Migrate off PowerHouse? Why?

Wed, 30 Jun 2004 07:18:14 -0700

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Charles, et al
=20
We're running our custom PowerHouse-developed application on an IBM =
AS/400 (iSeries), a platform that Cognos has recently "sunsetted". (They =
haven't been doing development for the system for several years, but =
they've announced the total end of support in February of 2007.)  I see =
PowerHouse and the AS/400 as being very similar:  rock solid, bug-free, =
low down-time, efficient, low "total cost of ownership", and =
underappreciated in the marketplace.
=20
We're reluctant to drop either PowerHouse or the AS/400, but my company =
is starting to look at our options.   What's your recommendation for a =
platform for us to migrate our custom programs to?
=20
Thanks.
=20
David Morrison
McBride Electric
=20
-----Original Message-----
From: Charles Finley [mailto:cfinley@xformix.com]
Sent: Tuesday, June 29, 2004 11:58 PM
To: 'Deskin, Bob'; powerh-l@sowder.com
Subject: RE: Migrate off PowerHouse? Why?
=20
Transformix is an HP 3000 application migration and enhancements =
company.  For application enhancement, we do much of our work in the =
J2EE JAVA space. I am certainly not as dedicated to Powerhouse as many =
people on this list are.  That said, it is a simple statement of fact =
that  in our experience, migrating from Powerhouse on MPE/iX to =
Powerhouse on UNIX or Windows using an RDBMS such as DB2, Oracle or SQL =
Server is  the easiest migration of any kind we have ever done.  It is =
consierably easier than a 3GL such as COBOL to COBOL migration.  I find =
it difficult to believe that migrating Powerhouse to anything else can =
be as easy as a Powerhouse to Powerhouse migration in almost all cases.  =
(I have not seen any exceptions.)=20
=20
That is not to say that one should not explore other options.  However, =
it is my opinion that any other option will likely take more time than a =
Powerhouse to Powrehouse migration.  It seems likely that a Powerhouse =
to ______  migration will in almost all  cases cost more money (at least =
in the short term).  I beleve this is likely even if the tools in the =
target environment are "free" products.  The most expensive compnnent in =
almost all migrations is labor costs.  There is no way to escape labor =
cost when implementing even freeware.  Therefore, if one wants to =
convert Powerhouse applications to something else, the motive is likely =
to be something other than saving time or money.
=20
We therefore recommend that our customers first look at the Powerhouse =
to Powerhouse path when considering the migration of Powerhose =
applications.  The numbers speak for themselves.
=20
Charles Finley
Transformix Computer Corporation
www.xformix.com
(760)-439-3146=20
=20
-----Original Message-----
From: powerh-l-admin@lists.sowder.com =
[mailto:powerh-l-admin@lists.sowder.com] On Behalf Of Deskin, Bob
Sent: Tuesday, June 29, 2004 12:52 PM
To: powerh-l@sowder.com
Subject: Migrate off PowerHouse? Why?
>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=20
on behalf of the ADT Development Team=20
where developer productivity never goes out of style=20
=20
       This message may contain privileged and/or confidential =
information.  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.  Thank you.=20

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<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle18><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Ch=
arles,
et al<o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle18><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'><!=
[if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>

We=
&#8217;re
running our custom PowerHouse-developed application on an IBM AS/400 =
(iSeries),
a platform that Cognos has recently &#8220;sunsetted&#8221;. (They =
haven&#8217;t been doing
development for the system for several years, but they&#8217;ve =
announced the total
end of support in February of 2007.)&nbsp;
I see PowerHouse and the AS/400 as being very similar:&nbsp; rock solid, bug-free, low =
down-time, efficient,
low &#8220;total cost of ownership&#8221;, and underappreciated in the =
marketplace.<o:p></o:p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle18><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'><!=
[if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle18><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>We=
&#8217;re
reluctant to drop either PowerHouse or the AS/400, but my company is =
starting
to look at our options.<span style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; =
</span><span
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp;</span>What&#8217;s your =
recommendation for a
platform for us to migrate our custom programs =
to?<o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle18><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'><!=
[if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle18><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Th=
anks.<o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle18><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'><!=
[if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoAutoSig><!--[if supportFields]><span =
class=3DEmailStyle18><font=20
size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial'><span =
style=3D'mso-element:field-begin'></span><span=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp;</span>AUTOTEXTLIST \s &quot;E-mail=20
Signature&quot; <span =
style=3D'mso-element:field-separator'></span></span></font></span><![endi=
f]--><font
color=3Dnavy><span style=3D'color:navy'>David =
Morrison</span></font><font
color=3Dnavy><span =
style=3D'color:navy;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font></=
p>

<p class=3DMsoAutoSig><font size=3D3 color=3Dnavy face=3D"Times New =
Roman"><span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>McBride =
Electric</span></font><font
color=3Dnavy><span =
style=3D'color:navy;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font></=
p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><!--[if supportFields]><span =
class=3DEmailStyle18><font=20
size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial'><span =
style=3D'mso-element:field-end'></span></span></font></span><![endif]--><=
span
class=3DEmailStyle18><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'><![if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>

-----Original
Message----- 
From: Charles Finley
[mailto:cfinley@xformix.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, June 29, =
2004 11:58
PM 
To: 'Deskin, Bob';
powerh-l@sowder.com 
Subject: RE: Migrate off
PowerHouse? Why?

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><font size=3D3 =
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt'><![if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

Transformix is =
an HP 3000
application migration and enhancements company.&nbsp; For application
enhancement, we do much of our work in the J2EE JAVA space. I am =
certainly not
as dedicated to Powerhouse as many people on this list are.&nbsp; That =
said, it
is a simple statement of fact that&nbsp; in our experience, migrating =
from
Powerhouse on MPE/iX to Powerhouse on UNIX or Windows using an RDBMS =
such as
DB2, Oracle or SQL Server is&nbsp; the&nbsp;easiest&nbsp;migration of =
any kind
we have ever done.&nbsp; It is consierably easier than a 3GL such as =
COBOL to
COBOL migration.&nbsp; I find it difficult to believe that migrating =
Powerhouse
to anything else can be as easy as a Powerhouse to Powerhouse migration =
in
almost all cases.&nbsp; (I&nbsp;have not seen any =
exceptions.)&nbsp;<o:p></o:p><=
/p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><font size=3D3 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>&nbsp;</span></font><font
color=3Dblack><span =
style=3D'color:black;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font><=
/p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblue face=3DArial><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:blue'>That is not to =
say that
one should not explore other options.&nbsp; However, it is my opinion =
that any
other option will likely take more time than a Powerhouse to Powrehouse
migration.&nbsp; It seems likely that&nbsp;a Powerhouse to ______
&nbsp;migration will in&nbsp;almost all&nbsp;&nbsp;cases cost more money =
(at
least in the short term).&nbsp; I beleve this is likely even if the =
tools in
the target environment are &quot;free&quot; products.&nbsp; The most =
expensive
compnnent in almost all migrations is labor costs.&nbsp; There is no way =
to
escape labor cost when implementing even freeware.&nbsp; Therefore, if =
one
wants to convert Powerhouse applications to something else, the motive =
is
likely to be something other than saving time or =
money.</span></font><font
color=3Dblack><span =
style=3D'color:black;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font><=
/p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><font size=3D3 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>&nbsp;</span></font><font
color=3Dblack><span =
style=3D'color:black;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font><=
/p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblue face=3DArial><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:blue'>We therefore =
recommend
that our customers first look at the Powerhouse to Powerhouse path when
considering the migration of Powerhose applications.&nbsp; The numbers =
speak
for themselves.</span></font><font color=3Dblack><span =
style=3D'color:black;
mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><font size=3D3 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>&nbsp;</span></font><font
color=3Dblack><span =
style=3D'color:black;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font><=
/p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblue face=3DArial><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:blue'>Charles =
Finley<br>
Transformix Computer Corporation<br>
<a =
href=3D"http://www.xformix.com">www.xformix.com</a></span></font><font =
size=3D2
color=3Dblack><span style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;color:black'><br>
</span></font><font size=3D2 color=3Dblue face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial;color:blue'>(760)-439-3146 </span></font><font =
color=3Dblack><span
style=3D'color:black;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font><=
/p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><font size=3D3 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>&nbsp;</span></font><font
color=3Dblack><span =
style=3D'color:black;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font><=
/p>

-----Original
Message----- 
From: =
powerh-l-admin@lists.sowder.com
[mailto:powerh-l-admin@lists.sowder.com] On
Behalf Of Deskin, Bob 
Sent: Tuesday, June 29, =
2004 12:52
PM 
To: =
powerh-l@sowder.com 
Subject: Migrate off =
PowerHouse?
Why?<o:p></o:=
p>

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0in 4.0pt'>

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.<o:p></o:p><=
/p>

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.<o:p></o:p>

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.<o:p></o:p><=
/p>

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.<o:p></o:p><=
/p>

<p style=3D'margin-left:75.75pt;border:none;mso-border-left-alt:solid =
blue 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 0in 4.0pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>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.</span></font><font color=3Dblack><span =
style=3D'color:
black;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin-left:75.75pt;border:none;mso-border-left-alt:solid =
blue 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 0in 4.0pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>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.</span></font><font
color=3Dblack><span =
style=3D'color:black;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font><=
/p>

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.<o:p></o:p><=
/p>

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.<o:p></o:p>

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.<o:p></o:p><=
/p>

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.<o:p></o:p>

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?<o:p></o:p><=
/p>

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!<o:p></o:p>

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.<o:p></o:p><=
/p>

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.<o:p></o:p><=
/p>

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.<o:p></o:p><=
/p>

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.<o:p></o:p><=
/p>

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?<o:p></o:p><=
/p>

<p style=3D'margin-left:75.75pt;border:none;mso-border-left-alt:solid =
blue 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 0in 4.0pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>Bob
Berry, Doug Moffatt, and Bob Deskin</span></font><font =
color=3Dblack><span
style=3D'color:black'> <br>
</span></font><font size=3D2 color=3Dblack face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial;color:black'>on behalf of the ADT Development =
Team</span></font><font
color=3Dblack><span style=3D'color:black'> <br>
</span></font><font size=3D2 color=3Dblack face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial;color:black'>where developer productivity never goes =
out of
style</span></font><font color=3Dblack><span style=3D'color:black'> =
</span></font><font
color=3Dblack><span =
style=3D'color:black;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font><=
/p>

</div>

<div style=3D'border:none;border-left:solid blue 1.5pt;padding:0in 0in =
0in 4.0pt'>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:39.75pt;border:none;mso-border-left-alt:solid blue 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 0in 4.0pt'><font size=3D3 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>&nbsp;</span></font><font
color=3Dblack><span =
style=3D'color:black;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font><=
/p>

<p style=3D'margin-left:39.75pt;border:none;mso-border-left-alt:solid =
blue 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 0in 4.0pt'><font size=3D3 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbs=
p;&nbsp;</span></font><font
size=3D2 color=3Dblack face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:black'>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.</span></font><font
color=3Dblack><span style=3D'color:black'> </span></font><font =
color=3Dblack><span
style=3D'color:black;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font><=
/p>

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