Kermit the Frog, lamenting his unfortunate lot in life, sings a melancholy ballad:

It's not easy bein' green.
It seems you blend in with so many other ordinary things.
And people tend to pass you over 'cause you're not standing out
like flashy sparkles in the water — or stars in the sky.

System i supporters sing a similar tune (though not usually set to music): "It's Not Easy Bein' i." As Kermit says, "People tend to pass you over."

It is frustratingly illogical. System i is considered to be an "old" system even though the hardware is state of the art in commercial systems. System i is considered to be an "old" system even though the underlying system architecture is far more advanced than that of systems thought to be more modern. System i is considered to be an "old" system even though it eliminates the costly, archaic process of manually allocating storage devices, file placement, indexing, and defragmentation. It is secure, scalable, easy to maintain, and rock-hard reliable.

Where's the Respect?

Why does the System i get less respect than a smooth-skinned green frog at a horny toad's horn contest? Add to the scientifically superior architecture such things as web server capability, PHP, MySQL, Java, VoIP, and virtualization. The world should recognize it as the system that all others would be if they could. When asked why there is no respect, those of us who understand the system usually sing the familiar refrain of the System i choir, "Marketing is the problem." I have often conducted the choir myself.

Those who have read my other articles in this magazine, have seen my "The Magic of Selling Technology" presentations, or have heard me sound off at COMMON Town Hall Meetings know that I relentlessly prod IBM to improve the marketing of the System i. But there is something else that is a major contributor to the "old" image of the system — and it isn't marketing.

Delivering a program called "Magic of System i, What IBM Will Never Tell You!" for Local User Groups, I look at the underlying reasons for the "old" reputation of the System i. There is a subtle factor that has been acknowledged but, I believe, underestimated.

We programmer types may think the much-maligned RPG language is a main reason for the decrepit depiction of the System i. But business decision makers — the ones with the checkbooks — don't make their decisions based on an understanding of that level of technical detail. They just want to be successful in return for helping their companies be progressive, modern, and successful.

The System i doesn't seem old just because of lackluster marketing. The System i doesn't seem old because of the languages. It doesn't seem old because of the look of the physical box — the black box is virtually indistinguishable from other systems. It isn't reliability, languages, applications, or availability.

It's the Green Screen, Stupid

It's the green screen that's stupid. It looks old and it feels old. To those in their 20s, the green screen looks like a clip from an old sci-fi movie, an antique picture of DOS, or a rerun of the 1989 TV show Doogie Howser, M.D. The first impression of this system is that it is old fashioned.

First impressions can't be made a second time. The first impression of the dreary green screen creates a foundational feeling that this System i is old. All the logical arguments about the system's superiority may, if given the opportunity, change someone's intellectual appreciation for the system, but logic does not change the nagging gut feeling of oldness.

The System i is like the homely girl with a great personality that guys ignore as they drool over the great-looking prom queen. No matter how intelligent, witty, and wonderful the homely girl is — no matter how shallow, dim, and dull the hot babe is — it's the pretty one that guys clamor after.

It's Not Logical

While you may chafe at the notion that business people make decisions based on mushy feelings rather than on hard facts, it is surprisingly true. Sales decisions are not logical; they are psychological. Information causes people to think; emotion causes people to act. Buying a computer requires someone to act. No company ever decided to buy a computer. A person in the company decided to buy a computer. And that person cannot act apart from the emotion that is an integral part of being human.

Based on cold facts, the fragile, high-maintenance, virus-vulnerable Windows 3.1 95/98/2000 systems would never have been successful. But Microsoft's stock has risen 29,266 percent in the past 25 years. By any measure — stock price, sales volume, or the ubiquitous existence of Windows — it has been a success. However, the success is not based on technological superiority or an advanced architecture, such as that found in the System i, which we advocates tend to cite as we try to logically argue the merits of the system. Windows just feels newer.

Green screens create a visual barrier to the acceptance of the System i.

Excellent marketing could reshape the image of the System i, but two forces within IBM are working against a marketing boost for the platform. First, IBM isn't inclined to show the System i as superior to other platforms because it also sells those other platforms. Second, IBM tends to budget future marketing dollars in proportion to current revenue generation. Systems that are momentarily successful tend to get additional funding for marketing. The additional funding comes at the expense of those systems that are not doing as well — even though they could benefit more and yield a greater return for IBM.

How Did It Happen?

While I was part of the IBM development lab in Rochester, Minnesota, I worked on the design of the operating system and had architectural debates with colleagues about whether or not to invest in replacing green screens with a modern-looking graphical user interface. We reasoned that it wasn't worth the cost to redo the green screens. Logically that was true. Green screens are often a more effective interface for business data entry and data processing, and the cost to make the operating system completely GUI would have been huge. But had we eliminated green screens, the underlying basis for the old feel of the system would not exist today.

Looking back, I regret that decision. Technologically it was the right business decision because the system runs great with green screens. However, those sensible green screens create a heavy green shroud, emitting the musty odor of age that hangs over the system. It is the psychological feeling of oldness that adds to the challenge of marketing the system. The technical decision, based on business economic logic, has had long-term market consequences far beyond what we understood at the time and more significance than most people realize today.

What Color Is the Future?

Although traditional green screens tend to give credibility to those who would cast the System i as an old system, the negative image can be overcome. In spite of the dismal marketing, disparaged RPG language, and the residual green screens, the future of the System i need not be dark.

Hide the green. Programmers and operators can use GUI alternatives. Great applications can be written or acquired with graphical or browser-based interfaces. These will shield the old-looking screens from the eyes of those questioning the modernness of the platform.

Kermit the Frog, like System i, may be at a disadvantage being green. And yet, like Kermit the Frog, the System i continues to be resoundingly successful and loved around the world. As Kermit concludes his song —

I am green and it'll do fine, it's beautiful!

Randall Munson is president and founder of Creatively Speaking, based in Rochester, Minnesota. He is the sales expert who Fortune 500 corporations and technology companies across six continents rely on to increase their sales. Named one of the world’s greatest business mentors, Randall combines two decades with IBM and 25 years as a professional magician to create powerful sales programs and help executives deliver great presentations. Randall is a best-selling author and Certified Speaking Professional who presents international award-winning programs to audiences in more than 30 countries. For a free information kit or to hire Randall Munson to help your organization, please call 507-286-1331, e-mail Randall@CreativelySpeaking.com, or visit www.CreativelySpeaking.com.