“Sources close to Hewlett-Packard are indicating that there is a
debate raging there as to whether it should adopt Linux and extend
the range of the OS at the high end. The proposition is simply
this: at the moment Linux lacks a number of scalability functions.
It scales in the sense that it has been implemented on
configurations with 32 nodes and more, but such implementations are
far from fully tailored and tuned. The question then is; who is
going to step forward and try and fill this gap and, more
importantly, will it be Hewlett-Packard?”
“Someone will step into this space because logic suggests that
it could be very rewarding. … Versions of Unix are vanishing or
becoming sidelined to the point where soon the only major versions
will be AIX, Solaris and HP-UX. But we cannot imagine IBM dropping
Aix or Sun dropping Solaris.
If Hewlett-Packard jumps out of the ring, ditching HP-UX for the
Linux bandwagon then it leaves only two. But will it dare and
will it be a profitable move if it does? Our expectation is that it
will, and it will.”