[Info-vax] Opportunity for VSI?

[Milton Baar]

On Friday, December 14, 2018 at 4:40:40 AM UTC+11, Stephen Hoffman wrote:
> On 2018-12-13 02:44:23 +0000, Milton Baar said:
> 
> > https://www.computerworld.com.au/article/643780/university-canberra-revives-mainframe-degree-course/ 
> > 
> > 
> > So given that there are quite likely OpenVMS sites that are common, and 
> > I personally know of quite a few that have both OpenVMS and SystemZ, 
> > would VSI be interested in partnering with an Australian University?
> 
> By "partnering" and "opportunity" here, may I presume that what is 
> meant is "granting free software and free hardware, granting free 
> hardware and software support and quite probably including on-site 
> installation and maintenance, and granting an endowment* sufficient to 
> cover staff and incidentals and sundries and the use of the 
> University's name and reputation in associated advertising", right?
> 
> Most schools are understandably interested in acquiring endowments 
> after all, though—being endowments—these often do include terms and 
> conditions.
> 
> At least for the next several years, VSI would seemingly have a few 
> other and higher-priority uses for any cash surfeit they might 
> encounter.
> 
> *big wads of cash with strings attached, in the vernacular.
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Pure Personal Opinion | HoffmanLabs LLC

Or perhaps just granting an educational or discounted license...there is plenty of inexpensive hardware around...and I don't think an endowment would be either needed or likely.

This could be a way for OpenVMS to be back in the educational sector with the possibly positive flow-on effects.  I don't think that the IBM arrangement is an act of charity on their behalf, they understand the benefits as DEC once did.