Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!helios.ee.lbl.gov!pasteur!ucbvax!INDYVAX.BITNET!IMHW400
From: IMHW400@INDYVAX.BITNET
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
Subject: Re:  Press Release
Message-ID: <8807071508.AA22868@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Date: 5 Jul 88 13:32:00 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 45

>From:         "Anthony A. Datri" 
>If DEC really wanted to exist peacefully in a multivendor, ethernet
>environment, they'd at least supply a TCP/IP product for VMS, as well
>as a termcap.

DEC *does* supply TCP/IP for VMS:  they remarket both Wollongong's WINS
and Network Research's FUSION.  If you are willing to admit Ultrix systems
as well, DEC currently sells *three* different TCP/IP packages.

Why don't they come up with their own?  My guess is twofold:

1)      They need to have all of their network wizards working on DECnet
        Phase V, to provide VMS with the complete OSI protocol stack (as
        complete as the stack of standards, anyway).

2)      I am guessing that DEC sees TCP/IP becoming a niche market as OSI
        phases in across the industry, a small market that they'd rather
        leave to others with more experience and existing investment.
        ARPANET/MILNET, for example, is going to have to move to the OSI
        stack unless they can invoke some kind of escape clause to evade
        GOSIP, and I imagine that the rest of the Internet will follow.
        I imagine that most TCP/IP vendors are quietly working out a plan
        to move their products to the OSI stack, and eventually phase out
        TCP/IP (maybe maintaining the popular user interfaces, with support
        from the new protocol services).  Why spend all that money on a
        product for which you expect steadily DEcreasing sales?

Note 1:  I don't work for DEC, I don't have access to their unannounced
policies, and my crystal ball is often cloudy.

Note 2:  Flames on the subject of TCP/IP's useful lifetime, merits relative
to the OSI stack, and other such religious issues should be directed to
me personally; I don't want to stir up another holy war.

********

As for termcap, it is available as part of DEC/Shell, which is a handy gadget
in a number of ways.  Also, look at the SMG$ stuff for a VMS-native
equivalent.

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