new plumbing and power supplies in a configuration that would provide a smaller footprint and use less power – and each side is talking its book to the customers, who are not surprisingly confused; and although IBM says that users are telling it they want better office automation, computer-integrated manufacturing, image and transaction processing, larger networks, data security and easier systems management – and that it intends to address those demands – according to Computer Systems News, Gartner Group says it is hearing a different story from IBM users, namely that they are effectively being offered a total 7% improvement in performance between 1988 and 1991, and they reckon they deserve rather more.
