[Info-vax] What does VMS get used for, these days?

[Dave Froble]

On 10/22/2022 10:33 AM, kemain.nospam at gmail.com wrote:
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Info-vax <info-vax-bounces at rbnsn.com> On Behalf Of Arne Vajhøj
>> via Info-vax
>> Sent: Sunday, October 16, 2022 8:54 PM
>> To: info-vax at rbnsn.com
>> Cc: Arne Vajhøj <arne at vajhoej.dk>
>> Subject: Re: [Info-vax] What does VMS get used for, these days?
>>
>> On 10/16/2022 7:32 PM, kemain.nospam at gmail.com wrote:
>>>> From: Info-vax <info-vax-bounces at rbnsn.com> On Behalf Of Craig A.
>>>> Berry via Info-vax
>>>> Sent: Sunday, October 16, 2022 8:11 PM
>>>>> As example:
>>>>> <https://www.indeed.com/q-Openvms-
>> jobs.html?vjk=aca6c8029c23b35e>
>>>>> "The Client calculates and processes approximately $8 billion of
>>>>> school
>>>> funding annually. The data processing systems used are a mix of COBOL
>>>> and SAS programs; running on an OpenVMS mainframe; reading from
>>>> Oracle databases, SAS datasets, and flat files; and writing to SAS
>>>> datasets and flat files."
>>>>
>>>> You also neglected to mention that the job is "replacing COBOL and
>>>> SAS on OpenVMS with Python on Windows and SQL server databases."
>> So
>>>> it's not a VMS job and soon won't be a VMS shop.
>>>
>>> Define "soon" ...
>>>
>>> Seen many "projects" that start up based on some new CIO with Windows
>>> background (likely propped up by Microsoft Sales types) try to make a
>>> name for themselves and then a few years later after not delivering
>>> anything close to a comparative system is off looking for a new job.
>> It is their stated intention.
>>
>> Time will show if it happens.
>>
>> Experience shows that a significant number of large IT projects fail.
>>
>> I don't think is specific for migrations to Windows.
>>
>
> My comments were not specific to Windows, but rather the naivety of many
> Senior Execs who want to appear as fashionable (read "forward thinking") for
> the sake of their careers.
>
> These types choose future strategic options which are all to often driven by
> their favourite Vendor Sales person who takes them to Lunch/Dinners  and/or
> trips to their annual Customer events in exotic locations.
>
> The "upgrade and integrate" strategy is usually the strategy which has the
> most chance of success in large companies.
>
> The "rip-and-replace" all to often looks only at technology and discounts
> the many, many years of highly customized business logic built into the
> existing Application(s).

I'm not saying that it can't happen, but, I have never seen any such replacement 
where all that custom business logic survived the replacement.

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