[Info-vax] Message from HP.

[JF Mezei]

As part of the announcement/admission that Compaq had murdered Alpha on
June 25 2001, there was also an announcement of "Retain Trust" programme
where Compaq would be talking to major customers about their options and
provide incentives to help migrate to that IA64 contraption.

It is interesting that HP does not seem to have prepared/announced a
similar programme to help retain customers, especially since HP has such
little relationship with its customers with so many local offices having
closed and relationships rendered more anonymous.

Announcing a programme to help VMS customers stay with HP would also be
well seen by shareholders, so it is rather sutprising that HP doesn't
want to do that. Perhaps HP doesn't yet want to draw the attention to
the abandonment of IA64 to HP-UX customers who have not yet been given
their bad news.

IBM and Oracle have a great oportunity to steal those customers who are
given the silent treatment by HP in the face of the extinction of the
environment customers rely on.