[Info-vax] x86-64-based Superdomes on the way (says HP)

[JF Mezei]

Michael Kraemer wrote:

> Well, given your "predictive power", the EOL would be long after 2015,
> enough time to move apps to other platforms. No need to port.

So you agree it is the end of the line for HP-UX, Tandem and VMS ?

The message seems to be "start porting to Linux or Windows now, because
a few years from now, new systems will be 8086 only.


If Whitman didn't mean this to be the message then she is utterly
incompetent, just like her predecessors who sent the same message about
BCS and Itanium.

Am listening to the 4th quarter finanial analyst teleconference.
http://h30261.www3.hp.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=71087&p=irol-EventDetails&EventId=3561765


Whitman seems to be much better presenter. She doesn't seem to be
buzzword driven like LaCarly. She does not seem incompetent to me, so I
would conclude that the message we got is the message HP wanted us to get.



For the last year:  (in millions of $)

		Revenue		Earnings
Services	35,954		5,149
ESSN		22,241		3,026
Software	 3,217		698
PSG		39,574		2,350
Imaging/Print	25,783		3,973
Financial	 3,596		348

ESSN = Enterprise Server, Storage Networking



Within ESSN:

		Revenus
8086 Servers	13,531
Storage		4,056
BCS		2,095
Networking	2,569


Note that for "Industry Standard Servers", they now have some Arm based
servers, so it isn't just 8086 anymore.


BCS revenus declined 23% in 12 months, they admit due to Itanium and
Oracle's decision.  For 2012, continued decline of BCS is forecasted.

So ESSN is still a big profit centre well aheas of PCs (PSG).



BCS is a declining business, slow decline. Trying to manage the decline.
Still shipping DEC servers and supporting them for 5 years.  I think I
heard right. But not sure.


But I heard the following right:
"Get to a new platform as fast as we  possbly can."




Whitman admits that they had cut a lot of Muscle out of R&D n previous
years and it will take time to put it back in and get some RPI from the
new investment in R&D.

Overall impression: positive about Whitman being in control/command. Not
much of a "vision", but seems down to earth without bullshit.

But it is pretty clear that BCS has litte future and will be replaced by
industry standard servers where growth is expected.