From: spexet@math.lsa.umich.edu (D. Robert Spexet II)
Subject: A Suggestion to IBM Management (sorta long)
Date: Tue, 01 Sep 92 21:46:32 EDT
Organization: University of Michigan, Mathematics Department, Ann Arbor

I am not certain that many IBM people actually read the .advocacy newsgroup,
so I am crossposting this article to the .misc and comp.os.os2 newsgroups
as well.

I am posting this article to address the following question:  How many
people here and in the "real world" are aware of the, how shall I say,
extensive nature of IBM's OS/2-related product line?

Let me state an example.  Many of the "well-informed" computer users in
the world (that is, people who read these newsgroups, or who read the popular
literature such as PC Magazine, Byte, DDJ, Infoworld, etc.) are well-aware
that the DOS/Windows platform supports networking and multimedia extensions.
These extensions may be provided either by Microsoft, or by (numerous)
third-party vendors.

From what I can see, many of these users are very much aware that IBM makes
an operating system called OS/2.  They also seem to be completely unaware
of the fact that IBM produces an entire line of OS/2-based products that
could fill their needs.

While IBM promotes the OS/2 base operating system in the popular advertising,
there appears to be absolutely no mention whatsoever of the fact that IBM
produces an entire line of database, networking, and multimedia products
(namely Extended Services with DBM, the LAN Server and TCP/IP products, and
the OS/2 Multimedia Extensions) that are designed to work, and work well, in
concert with the OS/2 operating system. 

How does this appear to the average computer person?  Well, it just might
look like Microsoft is selling something that is a little more full-featured
and better-supported than OS/2.  To many users, I am quite sure that they
are of the opinion that they would be alone in a support and technical
minefield with OS/2.  (Note that this is merely a personal opinion, and
that I cannot present any statistical evidence to back up this opinion.)
They have the feeling, rightly or wrongly, that Microsoft supports Windows
more than IBM supports OS/2.  This feeling, IMHO, results largely from the
fact that the users are unaware of the rest of IBM's product line.

Now, the suggestion:  Instead of merely promoting this handy-dandy operating
system called OS/2, one might consider the promotion of what I would call
the OS/2 solution.  Instead of promoting just the base operating system,
promote the operating system and the entire IBM product line of related
products.

Instead of telling the user that the OS/2 base operating system gives them
DOS and Windows support, tell them that the OS/2 solution gives them DOS
and Windows support, along with full-blown networking, database, mainframe
communications, and multimedia support.  All this, at very cheap prices,
available on relatively cheap hardware platforms.

In short, tell the user that they will not be buying into a new operating
system that could leave them stranded.  Tell them that, by buying into OS/2,
they will be leaving their options open for anything that may come along
in the future.

It is my opinion that OS/2 was in fact designed for this purpose.  It is
now time for IBM to start promoting this purpose and rationale to its
customers.

Any discussion, comments, insults, etc. would be appreciated on this matter.
-- 
D. Robert Spexet II, N0OKR   Internet:  spexet@math.lsa.umich.edu
Department of Mathematics    BITnet:    user68xr@umichum.bitnet
The University of Michigan   UUCP:      uunet!mailrus!math.lsa.umich.edu!spexet
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
Newsgroups: comp.os.os2.advocacy