C64's still managing building systems

[Mike Stein]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Fred Cisin via cctalk" <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
Sent: Sunday, December 03, 2017 3:45 PM
Subject: Re: C64's still managing building systems


>> "A new, more current system would cost between $1.5 and 2 million. "
> 
> On Sun, 3 Dec 2017, drlegendre . via cctalk wrote:
>> Something tells me there's more than a Commodore Amiga involved, here. This
>> figure must include the radio hardware and controllers at each of the
>> schools. The article goes on to say that a student at one of the high
>> schools wrote the software that runs it all.. but it must also require some
>> sort of controller / interface, so who supplied that (sans software)?
>> Doesn't really make much sense, but then again, not a lot of reporting does.
> 
> First, the school board needs to go to Hawaii, Japan, France, Germany, and 
> Greece, in order to see how it is done there.
> (In our commuter community college (adult enrichment, college 
> prep, basic and remedial skills, skill updating for local professionals, 
> job training for the digital sweatshop), the Chancellor took his large 
> "entourage" to China "to recruit students for the community college".
> How many 18 year olds would relocate to a different continent for the sole 
> purpose of attending a local community college?
> 
> Then they need to hire a consultant to define the problem.
> 
> Then they need consultants to conduct studies.
> 
> Then they need to contract with systems analysis consulting companies to 
> prepare proposals of possible solutions.
> 
> Then they need engineering consultants to reject the current round of 
> proposals.
> 
> Then they need to see if IBM wants to design a dedicated system.  That may 
> require some more travel.
> 
> Then they need to fly in the superintendent's brother in law to check it 
> out.
> 
> Then, IFF there is any money left in the budget for the project, they can 
> hire a consultant to buy and set up an Arduino, or an old Amiga out of the 
> closet.
> 
> Yes, they do spend somewhat more than the direct hardware cost.
--------------
That seems to describe perfectly the approach to our (Canada's) federal payroll system that's gone from a $5 million contract to $180m in two years, with lots of employees still not getting their correct pay or any pay at all
.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/phoenix-ibm-contract-union-pay-government-1.4295827

Peanuts compared to Queensland's 6m to 1.2 billion disaster:

http://www.smh.com.au/it-pro/government-it/queensland-health-payroll-fail-government-ordered-to-pay-ibm-costs-20160404-gnxpqj.html

Gotta hand it to IBM's lawyers though; they came out blameless...

m