[Info-vax] VMS Forever?

[JF Mezei]

tadamsmar wrote:
> I sent out a email to my leads telling them we could probably keep our
> VMS app going forever.   This was based on the idea the Charon will be
> around even if AXPs ever became scarce. 

Yes, even when HP formally announces that VMS development is to stop,
applications will continue to run. You just won't get updates, upgrades
or patches after a while.

However, when this happens, a significant portion of the remaining
customer base will set out to migrate to a viable OS. So the question
becomes: will there be sufficient number of Charon customers *in the
long term* to warrant Charon continuing to develop its emulators to
qualify it to run on whatever version of Windows is available at that time ?

However, consider that HP is under no obligation to provide VAX hardware
support (more than 5 years since last sale) but it still does. Why ?
Because they make money and it helps boost its service/support division
which is in a pissing contest against IBM. Supporting other people's
hardware/software (Digital's) is good for a sercvice organisation since
it allows it to show it can support competitor's stuff well.

After an EOL of VMS announcement, I would think that IA64 and then Alpha
customers would go. VAX customers are perhaps the last to leave because
they are attached to unique features/software or the VAX is set in
concrete as an integral part of a manufacturing plant.