Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!bloom-beacon!bu-cs!bzs
From: bzs@bu-cs.BU.EDU (Barry Shein)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: Re: VMS is not the evil empire
Message-ID: <20505@bu-cs.BU.EDU>
Date: 10 Mar 88 20:42:04 GMT
References: <12067@brl-adm.ARPA> <707@hdr.UUCP> <20469@bu-cs.BU.EDU> <2504@decuac.DEC.COM>
Organization: Boston U. Comp. Sci.
Lines: 37
In-reply-to: avolio@decuac.dec.com's message of 9 Mar 88 16:57:19 GMT



Fred Avolio replying to me...
>>This has been known for years as the "We can't fix it because it runs
>>Unix(Ultrix)" DEC field service standard excuse #1. ...
>>...it's just a good excuse that unfortunately
>>is accepted by their field service management.
>
>Not any more.  Ken Olsen has made it clear that we support UNIX and
>VMS equally, we fund them equally, and with the same level of
>committment.  (This in a *very* recent clarification statement on
>Digital's UNIX commitment.)

I will say in all fairness that all we as customerss can report is
historical experience and people like Fred and Ray Lanza (and Armando
Stettner) have long expressed their frustration/displeasure when they
hear stories like these and always were interested in trying to see
what can be done. Whatever changes are occurring it's certainly not
for lack of the Ultrix people trying, perhaps it's finally sinking in
(nothing like losing a couple of billion dollar contracts to focus the
mind I always say...)

Now, if they can only convince the sales people that inviting them
down to bid a Vax for running Unix is *not* an invitation to run
around trying to convince ignorant administrators that what they
*really* want is VMS, using standard FUD [Fear/Uncertainty/Doubt]
tactics [like, we won't be able to fix it...], all these things make
us hesitate to ring DEC's phone like you wouldn't believe, a simple
bid turns into a war zone when these losers start that crap (I won't
even mention some of the pitiful attempts to push DECNOT, um, DNA,
and the infamous "Grab the Network!" internal sales memos.)

We've really got to cut this issue into parts, in my experience there
are huge differences between the Ultrix folks and the *DEC/VMS HEGEMONY*.

I like the Ultrix folks, I even let them buy me dinner occasionally :-)

	-Barry Shein, Boston University