[Info-vax] Current VMS Usage Survey

[Subcommandante XDelta]

Phillip Helbig---undress to reply:
> In article <529d9189$0$3479$c3e8da3$2bd0d6bf at news.astraweb.com>,
> Subcommandante XDelta <vlf at star.enet.dec.com> writes: 
> 
>>>> Mr Mezel, in a recent conversation thread, estimated, IIRC (senior
>>>> moments notwithstanding), that the remaining VMS end-user population
>>>> might be circa 100,000 shops.
>>>
>>> that's - maybe - the number of *systems* still standing around somewhere.
>>> The number of *customers* was estimated by HP to be 2000 round-about,
>>> Iirc this figure was quoted here a couple of months ago.
>>> Paying customers, that is, and these are the only important ones,
>>> from HP's point of view.
>>> The latter figure also is in better agreement
>>> with the estimated $30M of revenue VMS creates.
>>> $15000/a per customer on average seems
>>> more likely than just $300/a (or are support contracts
>>> that cheap these days?)
>>
>> Going with those figures - 100,000 VMS shops; but only 2000 paying
>> customers, for the sake of argument.
> 
> No-one said 100,000 SHOPS, but rather 100,000 SYSTEMS.  Suppose a paying 
> customer has 50 systems (seems like a good average to me), then the 
> numbers are compatible.

OK, getting closer to a best estimate of the actual state of affairs of
the VMS ECOlogy, from my questionable stab/tapping in the dark. :-)

Circa 2000 paying shops in charge of PPP number of systems, employing
VVV VMS literate professionals.

Circa NNN non-paying shops in charge of QQQ number of systems, employing
MMM VMS literate professionals.

All parameters of great interest to VAR, ISV, COTS, OEM, software
developers, service providers and VMS professionals at a loose end.