[Info-vax] VSI licencing policy (again), was: Re: VSI has a new CEO

[Dave Froble]

On 8/4/2021 10:34 AM, Arne Vajhøj wrote:
> On 8/4/2021 9:58 AM, John Vottero wrote:
>> On Wednesday, August 4, 2021 at 8:19:24 AM UTC-4, Simon Clubley
>> wrote:
>>> On 2021-08-03, Dave Froble <da... at tsoft-inc.com> wrote:
>>>> On 8/3/2021 1:41 PM, Simon Clubley wrote:
>>>>> A business may love VMS and want to stay with it, but they are
>>>>> not going to allow the collapse of a vendor to be the collapse
>>>>> of their own business, even if that means moving away from
>>>>> VMS.
>>>>
>>>> On this we agree 100%.
>>>
>>> Even when people disagree with me on the other things I say,
>>> everyone still appears to agree with me on this.
>>>
>>
>> Not everyone.
>
> I think practically everyone.
>
>> VSI is smart enough to know that they cannot expect much revenue from
>> new sales of VMS.
>>
>> VSI must charge a yearly fee to ensure a revenue stream. If they
>> didn't, many customers would get to a stable x86 version and then
>> stop paying.
>
> Yes. That is probably VSI's problem with the forever license.
>
> But that does not make the customers problem go away.
>
> It just means that asking for a forever license is unlikely to
> happen as it would not solve VSI's problem.
>
> The key is to find a solution that works for both VSI and
> the customers.
>
> I gave my suggestion a few months back: an option for annual
> extension of a 5 year license. That would give VSI annual
> revenue. It would give customer that need assurance 4-5
> years to migrate if VSI went under.
>
>> But, IT DOESN'T MATTER because VSI will never just drop dead. If VSI
>> decides they just can't make it work, they will lay off everyone
>> except the one person that sends out invoices and generates new
>> license keys. That would be a multi-million dollar business that only
>> has one employee.
>
> Or someone will takeover the remains and do that model.
>
> The problem is if they do not switch to that model in time
> and has to file for bankruptcy and the court appoints a lawyer
> to run the business and that lawyer will need to spend time
> figuring things out - including the contract with HPE.
>
> The basic law of capitalism/greed says that it will be sorted
> out - if money is to be made by issuing licenses then licenses
> will eventually be issued.
>
> Problem is that such legal matters can take a long time to sort out.
>
> And customers with only a month left of their license could
> be having a big problem.

Part of that problem is that those customers won't be there waiting when 
matters get sorted out.  So, that's basically suicide for whoever takes 
too long to sort matters.

I'll just give one opinion.  But before I do, I want to state that I 
believe that the only path forward for VSI is to have all VMS users 
paying periodically for support.  VMS users need VSI to be successful.

Should VSI cease to exist, and there is not a viable path forward for 
VMS users, then existing methods, and possibly new methods, of bypassing 
the licensing will be used.

Who could justify shutting down all businesses depending on VMS, and all 
the employees of those businesses.  Surely not interested governments. 
I could see a government passing laws/regulations to enable such.  I 
sure would go to court to stop the destruction of businesses and jobs.

That's what we're talking about here.  Destruction of businesses and 
jobs.  It ain't gonna happen.  Yell and scream all you want about 
copyright.  It ain't gonna happen.

Perhaps part of the support agreement with VSI might be a stipulation 
that if VSI is no longer able to support customers, then customers are 
allowed to do whatever is required to continue in business using VMS.

This mess needs a resolution.  It will happen.

-- 
David Froble                       Tel: 724-529-0450
Dave Froble Enterprises, Inc.      E-Mail: davef at tsoft-inc.com
DFE Ultralights, Inc.
170 Grimplin Road
Vanderbilt, PA  15486