[Info-vax] Happy new Year !

[JF Mezei]

Arne Vajhøj wrote:

> Not very realistic for an enterprise system to drop support
> 4-6 years after the last system model is out.

How much time spanned between the release of the EV7z (aka: EV7s
qualified for higher speeds) and first announcement of last sale ?
(this deadline was moved a couple of times).

It didn't seem like a very long time to me.

So perhaps last sale is 2 years after last model, which means support is
7 years after last model.

However, once EOL has been announced, the software support is but a
courtesy. You can't expect much in terms of development. Consider that
HP has yet to issue a security patch for POP/IMAP/XDM servers despite
the gaping security hole which they are aware of, they are just waiting
for the release of the next version of the software. And VMS hasn't been
formally EOLed yet.

And once EOL is announced, there will be short live burst of
activity/complaints, but people will quickly accept, comply and go
quiet. Large customers may get a visit from HP sales person to give them
deals to migrate to HP-UX on 8086. (or whatever HP's main platform will be).

Tru64 had a much brighter future than VMS, yet when it was suddently
killed due to HP-Compaq merger, there wasn't a revolution against La
Carly or people tying themselves to La Carly's parking spot at HP
headquarters or unfulrling large banners dropped from the top of HP HQ.

HP has been quite adept so far at setting expectations for VMS. It has
managed to to make people accept the fact that HP has no intentions of
reviving VMS, and when the EOL announcement is made, there will be no
surprise and no upheaval.

When Alpha's murder was announced, people fell off their chairs. But
when I learned of the fate of VMS engineering almost a year ago this
week, it didn't surprise me, and my first thoughts were towards the
individuals losing their jobs, not the future of VMS.

The path has been set. How quickly it is followed is the question.