Ken Sletten wrote:
 
> And of course lets not forget the *major* big-time $$ we understand
> HP paid Oracle to bring *that* proprietary database to MPE.
> Apparently HP is for all non-HP databases everywhere, even
> 25-year old ADABAS.....  But not Image/SQL to HP-UX..........
 
HPs bent has always been as a hardware company, and they expect to make
their profit from hardware.  Not a bad strategy since they make the best
there is.  Moving Image/Allbase to other platforms would have them
helping to sell someone elses hardware.
 
Now, what makes this observation interesting (assuming I'm anywhere
close to correct) is that it is like IBMs old strategy.  Only after the
fall did IBM decide that it should take their mainframe software (DB2,
CICS, etc) to other platforms.  Sure, they loose some hardware sales, but
they keep customer loyalty and make some more profit in the software biz.
 
I will hazzard a gues that HP, like most vendors, wants to be a Roach
Motel, where customers crawl in but cant crawl out.  Image users will
stay with HP because they have to (no easy escape) and new customers
will ride in on the backs of Oracle, etc.  Then after their shops mature,
and become ingrained with HP specific programming constructs, they will
be stuck too.
 
Not that I'm complaining . . . . . .
 
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The thoughts expressed herein are mine and do not reflect those of my
employer, or anyone with common sense.