What are the rules? - IBM's systems development - Forum - Interpreter - column

by John Desmond

TR0010

IBM's ambitious software framework for the management of mainframe-based, centralized information systems-SystemView-is not likely to ever have the degree of support from independent software suppliers that AD/Cycle enjoys.

The reasons for this are many First, the independents do not have enough time to make their contributions to SystemView as meaningful as those made to AD/Cycle by the "inner circle" Partners. IBM has promised deliver the specifications of the SystemView data model in the third quarter of 1991, and the SystemView "inner circle" (if there ever is one) had not been chosen as of early January

This means that IBM has defined so much about the software model underlying SystemView, it is not clear what the independents would now have to gain by being chosen.

Also, SystemView falls within IBM's Enterprise Systems line of business, headed by Senior Vice President Carl Conti. This is a key difference between SystemView and AD/Cycle, headed by Earl Wheeler, IBM's senior vice president, Programming Systems. One would assume that Wheeler's division is in a better position than Conti's to strike up relationships with independent suppliers.

"CROWN JEWELS" OF IBM

This is not to belittle the software contributions of the Enterprise Systems division. Conti's division produces the mainframe operating systems, which Candle Chairman Aubrey Chemick has aptly described as the crown jewels" of IBMs software suite. However, Enterprise Systems seems to strike a more competitive stance with the independents than does Programming Systems, whose troops are being Instructed by Wheeler to make friends with former software competitors, so that together, IBM and its allies can conquer.

One independent, Sterling Software's Systems Software Marketing Division, Rancho Cordova, Calif., claims to have been frustrated in becoming involved in SystemView.

Werner Frank, president of the Systems Software Group of Sterling, said IBM has indicated that Sterling's storage management software is deemed too competitive. Don Haile, the outgoing SystemView solution-owner," now based in Cary, N.C., said during the recent Computer Measurement GrouP meeting in Orlando, Ma., It could be that he is a direct competitor. But that does not stop Werner Frank from interacting with us on the data model and the other SystemView interfaces."

BY contrast, Boole & Babbage, Sunnyvale, Calif., appears to be on the inside track in the horse race for SystemView's inner circle. Haile was in Orlando as the keynote speaker for Boole's user group meeting, held in conjunction with CMG. ]Pressed on whether Boole would become an inner circle player, Haile said, "Jack [van Kinsbergen, Boole's chief technical officer] has some data constructs that we think might help. The management of subsystems such as CICS might be very key."

In his talk to the Boole users, van Kinshergen compared IBM's SystemView effort to a federation. "SystemView is a declaration of independence intended to bring order to the current anarchy in the IBM systems management nation of independent states," he said. Those chosen for the inner circle receive "favored nation" status from IBM, he said.

When the SyStemS players review the fortunes of the original AD/Cycle inner circle partners-KnowledgeWare, Index Technology and Bachman Information Systems-the benefits of this relationship are far from clear. The relationship was not strong enough to keep Index independent, as its recent agreement to be acquired by Sage Software, Rockville, Md., demonstrates. A separate question is: Did the IBM relationship actually harm Index?

The major systems players are also much bigger in size, as measured by revenue, than the AD/Cycle inner circle. It seems that today, the major systems players have questions about IBM's intentions regarding its SystemView relationships.

For example, Chernick asked for an impression: "Is IBM serious about working with software vendors?" Mark Wasilko, a Computer Associates senior vice president, said, "I doubt that IBM will have an equity stake in CA," as IBM did for the three AD/Cycle inner circle partners. And John Burton, the recently named president of Legent Corp., Vienna, Va., said, A lot of us are in the race to win, show or place. The inner circle formula is variable, and IBM has yet to prove what benefit you get from being in the inner circle."

Mario Morino, Legent's founder and executive vice president, said, A lot depends on what the inner circle is."

Ib the extent that consistency with the SystemView data model causes the systems management players to rewrite their software, it could be a penalty. A question remains: In systems management, does IBM really need the independent software suppliers? In Case, IBM had very little (or nothing) to offer in the way of products. In systems management, IBM has many products. The systems players must decide whether they are better off spending development resources to get tight with IBM, or branching off into the support of non-IBM systems.

At CMG, CA extended its reach into non-IBM systems by announcing V7.0 of Look, the realtime performance monitor acquired from Applied Data Research. The product will be available for four operating systems at once: MVS, VM, VSE and DEC's VAX/VMS. Can IBM do that?