Migrate off PowerHouse? Why?

Tue, 29 Jun 2004 15:51:51 -0400

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	From time to time we see postings and comments regarding vendors
providing services for migrating off of PowerHouse, usually followed by
a question asking why we, Cognos, don't respond. We do respond, but
maybe it's been too subtle.

	We respond every time we post regarding how easy it is to
migrate PowerHouse from one platform to another. We respond when we talk
about the user interface options PowerHouse provides. We respond when we
talk about the IMAGE emulation options, Eloquence and others, that we
provide for our migrating HPe3000 customers. We respond when we talk
about how PowerHouse continues to provide productivity, scalability, and
reliability. We respond when we talk about how legacy applications
doesn't mean old but rather means those applications that are critical
to running your business, whether they use a terminal interface, Windows
GUI, or Web browser. Those applications you can't afford to be without.
And we respond by continuing to support PowerHouse and continuing to
release new versions.

	Subtle doesn't always work. The web makes it easy to spread
information. But is that information correct?  There's only one way to
determine whether something's correct - GET PROOF. PowerHouse has proven
itself over and over.

	We know that the people on this list know what PowerHouse can do
and are by nature skeptical of marketing-type claims, whether they're
made by Cognos or someone else. But since many of your managers may not
know PowerHouse that well, let's look at what these web sites are
saying.

	One Web page from a migration vendor asks "What's wrong with
your legacy PowerHouse Application?" The short answer is "Nothing!"
Here's a slightly longer version.

	Is PowerHouse quickly fading? No, PowerHouse is certainly not
fading. In Cognos' last fiscal year, PowerHouse earned $29.5 million US.
Is that fading? True, the computer for which PowerHouse was originally
designed is no longer sold - the original HP3000 using MPE III. But
PowerHouse evolved and is available on it's replacement, the HPe3000
using MPE/iX, as well as OpenVMS, the three industry-leading flavors of
UNIX, and Windows NT/2000/XP. Will PowerHouse continue to evolve?
Absolutely. A fading language doesn't have long-term plans. PowerHouse
does. We just released version 8.4 and sent it to all supported
customers. We will issue a maintenance release late this year, perhaps
supporting additional platforms, and another release late next year.

	Does PowerHouse lack flexibility and productivity? PowerHouse is
by its nature flexible and productive. The famous PowerHouse
productivity allows you to react quickly to changing business needs.
PowerHouse applications can be character based, but they can also use a
Windows GUI and Web browsers.

	Is PowerHouse competitive with the Web? You can build a web
application as fast as you can build a QUICK terminal application. The
vendors of PowerHouse alternatives conveniently fail to mention
PowerHouse's Web interface. Why is that? Perhaps they would prefer that
you not have complete information. PowerHouse Web gives you a Web
interface to your legacy applications while retaining all of the
productivity, scalability, and reliability benefits of PowerHouse.

	Is it true that the platforms that PowerHouse runs on are being
phased out? Well, one is, the HPe3000. And that was HP's decision, not
ours. But OpenVMS is not being phased out, UNIX is not, and Windows is
not. The PowerHouse world is much larger than the HPe3000. We continue
to support PowerHouse on the HPe3000. The recently released version 8.4
included the HPe3000-MPE/iX platform. And we will continue to provide
support. And that means that the HPe3000 PowerHouse customer can be
assured that there is a viable migration platform for their PowerHouse
applications when they choose to migrate.

	Why would a PowerHouse application be any more difficult to
staff and manage than anything else? Certainly you have to train your
staff. But you have to do that anyway. Maintaining PowerHouse
applications requires less staff and they're more productive. The key is
to use the best technology for the job, not necessarily the newest.
Technologies come and go. You want something that's solid and that's
proven itself.

	Character-based applications aren't necessarily more difficult
to learn. Technology won't make up for application design. But unlike
many technologies, PowerHouse gives you the option of using the
interface that's best for the application at hand. There are times when
character-based entry is most efficient and there are times when the Web
browser or a Windows GUI is best. PowerHouse gives you all three. What
else does with the same productivity?

	What would they have you replace PowerHouse with? Java or .NET.
Yes, PowerHouse is proprietary but so are .NET and Java. .NET belongs to
Microsoft and Java belongs to Sun. So don't let the proprietary argument
fool you. Does PowerHouse run on proprietary systems (MPE/iX and
OpenVMS)? Absolutely. It also runs on UNIX, a platform that is
considered open and modern. By the way, did you know that UNIX is older
than PowerHouse? And Windows is certainly not open. What platform
options do you get with the alternative? If you're on MPE/iX or OpenVMS,
can they give you a Web interface and still let you run on your existing
platform? PowerHouse can! Will they let you mix and match as needed?
PowerHouse can!

	Is the alternative really open or do you have to buy into the
vendor's solution? Does their solution require vendor-specific
libraries? If so, you're simply buying into their unproven proprietary
solution.

	PowerHouse support and maintenance pricing has not increased in
many years. When we introduced support for the A and N class HPe3000
machines, costs actually went down. We just released version 8.4 that
upgrades operating system and relational database conformance to current
levels. And we added support for new data sources - DB2, DISAM, and
Eloquence. We'll do more of that later this year. PowerHouse is not
becoming obsolete, rather the opposite is true. PowerHouse code is
cheaper to support, maintain, and enhance than the corresponding C, C++,
or Java. Why? Because there's far less source code to deal with. And
it's a 4GL. C, C++, and Java are all 3GLs with all the issues involved.
Object orientation did not solve the 3GL non-productivity problem.

	Do these migration alternatives really give you all the options?
Do they provide an option for the HPe3000 customer who is dependant on
IMAGE? PowerHouse does. Not only does PowerHouse support Marxmeier's
Eloquence on HP-UX and Windows, but it also works with other IMAGE
emulators. That's what "open" is really all about - options.

	The bottom line is that if you're migrating, you have lots of
options. Just make sure that the option you pick is actually better than
what you already have. There is no silver bullet. Determine why you are
migrating. Is your platform really obsolete? Will the latest technology
really deliver the promised benefits? Talk to the vendors and talk to
Cognos. Have them prove that they can do what they say they can do. Ask
for references and talk to those references. Find out how long the
project took and whether it really was successful.

	We have thousands of satisfied customers. We have customers who
have successfully migrated - from HPe3000 to UNIX and Windows, from
IMAGE to Eloquence, from IMAGE to relational, from character to the Web.
What do they have?

	Bob Berry, Doug Moffatt, and Bob Deskin
	on behalf of the ADT Development Team
	where developer productivity never goes out of style=20
 =20
       This message may contain privileged and/or confidential =
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<TITLE>Migrate off PowerHouse? Why?</TITLE>
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<UL>
From time to time we see postings and =
comments regarding vendors providing services for migrating off of =
PowerHouse, usually followed by a question asking why we, Cognos, don't =
respond. We do respond, but maybe it's been too subtle.

We respond every time we post regarding =
how easy it is to migrate PowerHouse from one platform to another. We =
respond when we talk about the user interface options PowerHouse =
provides. We respond when we talk about the IMAGE emulation options, =
Eloquence and others, that we provide for our migrating HPe3000 =
customers. We respond when we talk about how PowerHouse continues to =
provide productivity, scalability, and reliability. We respond when we =
talk about how legacy applications doesn't mean old but rather means =
those applications that are critical to running your business, whether =
they use a terminal interface, Windows GUI, or Web browser. Those =
applications you can't afford to be without. And we respond by =
continuing to support PowerHouse and continuing to release new =
versions.

Subtle doesn't always work. The web =
makes it easy to spread information. But is that information =
correct?&nbsp; There's only one way to determine whether something's =
correct - GET PROOF. PowerHouse has proven itself over and =
over.

We know that the people on this list =
know what PowerHouse can do and are by nature skeptical of =
marketing-type claims, whether they're made by Cognos or someone else. =
But since many of your managers may not know PowerHouse that well, let's =
look at what these web sites are saying.

<P><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">One Web page from a migration vendor =
asks &quot;What's wrong with your legacy PowerHouse Application?&quot; =
The short answer is &quot;Nothing!&quot; Here's a slightly longer =
version.</FONT></P>

Is PowerHouse quickly fading? No, =
PowerHouse is certainly not fading. In Cognos' last fiscal year, =
PowerHouse earned $29.5 million US. Is that fading? True, the computer =
for which PowerHouse was originally designed is no longer sold - the =
original HP3000 using MPE III. But PowerHouse evolved and is available =
on it's replacement, the HPe3000 using MPE/iX, as well as OpenVMS, the =
three industry-leading flavors of UNIX, and Windows NT/2000/XP. Will =
PowerHouse continue to evolve? Absolutely. A fading language doesn't =
have long-term plans. PowerHouse does. We just released version 8.4 and =
sent it to all supported customers. We will issue a maintenance release =
late this year, perhaps supporting additional platforms, and another =
release late next year.

Does PowerHouse lack flexibility and =
productivity? PowerHouse is by its nature flexible and productive. The =
famous PowerHouse productivity allows you to react quickly to changing =
business needs. PowerHouse applications can be character based, but they =
can also use a Windows GUI and Web browsers.

Is PowerHouse competitive with the Web? =
You can build a web application as fast as you can build a QUICK =
terminal application. The vendors of PowerHouse alternatives =
conveniently fail to mention PowerHouse's Web interface. Why is that? =
Perhaps they would prefer that you not have complete information. =
PowerHouse Web gives you a Web interface to your legacy applications =
while retaining all of the productivity, scalability, and reliability =
benefits of PowerHouse.

Is it true that the platforms that =
PowerHouse runs on are being phased out? Well, one is, the HPe3000. And =
that was HP's decision, not ours. But OpenVMS is not being phased out, =
UNIX is not, and Windows is not. The PowerHouse world is much larger =
than the HPe3000. We continue to support PowerHouse on the HPe3000. The =
recently released version 8.4 included the HPe3000-MPE/iX platform. And =
we will continue to provide support. And that means that the HPe3000 =
PowerHouse customer can be assured that there is a viable migration =
platform for their PowerHouse applications when they choose to =
migrate.

Why would a PowerHouse application be =
any more difficult to staff and manage than anything else? Certainly you =
have to train your staff. But you have to do that anyway. Maintaining =
PowerHouse applications requires less staff and they're more productive. =
The key is to use the best technology for the job, not necessarily the =
newest. Technologies come and go. You want something that's solid and =
that's proven itself.

Character-based applications aren't =
necessarily more difficult to learn. Technology won't make up for =
application design. But unlike many technologies, PowerHouse gives you =
the option of using the interface that's best for the application at =
hand. There are times when character-based entry is most efficient and =
there are times when the Web browser or a Windows GUI is best. =
PowerHouse gives you all three. What else does with the same =
productivity?

What would they have you replace =
PowerHouse with? Java or .NET. Yes, PowerHouse is proprietary but so are =
.NET and Java. .NET belongs to Microsoft and Java belongs to Sun. So =
don't let the proprietary argument fool you. Does PowerHouse run on =
proprietary systems (MPE/iX and OpenVMS)? Absolutely. It also runs on =
UNIX, a platform that is considered open and modern. By the way, did you =
know that UNIX is older than PowerHouse? And Windows is certainly not =
open. What platform options do you get with the alternative? If you're =
on MPE/iX or OpenVMS, can they give you a Web interface and still let =
you run on your existing platform? PowerHouse can! Will they let you mix =
and match as needed? PowerHouse can!

Is the alternative really open or do =
you have to buy into the vendor's solution? Does their solution require =
vendor-specific libraries? If so, you're simply buying into their =
unproven proprietary solution.

PowerHouse support and maintenance =
pricing has not increased in many years. When we introduced support for =
the A and N class HPe3000 machines, costs actually went down. We just =
released version 8.4 that upgrades operating system and relational =
database conformance to current levels. And we added support for new =
data sources - DB2, DISAM, and Eloquence. We'll do more of that later =
this year. PowerHouse is not becoming obsolete, rather the opposite is =
true. PowerHouse code is cheaper to support, maintain, and enhance than =
the corresponding C, C++, or Java. Why? Because there's far less source =
code to deal with. And it's a 4GL. C, C++, and Java are all 3GLs with =
all the issues involved. Object orientation did not solve the 3GL =
non-productivity problem.

Do these migration alternatives really =
give you all the options? Do they provide an option for the HPe3000 =
customer who is dependant on IMAGE? PowerHouse does. Not only does =
PowerHouse support Marxmeier's Eloquence on HP-UX and Windows, but it =
also works with other IMAGE emulators. That's what &quot;open&quot; is =
really all about - options.

The bottom line is that if you're =
migrating, you have lots of options. Just make sure that the option you =
pick is actually better than what you already have. There is no silver =
bullet. Determine why you are migrating. Is your platform really =
obsolete? Will the latest technology really deliver the promised =
benefits? Talk to the vendors and talk to Cognos. Have them prove that =
they can do what they say they can do. Ask for references and talk to =
those references. Find out how long the project took and whether it =
really was successful.

We have thousands of satisfied =
customers. We have customers who have successfully migrated - from =
HPe3000 to UNIX and Windows, from IMAGE to Eloquence, from IMAGE to =
relational, from character to the Web. What do they have?

<P><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">Bob Berry, Doug Moffatt, and Bob =
Deskin</FONT>

<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">on behalf of the ADT Development =
Team</FONT>

<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">where developer productivity never =
goes out of style</FONT>
</P>
</UL>
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<P>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<FONT FACE=3D"Arial" =
SIZE=3D"2">This message may contain privileged and/or confidential =
information.&nbsp; If you have received this e-mail in error or are not =
the intended recipient, you may not use, copy, disseminate or distribute =
it; do not open any attachments, delete it immediately from your system =
and notify the sender promptly by e-mail that you have done so.&nbsp; =
Thank you.</FONT>
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