The HP 3000 homesteaders remain where they expected to be working when we polled them in 2004, meeting challenges of support but counting on few changes. The community checked in on the OpenMPE mailing list in recent weeks. Terry Simpkins, IT Director of Measurement Specialties, said his firm is using HP 3000 systems for "general ledger, accounts payable, inventory control, purchasing, production scheduling, order entry, and invoicing. With 11 locations around the world, we have a substantial investment in its continued operation."
Simpkins, who has established manufacturing IT operations in China over the past five years, was a customer spokesman in ads for HP 3000s in the years just prior to HP's exit plans.
Zelik Schwartzman of Estee Lauder Companies said "We are actively installing SAP; however as far as the HP 3000 is concerned we anticipate this system will be around for many many years to come as we use it as our MRP engine."
Catherine Litten of Valley Presbyterian Hospital said even through another information system has replaced its 3000, "it doesn't look like the HP 3000 will be going away, as it has become our data repository for historical reporting."
Even a successful migration won't turn off a large 3000 installation. Mark Ranft of Pro 3k said that "My largest client has over 30 HP 3000 systems. Most of these are N-Classes with a few large K-Class systems tossed in. They are hard at work trying to complete their migration. The time and effort required to migrate will continue until at least 2011. After that, the systems will remain for historical purposes."
Several customers who sounded off on the OpenMPE list hailed from large installations such as Ranft's client, and they pointed to the 3000's extraordinary lifespan.
Peter Martin, the IT Operations Manager for Chubb Electronic Security Systems, said his company runs three HP 3000s "for the foreseeable future." Although all systems have HP support through 2010, Martin plans to use the independent support market to keep the 3000s running, in spite of HP's strategy.
"I think the problem is the 3000 was too good, with no built in obsolescence," he said. "That's why HP killed it — no future revenues outside of support."
