This is in response to reports that firms in New Zealand and Australia were making emergency orders for parts from IBM swampping them with. Shipments are reportedly needed so urgently that the recipients cannot wait for FedEx or Airborne, and IBM was reported looking into chartering planes.

The Zone 2000 Project received word from Fred McNeese, an IBM representative as follow:

"I request that you correct your completely erroneous report concerning an alleged IBM parts shortage in New Zealand and Australia. There is absolutely no truth to that report. IBM has no parts shortage in either country and I urge you to remove this report immediately. I suggest that you might want to check with me in the future before you print anything concerning IBM operations in Asia. Fred P. McNeese Director, Public Relations"

-- Steve Davis (Columbia, MD) (Steve@davislogic.com), December 31, 1999

Answers

I don't know if it's been completely debunked or not. IBM may not have a parts shortage in those countries, but there still may have been a flurry of orders to the Pennsylvania site for some reason.

-- Dog Gone (layinglow@rollover.now), December 31, 1999.

Why would there be emergency orders of computer parts? It seems to me that people will do what they can to arouse panic in others.

-- An annoyed IBMer

-- Fuzzy (fuzzman@m-net.arbornet.org), December 31, 1999.

Director, Public Relations

Aren't they they folks who get paid to say everything is fine, especially when it isn't? :-)

-- Lane Core Jr. (elcore@sgi.net), December 31, 1999.