[Info-vax] Message from HP.

[JF Mezei]

> •OpenVMS/Integrity  8.4 SS to 2020
> •OpenVMS/Integrity  8.4 MPS w/o SE from 2020 to 2025
> •OpenVMS/Integrity  8.3 PVS w/o SE to 2018
> •OpenVMS/Alpha      8.4 SS (?) to 2016, MPS w/o SE to 2018
> •OpenVMS/Alpha      8.3 PVS w/o SE to 2016, MPS w/o SE to 2018
> •OpenVMS/Alpha      7.3 PVS w/o SE to 2016, MPS w/o SE to 2018
> •OpenVMS/Alpha      6.2 PVS w/o SE to 2016, MPS w/o SE to 2018


Considering that VMS is mature, I would have expected Alpha and
Integrity support commitments to be the same. Also, I would have
expected 8.3 to be treated the same since it is the last stable release
of VMS.

On the other hand, considering there is no definition of "sustaining
engineering" (one part time contrator in India ?), it is hard to know
whether there would be any real difference between support with or
without sustnaining engineering.

My hope is that customers still on Alpha and/or 8.3 will have a chat
with HP to explain why they don't move to 8.4 and why they need
continued support until they leave HP.

BTW, what of VAX-VMS support ? Does HP still sell some support ? Or did
VAX-VMS support go out the door when HP shut down VMS engineering ?

If I were a large shop, my main concern right now would be hardware
support. One accepts that VMS is no longer developped, and in a way, it
makes for mroe stable systems. But hardware support is important to make
sure the old software still runs.

I really doubt someone who is still on Alpha will want to upgrade to
IA64 before going to Linux. They may choose to move to emulated Alpha on
8086s.