Theoretical question

[Pickering, John (NORBORD)]

Thanks for what?  :-)

I just don't think much support will be needed. When was the last time you
found a bug in PowerHouse, reported it to Cognos and got a patched version
to correct the problem? For me, I think the last time for this scenario was
over 12 (14?) years ago on an early version of PH running on the first 950
in eastern Canada (and one of the first 6 950's shipped to customers, so we
were told).

If you're doing "old fashioned" PowerHouse type stuff -- i.e. Quick, Quiz,
Qtp, with termulators -- then I don't think the stuff will stop working
anytime soon. All of the components are well and truly tested and I don't
think you can dream up some new way of doing things that will expose a new
bug -- maybe an old one but somebody will have published a work around.

On the other hand, if you're using PHWeb stuff with the 3k as your server
then I'd be a little more concerned as things in the PC world (where the
browser runs and maybe some cgi stuff) change frequently and have no notion
of forward compatibility and seemingly, no respect for the installed base.
Even if WRQ stops supporting Reflection for the 3k then I kind of think Wirt
will be happy to step in with QCTerm. MPE will still be running in 2007 but
will Windows 2000 or XP?

If an HP3000 emulator comes to the market, and I think that's a really big
IF, then I think Cognos would need to treat it like any other proposed new
platform. I don't think it's a given that they would support PH on an
emulator, nor should it be. They'd have to do the usual business case
analysis -- what does it cost to port to it, to support it, how many
potential customers, how is it licensed, yadda, yadda, yadda. And I think
this would be the case with most main stream 3k software vendors.

Personally, I'm looking forward to the promised PH support for Eloquence in
a release early next year. If Eloquence is as close to Image as is regularly
claimed then this should make moving to Unix less painful. Couple that with
HP's offer to convert your N-class to an uncrippled 9000 and Cognos' offer
of a free license swap from 3k to 9k and you have a pretty good escape
route. It ain't free and there'll be some pain, but we have to be in a
better position than those guys with Transact or Allbase.

Regards,
JWP

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Leonard_Berkowitz@harvardpilgrim.org
> [SMTP:Leonard_Berkowitz@harvardpilgrim.org]
> Sent:	Thursday, November 07, 2002 1:08 PM
> To:	Pickering, John (NORBORD)
> Subject:	RE: Theoretical question
> 
> 
> John,
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> Leonard
>