[Info-vax] Reimplementing VMS, was: Re: HP adds OpenVMS Mature Product Support beyond the end of Standard Support

[JF Mezei]

On 14-02-05 00:20, David Froble wrote:

>> When HP announced it was buying Compaq and outlined the future of all
>> major products lines EXCEPT for VMS, I was labeled a kook because I saw
>> something very wrong with this.  When the Stallard memo came out in May
>> 2002, I was proven right but nobody noticed.
> 
> I think we all noticed.  It was something we didn't like, but, what can 
> you do except try to influence some change to that company direction.

I recall being laughed hat for criticising this. Even a year ago I think
someone found ways to spin this, stating that HP had no right to discuss
VMS until the deal was signed (which does not explain why it had the
right to discuss every other product).

What is significant is that certain people feel compelled to go out of
their way to spin HP's actions to counter my arguments.

In the case of Keith Parris, it is clear that it is part of his
obligations, and he does it without getting personnal. He will give the
spin from HP. And it is obvious that his posts may not necessarily
reflect his own opinions.  And getting the spin from HP, no matter how
ludicrous it might be, is still important because it shows what sort of
stuff employees are told to tell customers. (does HP still pretend IA64
still has a long life ahead of it ?)

I do get puzzled when there is someone with no apparent direct link to
HP who comes to HP's defense.  Because they do get personnal with
insults, it is clear they do not speak in behalf of a corporation.
Perhaps they know that such statements are damaging to HP or rub HP the
wrong way , but that would be because they have some sort of connection
to HP (via friend, or as former employee with binding NDA for rest of
their life)



Not sure if anyone remembers the April 1 HP PR press release I had made
about HP outsourcing VMS engineering a number of years ago. I received
feedback that the prank had gone very high up the food chain at HP in
california and that they were mighty pissed about it. Perhaps because it
was too close to the truth. But HP was smart enough to not make any
public comments about it.