Must Read: Mint 15: Today's best Linux desktop (Review)

Topic: Intel

Oracle on Intel Itanium: HP misleading customers

Summary: HP said Oracle was putting customers at risk for dropping Itanium support. Oracle said just the opposite is true.

Larry Dignan

By for Between the Lines |

Oracle issued another statement in the war of words over the future of Intel's Itanium chip.

In this installment of the Itanium saga, Oracle responds to HP's response about Larry Ellison & Co. dropping support for Itanium, a chip for HP-UX Unix machines.

HP on Wednesday said that Oracle was putting customers at risk for dropping Itanium support. Oracle differs. Also see: Time for the decoder ring: Oracle ends Itanium support, ruckus ensues

In a statement, Oracle said:

Oracle has an obligation to give our customers adequate advanced notice when Oracle discontinues development on any software product or hardware platform so our customers have the information they need to plan and manage their businesses. HP is well aware that Intel's future direction is focused on X86 and that plans to replace Itanium with X86 are already in place. HP is knowingly withholding this information from our joint Itanium customers. While new versions of Oracle software will not run on Itanium, we will support existing Oracle/Itanium customers on existing Oracle products. In fact, Oracle is the last of the major software companies to stop development on Itanium.

Topics: Intel, Hardware, Hewlett-Packard, Oracle, Processors

Kick off your day with ZDNet's daily email newsletter. It's the freshest tech news and opinion, served hot. Get it.

Talkback

9 comments
Log in or register to join the discussion

  • Not just for Unix.....

    The HP Itanium systems also run good ol' VMS.
    Lesaar
    Reply Vote

    • I am sure that someone could get CP/M running on it

      @Lesaar ...but that doesn't make it a more viable platform for the future.
      balsover
      Reply Vote

  • RISCy business

    My spies tell me that Oracle's future direction is focused on software. SPARC is a low-volume also-ran in RISC space; within a few years, chips based on the ARM architecture will be outperforming SPARC in both performance and price. Wise customers will plan accordingly.
    Robert Hahn
    Reply Vote

    • Yes both are dead ends. Unfortuantely for hp oracle has intel as a

      collaborating source. Oracle probably wont admit their plans to kill sparc for a couple more years, long after this is forgotten...
      Johnny Vegas
      Reply Vote

  • RE: Oracle on Intel Itanium: HP misleading customers

    This is what happens when two uber egos (Ellison & Hurd) join forces and misbehave. For Hurd's part, this is simply pouting about being dismissed for his arrogance. Prior to his dismissal, he was about to demand 100M for his next contract. Point in fact is that Hurd?s dismissal (wait, some of you still believe he resigned?) from HP had very little to do with his illicit wick dipping with a bimbo, she simply served as the catalyst the board needed for ridding themselves of the egomaniac. So to that point, we can say that Hurd got what he was after from her at least twice. Expensive, but he got it. As for Ellison, this is simply another of Larry?s tirades in his quest to rule the world, and feed his ever expanding appetite for self aggrandizing. Proof once again that money does not make a man. My God boys, will you ever grow up and be responsible adults?
    ShesAllOverIT
    Reply Vote

  • Egos not withstanding Ellison is simply stating the obvious on this topic

    Most every other major vendor wrote off the Itanium a long time ago.
    balsover
    Reply Vote

    • It's not that obvious

      @balsover - So Oracle says Microsoft and Red Hat have abandoned Itanium, proving it's a dead platform. And what are Microsoft and Red Hat doing on SPARC these days? By this logic, Oracle should just write off their hardware business as a loss and shut it down.<br><br>Even if Itanium is effectively HP-proprietary in all but name, so what? It still commands significant high-end Unix server market share, behind only POWER at this point. Oracle saying that they're pulling the plug on Itanium because it's doomed is little more than an attempt at self-fulfilling prophecy. Or perhaps wishful thinking.
      oracleif
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Oracle on Intel Itanium: HP misleading customers

        @oracleif

        They are both dead... they are snarking at each other for the shrinking x64 pie. It may be just a question of which goes first SPARC or Itanium without Oracle.

        IBM has to be laughing their a$$ off... since the obvious answer to both platforms is migrate to DB2/Linux or DB2/AIX.

        1st... it's not like Oracle isn't doing what MS and RedHat have already done. The facts are, is that Itanium has been rumored to be going away for several years.

        2nd... It's not like Ultrasparc is in any better position... With Oracle/Sun down to 5.5% of the market share, people have been questioning IT'S long term viability, too.

        3rd... HP's response to what to do with their existing Oracle / HP_UX customer environment is laughable...

        http://h30507.www3.hp.com/t5/Mission-Critical-Computing-Blog/FAQs-from-HP-on-the-Oracle-Itanium-Announcement/ba-p/89977

        Their answers are one of the following, repeated several times:
        We passed Sun/Oracle as the #2 UNIX
        We have 140,000 Oracle/HP_ux customers
        We are commited to 10 years of Itanium
        Ask Oracle...
        We need to ask senior HP management...

        I don't find any of these answers as reassuring to an Oracle/HP_UX/Itanium shop on what direction to go in.
        scotth_z
        Reply Vote

  • dsfsdf

    Giveaway Material http://www.chinawholesaletown.com/wholesale-Portfolio/ Poncho Raincoat Ice Bottle
    Badge Reel http://www.chinawholesaletown.com/wholesale-Digital-Money-Bank/ Car Mini Refrigerator Car Mini Refrigerator
    Wholesale Raincoat http://www.chinawholesaletown.com/wholesale-Bottle-Opener-Keychain/ Water Bottle Beach Towel
    Cake Towel http://www.chinawholesaletown.com/wholesale-Digital-Spoon-Scale/ Wholesale Memory Card Wholesale Calculator
    Pen Holder http://www.chinawholesaletown.com/wholesale-Clip-Dispenser/ Name Card Holder Frosty Beer Mug
    Wholesale Bangle http://www.chinawholesaletown.com/wholesale-Stapless-Stapler/ Money Clip Lady Beauty Care
    Wholesale Cooler http://www.chinawholesaletown.com/wholesale-Car-Spare-Wheel-Cover/ Wholesale Socks Pen Holder
    Wholesale Massager http://www.chinawholesaletown.com/wholesale-Foam--Hand/ Personal Safety Products Hair Products
    Bottle Holder http://www.chinawholesaletown.com/wholesale-LED-Flashing-Cap/ China Wholesale Crystal Gifts
    Wholesale Fan http://www.chinawholesaletown.com/wholesale-Ring-Opener/ Corner Flag Wholesale Binoculars
    Wholesale Ruler http://www.chinawholesaletown.com/wholesale-Electric-Heating-Mugs/ Wholesale Scissors Wholesale Frisbee
    Wholesale Hardware Tools http://www.chinawholesaletown.com/wholesale-Training-Clicker-Whistle/ Wholesale Compass Wholesale Lighter
    Wholesale Album http://www.chinawholesaletown.com/wholesale-Lunch-Box/ Wholesale Waterproof Case Bottle Opener
    Muslim Products http://www.chinawholesaletown.com/wholesale-CD-Cleaner/ Glass Rimmers Wholesale Cup
    Wholesale Badge http://www.chinawholesaletown.com/wholesale-Stethoscope-ID-Tag---Opaque_66398/ Wholesale Clothes Rack Wholesale Flashlight
    Wholesale Vase http://www.chinawholesaletown.com/wholesale-Desk-Calendars/ Wholesale Kitchenware Wholesale Furniture
    Vibram Five Finger Shoe http://www.chinawholesaletown.com/wholesale-Home-Team-Handz-Sports-Gloves-Clapper_108983/ Wholesale Mobile Phone Eye Mask
    Wholesale Socks http://www.chinawholesaletown.com/wholesale-Hand-Sanitizer/ Wholesale Keychain Health Care Products
    Tire Tote http://www.chinawholesaletown.com/wholesale-Magnifier-Ruler/ Beauty Equipment Wholesale Tag
    Wholesale Toys http://www.chinawholesaletown.com/wholesale-Silicone-Wallet/ Money Bank Wholesale Accessories
    Pet Waste Bag Dispenser http://www.chinawholesaletown.com/wholesale-Golf-Pouches-and-Bags/ Giveaway Material Silicone Products
    Cleaner Products http://www.chinawholesaletown.com/wholesale-Bag-Clip/ Wholesale Calendar Pet Waste Bag Dispenser
    Wholesale Keychain http://www.chinawholesaletown.com/wholesale-Fruitpick/ Wholesale Glass Wholesale Camera
    Water Filter Bottle http://www.chinawholesaletown.com/wholesale-Survival-Card/ Digital Spoon Scale Glass Rimmers
    Bottle Opener http://www.chinawholesaletown.com/wholesale-Pet-Poo-Pick-Bag/ Advertising Material Wine Bottle Cove
    Wholesale Stapler http://www.chinawholesaletown.com/wholesale-Cooler-Bag/ Wholesale Mouse Wholesale Scarf
    Digital Spoon Scale http://www.chinawholesaletown.com/wholesale-Referee-Ring-Whistle_116906/ Garden Decorations Wholesale Tableware
    jywhy888
    Reply Vote
CNET Join | Log In | Privacy | Cookies Close