Interex - Jim Keller just let us know:

> Results from the Second HP e3000 Transition Survey are
> now posted. Please see:
>
http://www.interex.org/advocacy/survey/migrationresults02.html

IMO the above contains some pretty interesting data.
Note that with 582 responses it was a significant sample.

A few highlights from my perspective (full disclosure:
from a member of the OpenMPE, Inc. Board of Directors
(but speaking only for myself in this email) ):

Item # 10:  Interex noted that 57 percent are more-or-less
dissatisfied with HP's migration products and services.  I
note a flip side of that coin:  Only 10 percent say they
are more-or-less satisfied (i.e.:  33 percent neutral).
Response to this question may also be one indication that
a significant percentage of sites would prefer not to have
to "migrate" off MPE in the classic sense in the first
place...

Item # 11:  These results are clearest indication I have
seen so far that what others have already speculated is
coming true;  i.e.:  A plot of what sites are going to do
is NOT a "standard curve", with a few sites staying on MPE
and a few sites "jumping" to a completely different app on
another platform at each end, and then most people "in the
middle" doing a more-or-less "classic" migration:  It is
rather much more of an inverse curve;  with per Interex
results 50 percent currently thinking they will "jump" to
a completely new app and / or do a full re-write on a
different platform;  30 percent continuing to run on MPE
after the HP e3000 is no longer supported by HP or until
the app dies at or before the end of 2006; and only 19
percent planning to attempt a more-or-less "as is"
migration to another platform.


Item # 14:  66 percent are somewhat or very interested in
the "OpenMPE movement" (which note does NOT necessarily
mean "open source" in the classic sense yet (and maybe
never) ).  Plus 15 percent currently had "No Opinion"
(hmmm... guess we better work on the undecideds).  Only
19 percent said they were flat-out just not interested in
"OpenMPE".

Item # 15:  42 percent are somewhat or very dissatisfied
with their perception of HP's willingness so far to
"investigate a possible future for MPE in some form of
OpenMPE".  Plus same 15 percent with "No Opinion".  I.e.:
Only 20 percent are somewhat or very satisfied with HP's
actions so far in this area.  Those of us who were at the
Interex Solutions Symposium last week continued to lobby
HP to move beyond the status quo in this area.  The 59
attendees that hung around Saturday to attend the OpenMPE
session were another good supporting data point WRT user
interest.  IMO the most urgent item is for HP to provide
some hard confirmation that IF one or more third parties
undertakes to produce an MPE Emulator for IA (MPEEIA) and
that effort is successful, then HP will facilitate the
production and end-user execution of said emulator by some
form of licensing of MPE.  SIDEBAR:  Unlike most or all
other questions, this one has a significant "not adding up
to 100 percent" factor:  Total all percentages was only 77
percent ????

FOOTNOTE:  Gavin Scott from Allegro Consultants gave a
very interesting talk about what they thought could be
done with an MPE Emulator and how it would work at the
OpenMPE session at the Solutions Symposium.  If he could
commit at least a summary of what he said in that open
session to email or provide a pointer to a URL, I think
many on this list would find his thoughts on that subject
more than a little enlightening (<hint>, <hint>, <nudge>,
<nudge>  :-) ).


Thank you to Interex for taking the time to conduct this
important survey of MPE sites;  and for promptly making
the results available to the user community...

Ken Sletten

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