Re: SCO Office Server et. al.

From: Boss (ken_at_keysey.net)
Date: 09/24/05 

Date: Sat, 24 Sep 2005 15:17:12 -0400

Smashcat wrote:

> Robin Grayson wrote:
>
>
>>I've got mixed feelings about pushing SCO .. part of me thinks why
>>bother, is it worth the effort, nobody seems that interested in it
>>anymore, but then the other part of me has an overwhelming urge to
>>jump on the "SCO Revival" bandwagon.
>
>
> Talk about flogging a dead horse! I'm amazed that anyone is still
> actually bothering to update any software on SCO OS'.
>
> If you really are "pushing SCO" onto customers, you should be bloodywell
> ashamed of yourself...

Mr. Smachcat. Try to see the real picture vs. the one you might read
about in PC mags.

I am a Computer consultant and have been working with SCO products since
Xenix came on 8" disks. I have running my own integration company since
1992 (worked with my father's Computer company for years before that).
We work mostly with small business.

The real picture is compatibility and stability. These are the two
words to success in the OS biz. SCO OSs have such a large installed
base. Over the years, they have created a big wave of momentum.

Many of these installs are running custom code that has been in use for
many years. Unfortunately, hardware does not have the longevity of
software. Clients need their servers upgraded every 5 years or so.
They don't "want" to do it. They have to. When they do, they don't
"want" to spend anymore than is necessary to just keep the status quo.
"Just get me running." they tell me.

When I first opened up my NFR of OSR6 and installed it, what do you
think I spent the next 2 days doing? Checking out the new cool KDE
desktop, perhaps? No. I was interested to see if they had remembered
key word one. I proceeded to install and test applications from as far
back as the early '90s-- all successfully I might add. (Except for the
annoying move from scoconsole to at386-ie emulation on the console.)

I just did my first installation. They are running an old filepro 4.5
based system that we pulled off their old 5.0.2 system. They have a
brand new server, we recabled and dumped the serial terminals and
printers for IP-based and we put in bulletproof Microlite-based backup
procedure.

This client, like nearly all SCO users I come across, is happy again.
Happy to be able to just go on doing what works for them with the least
possible expense. (They didn't even want internet access!)

Though I agree that "pushing SCO" may not be the best thing at this
particular time, there is still a very big need for their products.

I also believe that their latest actions demonstrate they too realize
that putting new product on the shelves--while leveraging off their
existing base--is the road to survival. Not the court room.

HTH,
Dan

P.S. I'm waiting for SCO Office on OSR6 too.

Relevant Pages

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