Regrettably, many analysts in the IBM-watching community simply run their spreadsheets over whatever they are given, and, having worked for IBM Corp at some time, rely on their dwindling number of acquaintances still at the company for inside information, but there is a handful that goes a bit further and actually brings intellect and observation to bear on the subject: one such is Nili Young at Meta Group, who reveals that extension of the Escon channel limit of five miles had to be a dead cert for the latest set of announcements; many of the brokers on Wall Street have some kit right on the spot in Lower Manhattan, while much of it does its stuff unseen aways across the Hudson River somewhere back from the New Jersey shoreline – and the shortest route from Manhattan across that stretch of water is a few hundred yards greater than IBM’s five and a half miles limit so we knew they had to come up with an extension! she declares.
