Compaq puts spin on AIX Monterey drop

From: unix competitive
Sent: Friday, August 17, 2001 1:11 PM
Subject: IBM drops AIX 5L in Intel

This e-mail is COMPAQ CONFIDENTIAL -- for INTERNAL use of Compaq and Compaq Business Partners only. It should not be forwarded to customers. However, the information within the e-mail can be used to create your own customer deliverables unless they are marked "Confidential."

ABSTRACT: According to Unigram.X, IBM has officially shelved its project to bring AIX 5L onto Intel's 64-bit architecture. Originally called "Monterey," the project brought together SCO and Sequent to build a platform that was touted as the future of UNIX. But the Linux movement was too strong, negating demand for AIX on Intel, according to IBM. The port of AIX to Intel is now complete and runs well, but may never see the light of day commercially. Don't expect IBM to throw out all of that good work. You should never say "never." Information is sketchy at this time, but we do provide you with key points and some ways to spin this positively for Compaq.

Key Points:
* IBM is not planning to productize AIX 5L on Itanium
* The port is complete now
* Customers can get the software and run it, but IBM will not support it
* IBM feels that AIX no longer had a chance to be the predominate (sic) operating system on Intel. Linux and Windows are now their picks for that spot.
* IBM refuses to do demand generation for AIX on Intel
* AIX 5L will still remain on the Power architecture
* IBM feels the Power architecture will give them more opportunity to differentiate their UNIX solutions.
* This move simplifies IBM's platform architectures and marketing. AIX and OS/400 will be on Power, and Linux plus Windows will be on Intel.
* IBM has made a tremendous investment in the Power architecture in the last few years. Power4 is due to be announced in September and will ship in volume by December. This move allows IBM to refocus their enterprise marketing on a single architecture that is owned by IBM.
* IBM must protect its investment in the Power architecture. They will tout Power as a great chip, much better than IPF for at least the next 5 years.
* IBM was planning to use the Sequent NUMA technology on the Intel platform to form big NUMA clusters. Now it appears as if they are deploying NUMA on Power4-based Regatta instead.
* This move gives IBM the option of 'recommitting' to IPF should IPF become the predominate platform the enterprise.

Compaq Spin:
The following are some ideas you may want to use when you position this move with your customers.

* IBM did not want to compete with high volume Intel platform reseller Compaq for UNIX on Intel. When Compaq committed to port Tru64 UNIX to IPF, IBM felt it was too much competition for the platform and dropped out.

* This move was forced by AIX ISV's who told IBM they would support either Power or Intel, but not both.

* IBM was not able to recruit any additional OEMs for AIX on Intel. Only Sequent and SCO joined. IBM ended up buying Sequent and SCO was bought by Caldera, essentially dissolving the alliance.

* IBM does not have a good track record of laying out a strategy and sticking with it. IBM programs typically last two years or less before the strategy changes. This makes it difficult for IBM's customers to plan long-term.

* With IBM decommitting AIX on Intel and HP's UNIX business fading fast, events are coming together to make Compaq's Tru64 UNIX the future leader for UNIX on Intel.

* Compaq welcomes IBM's Intel platform customers who were 'dropped' by this move. µ

See Also
IBM Regatta server roadmaps emerge