A couple of weeks back, we speculated here at this blogsite about the possibilities of an IT "Cash for Clunkers" -- why shouldn't the federal government launch a program in which companies would get a cash credit if they traded in a legacy system for a newer, "greener," service-oriented system.
They say great minds run in the same rut, and Network World also picked up and ran with this idea. In a new post, they propose up to 10 systems that would most likely qualify in an IT "Cash for Clunkers" program:
- Microsoft Windows Vista: Trade in for Windows 7
- IBM's G51 CRT monitor: Trade in for: Dell UltraSharp 2408WFP 24-Inch Wide-Screen LCD Monitor; Lenovo L215p LCD Widescreen Monitor
- Dell's hazardous laptop batteries: Trade in for: "Any Dell battery that won't set your house ablaze."
- V.92 dial-up modems: Trade in for: WiMax high-speed wireless, if available
There's a problem with Network Computing's list. The clunkers they recommend trading in are consumeristic products. We have added some items that are more relevant to the enterprise:
- HP DEC VAX: Okay, too easy of a target. Some of these minicomputer-class systems are still running the financials at companies. Trade in for: High-end Linux servers.
- IBM AS/400: A machine way, way, ahead of the market. 64-bit, supports multiple OSes, expandable storage, supports Domino and Apache Web Servers. But if you're still calling it an AS/400, it's time to upgrade to a new model. Trade in for: IBM System i (what they now call the 400.)
- J2EE 1.4 and earlier versions: Trade in for: Java Enterprise Edition (Java EE) 5 or 6, which has much stronger support for SOA implementations. Also, if the project isn't too heavily wired into mission-critical enterprise applications, consider a more lightweight framework such as Spring or Ruby on Rails.
- Data marts/spreadmarts: Trade in for a more enterprise-wide data analysis platform that can provide a "single view of the the truth."
- Undocumented, non-compliant services: Trade in for services that meet criteria established within your governance structure.
You can either Lease or buy a new car to use the cash for clunkers program. It has to be new vehicles and not used ones.
Henry
Blogger
www.cashforclunkersfacts.info
http://www.cashforclunkersfacts.info
"HP DEC VAX: Okay, too easy of a target. Some of these minicomputer-class systems are still running the financials at companies. Trade in for: High-end Linux servers."
Actually, VAX systems are used for lots of things other than financial applications. Sure, Linux can replace all that stuff, but will your Cash program pay for not only the reprogramming, but also the re-qualification?
For example, I know of a VAX that does calculations for nuclear weapons design. How would we ever determine that the Linux system was doing it right? It's not like we can fire off some nukes to validate it.
And the VAX is an important piece of ground test equipment for the Space Shuttle. Not sure I just want to slap in a PC and hope for the best...
It is possible to virtualize a VAX onto modern hardware. Would your program cover that?
They say great minds run in the same rut, and Network World also picked up and ran with this idea.