Reader responds: OS/2 not dead

We believe it is necessary to respond to the misleading article that was published on various Ziff-Davis web sites regarding OS/2. The story takes an internal announcement at IBM about a new division, in which OS/2 plays a significant role and paints a negative story toward OS/2. This is far from correct.

As we've stated for well over one year, OS/2 will continue to be positioned as a network computing operating system within IBM's overall network computing and E-business strategy.

During 1997, IBM enhanced both the OS/2 client and server products and also created an entirely new offering, WorkSpace On-Demand. As was stated to the reporter, IBM will continue to enhance the OS/2 product line during 1998. This involves additions to both the client and server product, an entirely new version of OS/2 Warp Server and also an update of WorkSpace On-Demand.

Also, as was stated to the reporter, the vast majority of the employees will continue work on the same projects that they were doing prior to the announcement of the new division. Stating that IBM is moving a number of OS/2 managers and developers into new positions is completely inaccurate. During the announcement of the new division, IBM named Donn Atkins, former VP of Marketing for OS/2 as the new General Manager of the S/2 business unit. The former General Manager for OS/2, Michael Lawrie, is the General Manager for the newly created division. Again, the day-to-day activities of most employees will be unchanged.

IBM now has two focused organizations within its Software Group: the new Network Computing Software Division and the Software Solutions Division headed by Steve Mills. The two organizations within IBM Software will bring competitive, functional and integrated solutions to the market. The Software Solutions team will focus on the higher-level transaction processing, database, middleware and packaged servers. This team will place a greater emphasis on packaging server software into easy-to-use products, and focus on distributed systems and tools where there is a huge opportunity. The Network Computing Software division will focus on our Java initiatives, network infrastructure technologies and OS/2 products that support e-business. This brings together our Java team, and the Networking Software (NS) and Personal Software Products (PSP) organizations.

This is what was announced when forming the new division and this is how the news should be seen.