UK Power i hardware distributor Avnet Technology Solutions and ERP giant Infor have joined the iManifest movement in EMEA.

The iManifest EMEA pressure group was founded in July by LANSA EMEA general manager Martin Fincham in response to the work of the original iManifest organisation in Japan. Like the Japanese group of 71 i-centric vendors, iManifest EMEA seeks to fly the flag for the Power i platform independently of IBM. The aim is to show the business world the depth of vendor support the platform enjoys, dispel legacy-type myths and hammer home its strengths.

Explaining why his firm has joined, Anthony Greenhalgh, Avnet's business unit director for IBM systems, says: "As the sole distributor of System i in the UK, Avnet is keen to support channel initiatives whose objective is to promote the value of the i platform."

Paul Field, Infor's VP for System i, EMEA says: "The IBM i installed base are very loyal to the platform and its applications; for good reason, too. Their ease of use, security, reliability and low running costs are in a class of their own. Infor have recognised this by forming our own global System i division which has a huge base of customers here in EMEA. iManifest represents an excellent collective way to spread the word further, to both existing and potential new customers, demonstrating our commitment to the IBM i future."

Bringing the two industry heavyweights on board is something of a result for iManifest EMEA. Infor, which claims to be the world's biggest independent ERP vendor, owns a number of major applications such as BPCS and System 21 that run exclusively on the i. Avnet Technology Solutions is a division of a huge global player. Given that their support adds considerable weight to the iManifest EMEA cause, can the industry body achieve its aim and break through some of the inertia, perceived or otherwise, surrounding the platform?

"Well, if you don't try you'll never know," says Field. "It is like the collection for repairing the village church roof. As the red line on the chart climbs towards its target, more and more people will be encouraged to sign-up until eventually the momentum and cash is there to get started and do something really worthwhile."

Greenhalgh adds: "The EMEA programme is still in the early adoption phase for organisations to pledge their membership support like Avnet has done. However, based on the success in Japan, the milestones that have been laid out for EMEA should be achievable. The System i platform can and should play a significant part of an enterprise's infrastructure where performance, security and availability are central to the business requirements. The System i partner community already has the desire to continue their support for the System i and this initiative will now give them a vehicle to get their collective voices heard."

Infor and Avnet have both chipped in around €8,000 which mean that all "business class-seats" in the original iManifest EMEA plan have been sold. The collection pot, which will be spent on high-profile advertising in the mainstream business press next year, now stands at €31,590 with a target of €81,000.

Fincham is pleased to have the two big beasts on board. In the case of Avnet, however, he says: "It’s not really anything to do with size, it’s got to do with where they sit in the supply chain. They are the hub so their ability to get the message out to ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty vendors is very powerful and I think that’s the significance of getting them on board. Avnet are a one-to-many conduit now for iManifest activities."

The significance of having a major application provider like Infor join the ranks of iManifest's tool and technology vendors is not lost on Fincham. Despite advice that dealing with such a complex organisation may be a challenge, the process turned out to be quite straightforward.

"I think actually having a System i team focus now inside of Infor is a credit to them," he says. "And coming with their Flex programme, essentially wanting to reach out again to the install base and be very reasonable and very flexible in any way of helping those customers move forward on the platform, I think the timing of this is perfect."

Could Infor's involvement send out a message to the other major ERP players in the i space such as Lawson and the J.D. Edwards group within Oracle?

"I don’t know where it is, but I would like to think that there is a tipping point in this where people will be conspicuous by their absence and that will bring the laggards into this," says Fincham. "Now, I don’t think we’re there today but I would like to think -- possibly naively -- that’s how Infor’s participation will be read by other application vendors."