If CSY were to spin off, would that make it possible to port MPE iX to other platforms other than the HP 3000?

>>> "Karman, Al" <[log in to unmask]> 08/11 11:58 AM >>>
Another in a long line of stellar Atmarian observations!

ANY takers for the opposing argument?


Al Karman
IT Consultant
US Freightways
[log in to unmask] 
773.824.2284


-----Original Message-----
From: Wirt Atmar [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
Sent: Friday, August 11, 2000 1:56 PM
To: [log in to unmask] 
Subject: Why spin off CSY?


Glenn writes that C|Net is reporting:

=======================================

>     Computing giant Hewlett-Packard on Monday will designate Linux as one
of
>     its three "strategic operating systems" and will add new products and
>     services to support it.
>
>     The Palo Alto, Calif.-based company said the move reflects growing
demand
>     for the Linux system and should help its customers use Linux with more
>     confidence and in a broader range of applications.

>     Linux joins HP's own Unix operating system and Microsoft's Windows
2000
>     as the company's third strategic operating system.

========================================

If you need a reason to understand why I've believed for some time now that
"spinning off" CSY is necessary, you don't have to read any further than
Glenn's posting.

One of the things to understand is that what Ann Livermore and Carly Fiorina
*don't* speak about is at least as important as what they do. These are very
intelligent people. The HP3000 is not merely just slipping their mind.

The HP3000 will not get the play in either the trade magazines or in
advertisements that the people on this list want until it becomes either a
highly autonomous division within HP (in the manner that Minute Maid is
within Coca-Cola or Buick is within General Motors) or a wholly-owned,
independent subsidiary of Hewlett-Packard (such as Saturn is to GM). Indeed,
if it does not become this independent entity, I would not expect to ever
hear Fiorina promote the HP3000 outside of the context of an HPWorld-like
meeting. Only after it succeeds on its own would it ever have a chance of
becoming a "strategic operating system" to HP.

Wirt Atmar

As an additional comment, although I didn't have time to respond to Jerry's
comments on the difficulty of spinning off CSY when he made them, let me say
that I disagreed with every one of his points. CSY essentially has to pay
now
all of the other divisions it works with for the services that they render,
exactly as if it were an independent company. What is being outrightly
prohibited under the current arrangement is the capacity of CSY to advertise
the quality of its solutions. That's the primary attribute that would change
(indeed, *have* to change, along with a sense of a new adventure) if CSY
were
set free.