Service companies line up to support 3000 hardware

Two firms with experience supporting HP 3000 hardware have pledged to provide services to customers through the next decade, as Datagate and Terix provided notice of homesteading hardware support.

Datagate Inc. said it will continue to support HP 3000 systems for at least the next 10 years. Datagate is teaming up with Beechglen for MPE/iX software support, providing a long-term solution for companies who want to continue using the HP 3000.

“With the assistance of Beechglen, Datagate can provide loyal HP 3000 users a cost-effective alternative to migrating their systems to other platforms,” said CEO Jeff Hall. “Datagate has been supporting the HP3000 system since its inception over 20 years ago, and has the necessary parts inventory needed to keep them operating at peak efficiency for many years in the future.”

“We are looking forward to spreading that security to the rest of the 3000 market,” Hall added. “There are many good reasons to migrate platforms, but loss of service should not be one of them.” Datagate has service offices in 20 cities throughout the US, along with third-party alliances to extend its coverage options to most of the country.

Beechglen Development, with over 20 years’ experience in software support, will provide operating system support. Datagate engineers will fix any hardware failures.

Santa Clara, Calif.-based national service company Terix Computer is pledging to provide choices to customers who want to extend the lives of their Series 9x7 and 9x9 servers beyond HP’s announced end-support dates. Bruce Mitchell, director of multi-vendor service for Terix, said that “as HP moves to totally abandon the MPE space and its customers, Terix is working to continue providing everything the HP 3000 customer needs. The 9x7s represent about 40 percent of the installed base of HP 3000s — upwards of 24,000 servers nationwide. We couldn’t turn our backs on these customers.”

Terix also offers on-site maintenance and MPE/iX support. Sales and marketing VP James Olding said “The choice now becomes ‘When do you, the customer, want to move off MPE and your 9x7 and 9x9 3000 systems?’ “