[Info-vax] News on the licensing side?

[Arne Vajhøj]

On 1/27/2023 6:41 PM, Dave Froble wrote:
> On 1/27/2023 1:48 PM, Simon Clubley wrote:
>> On 2023-01-27, Jan-Erik Söderholm <jan-erik.soderholm at telia.com> wrote:
>>> Got an invite to the French "Rendez-vous autour de VMS" 31 Jan.
>>>
>>> One point in the agenda says:

>>> "News on the licensing side: community, and some good news!
>>>
>>> I wonder what can be "good news" related to licensing?
>>> In particular when one know the opinion from the French user group...

>> I wonder if it has _finally_ got through to VSI management just how
>> badly the time-limited licences have been received by the VMS community ?
> 
> I have always thought that VSI would have to listen to the customers, if 
> they wished to retain those customers.

Listening to customers is generally a good idea.

> Up until now, x86 VMS is not ready for use.  I may have mentioned a few 
> times that I would not consider it viable until native compilers were 
> available.  That is just now happening with some languages, but not all.
> 
> Some people are testing x86 VMS, but I really doubt it is in production 
> at this time.  As that time does approach, customers will be informing 
> VSI what they require.  Perhaps VSI is now hearing from enough customers 
> to better understand the situation.

If some people has believed that when 9.2 was out then VMS x86-64
was all done, then they could not have been more wrong.

First we need the native compilers. Cross compilers are
not good enough. VMS tradition, confidence in VMS x86-64
and the problem with relying on a dead platform Itanium
makes native compilers a must.

Then the ISV's and open source maintainers need to
add support for VMS x86-64. We already know that Rdb
will be a year of waiting.

And then the sites need to start testing, planning
of migration and budgeting for migration.

And then the actual migration.

I don't know precise how long time it will take, but
to me something like 2023: 0%, 2024: 10%, 2025: 25%,
2026: 50%, 2027: 75%, 2028: 85%, 2029: 90%, 2030: 95%
does not sound unrealistic.

Arne