I think the “theory” is brilliant, I use the word “theory” since there is no real data or information coming out of IBM, and they truly are the epitome of the old military term, Three Monkey’s “doing something” to a football! or SNAFU!

It’s all rather sad really. IBM is a highly regarded company with the marketing sense of someone who is trying to sell popcorn at the flea market.

IBM have failed so many times at being able to market what turns out to be very good products. If IBM had Apple marketing team when they launched the AS/400, the entire world would have one right now and Lotus Notes would be the big lumbering juggernaut of Messaging and Collaboration, but it’s not is it.

Instead we are left guessing and wondering what they are doing all the while drinking the kool-aid and hoping the next big announcement won’t be some half witted blunder, all the while knowing it will.

It’s like being an Atlanta Braves fan in the 1980s, they sucked, but they were your team. Or being a Cubs fan, they always look good, but never seem to make the grade. I want to be proud of IBM, but they make it really hard sometimes.

The Smart-Cube is what the IT world needs, small dedicated appliances to manage small dedicated tasks like web serving or mail or Domino, and if it runs on POWER then it’s even better, but we won’t know until IBM fires the entire marketing team, revamps the product to market procedure, and learns how to create and release marketing material so that it sells the product, not hurt it.

Everyone who gets sent home from IBM because of the bad economy should be well pissed if they are not in the marketing department. IBMs marketing has caused them to loss so much money, they have great products, they have great ideas, and they have great minds, sadly none of them work in marketing.