IBM's Action Pack Equivalent
Earlier this week my updated Action Pack arrived. I know I've mentioned it a few times before, but here's a recap: For £199 you get a copy of just about everything that Microsoft produce - Windows client, server, Office, Visio etc etc.
It all comes in this snazzy folder and you get a load of glossy pamphlets with information about it all.
Why is it so cheap? Well, as I understand it, the idea is that the software is more accessible to companies like mine. I can't afford to buy all this software, but my clients can. The idea is that I can use the software (but not resell it!) to build solutions based on it, that my clients might want to buy. As far as I am concerned I am using it legally and don't need to worry about using any pirated software. Whether I actually ever produce software based on MS products is another matter. There's the potential and that's all that counts.
Now, I don't want this to be any kind of "aren't MS better than IBM" post as I don't really care either way. But. Do IBM doing anything like this? I seem to remember asking this before and finding they did. I tried searching here, but it's Domino and it's impossible to find information, even on my own site!
What I'm looking for is a cheap way of legally getting my hands on all IBM products - DB2, WSAS, Domino etc. Like the MS pack it should be delivered to my door and be updated every quarter with new releases and updates.
I know I can download most of the software as trials from IBM.com but I'd rather have them delivered. It's probably quicker that way.
I want to learn WebSphere. Surely IBM need me to learn WebSphere? What's the use of great software with no developers to leverage the power?!
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You can subscribe to an individual
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Thanks Stu. This looks like what I was looking for. I'll let you know how I get on...
Jake - the IBM professional level developer works subscription gives you more CDs than you know what to do with......(you can also download from their web site newly released versions)
in 2002 the price was only $400 per year.(what a deal)...last year it was $1600....now I see it costs $1749
thanks
barry
Hallo Jake,
if you go for the developerworks offering please note that you might need the professional level for your demand. And of course you could also investigate if becoming a Business Partner would maybe suite better!? The partner program also has a "run your own business" software category. Sorry I do not have more details as I am not a business partner. From my opinion none of the IBM programs come close to the MS offering, at least for SMB business.
Good luck for your WebSphere adventures.
I tried this
https://www-931.ibm.com/docs/devworks/alp2.html
and I'm still waiting, though only for about 8 days now.
It's free for the price of your company information and depending on the selection you get DB2, WSAD, Domino, etc.
my advice: better learn hibernate, spring, Tomcat and JBoss.
Use Eclipse, probably with myEclipse platform (29 Dollar a year or so).
You can integrate this stuff with domino anyway (via remote/local java call with domino package or webservices).
I am WSAD enterprise developer and especially for small/medium business this is a lot better and easier.
If you want to learn websphere buy book by Kyle Brown, one of the few honest men in that company.
Here's intersting discussion: {Link}
"Surely IBM need me to learn WebSphere? What's the use of great software with no developers to leverage the power?!"
Leverage? Leverage? Folks, Jake is an IBM plant. No-one but an IBM employee would ever use that word in a sentence!
Glad you picked up on that Ben. My tongue was in my cheek when I wrote that bit. Honest!
This has frustrated me for ages. I'm really interested in getting into Workplace in general and Workplace Messaging in particular. IBM are pushing it like heck but I need to spend $1800 to get my hands on it to play with.
That's just too much money IMHO. The action pack is the bargain of the century - You can buy it just to legalise yourself for XP and end up playing with Server, Exchange, SQL Server etc etc so you get a Domino person playing with MS software just for the hell of it. It's a win win situation.
If people want to pirate software they'll get hold of it easily enough. If IBM / Lotus want to push software they should give out any demo or eval they're asked for. I can't get hold of Workplace so I can't learn up on it, get to like it and spread the word. That's a no win situation and I think it's a shame.
As I'm just starting up my bespoke solutions company, Action Pack would have been a great boon if it included Visual Studio .NET.
As a MS VS.NET developer I use it all the time.
I attended three Microsoft tech sessions here in town this year, each time the same thing happened. 1) Free software at the end on the session to everyone who sticks around. 2) Attended by a large number of 16 - 24 year olds (target market looking for free software). 3) Great demo's of what the software you get free at the end can do. What a marketing tool, they come to us, we are in Toledo, Ohio (US), IBM does everything in the Detroit office about 1 1/2 hours away. IBM events are attended by what appears to be only current customers. No free software is given out, but the demo's are good most of the time. Someone do a risk analysis on that and you can get a good idea why the large Microsoft developer base. On the humorous side kick this around, Donald Trump's next task for the 'The Apprentice' develop a marketing plan for Websphere and Domino. Should they have a more effective campaign then IBM their reward will be an Enterprise Level developerWorks subscription, as Donald would say "this is a great, great prize folks, a value of over $3,300"
Jake, there is a Software Access Option if you join your company to the IBM Partnerworld, but it is somehow limited:
{Link}
Wow, $800 a year. I agree with Axel - no point spending large amounts of my own money with IBM products when I can do it all for free with equally good open source.
To the another (frustrated) Ben,
If you want to get your hands on Workplace buy a single user license. I have done that, it costs 30$ and includes everything you need to get Workplace up and running (DB/2, Websphere, Portal and all that). I bought at Shop IBM and the handling was very professional although I do not think that they made a bargain with it (they sent me some Air-Mail stuff).
Just 30 $, yes it is much cheaper than Domino and for me as an Administrator this is enough to play around with.
Heini - what a great idea! Why didn't I think of that? Time to shop. Thanks for that.
Frustrated no more :-)
Still frustrated *sigh*
How hard is it to actually buy something from bloomin IBM. I go through the order ok, check my account, all looks fine. When I go to check out my country is hardcoded to US (I'm in the UK). My account is set to UK, I but from the UK site yet it insists on setting it to US.
Going to have to phone up - bummer.
There's a "Power Pack" "Software Evaluation Kit DVD" not sure how this is different from the DeveloperWorks Subscription though?
https://www-931.ibm.com/bin/devworks/entry.cgi?cl=USEN&pg=../../docs/devworks/alp1.html&id=47
Thanks Glen. Just subscribed. Apparently they will send it out within 48 hours and then I should "Expect the first of three e-mails to arrive in approximately 10 days." We'll see...
I wonder if the licenses you get with MS Action Pack are time limited. Even if you become an IBM Business Partner and buy the so called Value Package (so you can download whatever IBM software for free or get CDs sent at extra handling charges), you have to renew your subscription every year. That means roughly $ 2000 per year, otherwise your licenses (and that's for internal use only) expire. Not that great ...