UK prices for IBM’s Application System 400 range are as follows: the Model B10, UKP13,843 – UKP19,647; Model B20, UKP27,618 – UKP33,423; Model B30 UKP67,319 – UKP116,422; Model B40, UKP144,059 – UKP211,383; Model B60, UKP305,458 – UKP470,170; the OS400 operating system will cost UKP3,063 at the low-end and UKP19,647 at the high-end. The new System 36 Model 5363 – will cost UKP10,140. Speaking at the launch in the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham yesterday IBM said it expected that 80% of AS/400s would be sold through agents rather than direct, and stressed the number of applications for the 36 and 38 that could be supported – 2,000 in the UK, 8,000 worldwide. The company also forecast that 60% of orders would come from Europe. IBM has also been working closely with a number of software houses and there were 50 UK companies running applications at the National Exhibition Centre. Management Science America Ltd was offering its Spectra Financial Systems on all models; Insight Database Systems Plc revealed that its entire range of Insight applications software is available in AS/400 versions from today; while JBA International Plc, IBM System 3X software specialist, reported orders totalling over UKP3m for the new system. IBM was also able to announce a number of users, including the Post Office, Northern Foods, the Manpower employment agency and the Isle of Man Free Port.
