Duane makes his usual erudite comments,

> I would like to add that ISVs who are migrating their customer base
> from the HPe3000 need 2 things, both which seem at odds with
> each other:
>
> a. A consistent message from HP about the platform going away. This is
>    so that recalcitrant customers don't get frozen and refuse to migrate.

What's to prevent the ISV from saying it will not support its product on MPE
after 2006? It is nice to keep blaming everything on HP, but at some point
the ISV needs to give its customer some better reason (functionality,
improved cost of ownership, etc.) to migrate - that is if the ISV wants to
retain the customer. If an ISV is forcing a customer to change platforms
without a significantly improved value proposition, the customer would be
remiss in not checking out the competition.

>
> b. A way for slow moving customers to maintain their HPe3000 beyond
> 12/31/2006
>    so they are not harmed while finishing up their eventual migration.
>

Harmed? How could they be any more harmed? HP has one and only one
objective, to maximize the number of HP 3000 users migrating to HP-UX (HP
gives lip service to Linux and Windows but the money is in HP-UX
migrations). There is already talk about HP extending support for NPE beyond
2006. If it extends support the way it has extended support for MPE/iX 6.5,
it is almost incrementally cost-free.

> Some ISVs have probably asked HP to focus on 'a' and some
> have probably
> asked HP
> to focus on 'b'. And some, like us, have asked HP to
> concentrate on both 'a'
> and 'b'.
>
> And then there are the Platinum Partners who have spent
> considerable time
> and effort
> in building a business to help migration efforts. It isn't in
> anybody's best
> interest
> for these Platinum Partners to drop out because of a lack of
> business or a
> perception
> that HP isn't selling the migration message.

Of course the four Platinum Partners all had thriving businesses before HP
pulled the plug on the HP 3000. The Platinum Partner program was not
something HP thought up. Rather it was proposed by the original partners. HP
is concerned only with what is good for HP. It will desert the Platinum
Partners in a heartbeat if it serves it purpose. In fact, it already has to
a certain degree, with HP services dipping down into the SMB market that was
initially ceded to the Platinum Partners.

>
> And then there are those customer who don't want or can't
> migrate in the
> pre-2007
> timeframe.

HP is doing nothing for these organizations - witness its "relationship"
with OpenMPE.

>
> Bottom line - HP is in a tough position and it will be
> interesting to see
> how it
> all shakes out.

Gee, lets all shed a tear for HP.

I for one am really curious how all this
> OpenMPE stuff will
> evolve.

So am I.

John Burke