Doug Gwyn (VLD/VMB) <gwyn@Brl-Vld.ARPA> (02/10/85)
A related important question is, "What will be done to help those licensees of non-3B UNIX sources track AT&T UNIX developments once all non-3B systems are desupported (as was indicated will happen by one of the AT&T developers at Dallas)?" Seems the only fair treatment would be to make available upgrade sources at the standard $$ rate with the best equivalent CPU type source (3B20?) being shipped instead of the no longer supported type (VAX?). Can we get a commitment to this from AT&T or do they care about their established customers?
hart@cp1.UUCP (rod ) (02/10/85)
> A related important question is, "What will be done to help those > licensees of non-3B UNIX sources track AT&T UNIX developments once > all non-3B systems are desupported (as was indicated will happen > by one of the AT&T developers at Dallas)?" Seems the only fair > treatment would be to make available upgrade sources at the > standard $$ rate with the best equivalent CPU type source (3B20?) > being shipped instead of the no longer supported type (VAX?). > Can we get a commitment to this from AT&T or do they care about > their established customers? AT&T Technologies would love to drop support for non-3B systems, but I don't think that will happen. They still have a very large customer base (the regional Bell Operating Companies) to protect. To the best of my knowledge no BOC has jumped into the 3b bag blindly. Most of the companies have millions invested in Dec pdp-11 hardware that is self-maintained and are not interested in changing out unless it is in the best interest of their rate payers. The announcement of the Dec 11/84 is a classical example of one company cutting off another at the pass. Why should I change out my equipment and throw away 2 million dollars worth of unibus spare parts when I now have an alternative. They also know that we are committed to Unix like the mainframe types are committed to IBM. The last thing they would want to have happen is for Bellcore to support Unix for the 7 regions thereby shutting them out of their natural market. Unix and BX.25 are the glue that holds our Operations Support Network together. They know this and are not stupid enough to place the one market they clearly have a lock on up for grabs. Until the RBOC's go 3b, I don't think there is any rea- son to worry. The above is by no means an official statement, just my personal view.-- =========================================================================== Signed by: Rod Hart (WA3MEZ) Minicomputer Technical Support District Chesapeake & Potomac Tel. Co. A Bell Atlantic Company Silver Spring, Md. sabre!cp1!hart - gamma!cp1!hart - umcp-cs!cp1!hart - aplvax!cp1!hart ===========================================================================