Late Wednesday, IBM UK Ltd decided to make public list prices for its new AS/400 processors and peripherals. When the machines were announced on Tuesday, IBM said it would no longer provide list prices for the boxes (CI No 1,863). Sources within IBM had suggested that this policy was an extension of the practices that IBM follows regarding 9021 and 9121 mainframes, which have published list prices in the US and Germany but not in the UK and elsewhere. However, there was considerable reaction to IBM’s initial decision, including vocal criticism from the IBM Computer Users’ Group and various other interested parties. So, without fanfare, the company bowed to the will of its public, posting prices within the on-line database it provides to customers and consultants. IBM is also preparing to publish the same information in printed form. If the company had been wondering whether its reportedly lacklustre sales of the machines was due to indifference on the part of the buying public, it has now got strong evidence that the AS/400 is indeed a topic of great interest. And at the end of this little incident, it seems likely that IBM will have gained ground rather than lost it, particularly among customers that want a vendor that shares their concerns. – (C) Hesh Wiener
