Computer downsizing can often be an uphill effort. The much touted process - switching corporate data banks from mainframe computers to networks of personal computers - is the hottest thing in computing today. But despite the hype about its benefits, much of it disseminated by companies peddling networking hardware or software, the transition for many companies is proving painful.
People have gone overboard on the concept, says William Zachmann, an industry watcher and columnist widely credited with coining the phrase downsizing in the late 1970s (sic) It's become a mindless fad.
Boardroom disillusionment about the pace of downsizing has prompted some analysts to think what last year would have been unthinkable: that demand for mainframe computers could surge as companies realize that the downhill shuffle isn't all it was cracked up to be.... Analysts are saying that the downsizing hoopla has promised too much too soon and that companies ought to scale back their expectations.
Users have also had problems with security and data backup on their new networks. Most networks still aren't hackerproof, and many are more susceptible than mainframes to viruses, power surges, and accidentally erased diskettes
As in most things, the solution to downsizing distress lies in moderation, analysts say. They encourage companies to transfer only some of their data from mainframes to networked PCs, leaving the mission-critical number crunching to the mainframe standbys. Once companies figure this out, Messrs. Zachmann and Stahlmann predict, delayed mainframe purchases will find their way back into the budget.
The sound you hear is backpedalling...