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Users of Hewlett-Packard servers have welcomed the news
that the company may reconsider the decision to end support for the
proprietary MPE operating system.
HP had said it would end support for MPE by the end of 2006. It now
says it is re-assessing the situation and will make an announcement
in June 2004.
The Unix-based MPE (Multi-Programming Executive) operating system
was used on HP's e3000 server line until the company stopped
selling the servers last autumn.
But existing e3000 users have put pressure on HP to allow them to
use the MPE software on the HP 9000 server, the replacement for the
e3000. This would allow users to carry on using core business
applications with little modification.
Analysts estimate there are 20,000 e3000 users worldwide. MPE users
include American Airlines, Chase Manhattan Bank, Exxon Mobil and
Ford. Large companies typically use it to power reservations
systems and order processing packages.
Some users have demanded that HP make MPE open source to allow them
to develop further applications. There is also a move to develop an
emulator system to enable users to run MPE on the HP 9000 and other
hardware.
HP has said it will not make a decision on whether to make MPE open
source until the middle of 2005.
HP wrote to users earlier this month to tell them the support
situation was being reconsidered, although David Wilde, HP's e3000
business manager, has told users that even if a solution was found
to transfer MPE onto the HP 9000, it would not work on all
platforms. "Differences in firmware and various components may make
it impossible in some cases," he said.