[Info-vax] Java on VMS, was: Re: So is there still a hobbyist program or not

[Bill Gunshannon]

On 7/20/19 6:50 PM, Arne Vajhøj wrote:
> On 7/20/2019 6:16 PM, Scott Dorsey wrote:
>> =?UTF-8?Q?Arne_Vajh=c3=b8j?=  <arne at vajhoej.dk> wrote:
>>> I think it is rare that applications get totally rewritten often. Cost
>>> prevents that.
>>>
>>> Drivers for rewrites are usually one or a combination off:
>>> 1) the platform is burning aka no support from vendor and
>>>     difficult to find people with skills
>>> 2) changes in general IT strategy where the platform is
>>>     no longer an option because it will not run in the new
>>>     environment
>>> 3) there is a business need for very significant enhancements
>>>     that just are not practically possible with current
>>>     platform
>>> 4) there is a significant cost saving by changing platform
>>
>> The aforementioned Lubri-Moly issue is a case of #4, sort of.  The 
>> idea was
>> that by moving from proprietary applications designed specifically for 
>> that
>> business to commercial general-purpose business applications that 
>> there would
>> be cost savings in software maintenance, and that the software would 
>> in the
>> end be more flexible.
>>
>> This is not the case, as anyone who has ever seen an SAP disaster can 
>> attest.
> 
> There is typical not anything wrong with the logic when the project
> starts.
> 
> A standard application is much lower cost to maintain than a custom
> application.

I would disagree with that. The Custom Application was, in most
cases, written to specifically match a business paradigm.  The
typical canned package will require the business model to be
modified to match the software.  That's like changing the design
of your house to use nothing but nails because the builder doesn't
have anything but hammers.


bill