Thanks for your feedback, Mark.  There WAS an announcement?  Please, point
me to it because I missed it!

<rant on>
And 'rather short-noticed' announcements have a tendency to blow budgets out
of the water. Know what I mean?

IBM is replacing the 3466 with another device?  I haven't heard anything of
that sort. Again, I would have to look carefully at any such device after
having 3466 support yanked before a reasonable support period expires.

I'm doing my best not to jump to conclusions. I am working with both our IBM
account rep and our IBM business partner. Been doing so since July of this
year to improve our TSM implementation. My patience is running thin.

Are you suggesting that IBM is withdrawing 3466 support because some
business alliance has withdrawn some device? What device? You mention
'drives'. Does this point to the manufacturer of the SSA drives?

You mention that you have information from your inside sales force that
'something is coming'. That's nice, but my budget for 2003 has already been
submitted.  And, this reminds me of a musical from 1961 (I know, I am dating
myself...)

"Could be! Who knows? There's something due any day; I will know right away,
Soon as it shows. "
http://www.westsidestory.com/site/level2/lyrics/something.html

<rant off>

Sorry folks. Now I gotta go work on a zArchitecture replacement from IBM.
(Oh my!)

John
-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Stapleton [mailto:stapleto AT BERBEE DOT COM]
Sent: Monday, December 16, 2002 8:54 PM
To: ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU
Subject: Re: 3466 End-of-Life


On Mon, 2002-12-16 at 14:00, Talafous, John G. wrote:
> Hey *SM'ers!  It comes to my attention that 3466's (all models) not only
> have been withdrawn from marketing but will be withdrawn from support
April
> 15, 2003. Have I missed an announcement? Could someone please point me to
> it? How many of you will be impacted by support being withdrawn for
3466's?

Yes, there was an announcement. It *was* rather short-noticed, however.

> Our 3466-C00 was purchased in May of 2000. It will not be 3 years old when
> support is withdrawn.  And, an option then was to purchase 3 years of
> maintenance up front!  If I were to purchase a major appliance for my
homeTh
> and find that it is not supported less than 3 years later I wouldn't even
> consider another one. What does ITSM expect from us?

Tivoli had nothing to do with withdrawal of the 3466, since Tivoli does
not control IBM Hardware, and IBM Hardware withdrew the devices because
the third party who manufactured the drives withdrew them from
distribution. (Whether just from IBM or worldwide, I don't know.) IBM is
replacing the 3466 with another device; I don't have any details of
that, but I have been told by our inside sales force that there is
something coming.

Don't just to conclusions. Work with your IBM rep and find a solution.

--
Mark Stapleton (stapleton AT berbee DOT com)


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