DataExpress – when it comes to 2019 priorities, should we still be writing scripts to move files?

These are the best of times and well, yes, these are the best of times. From the insights we are gaining here at DataExpress, contrary to this popular saying, there really aren’t any bad times ahead. Of course we are interested in seeing HPE sell more NonStop systems, an observation which we are sure is shared by other members of the NonStop vendor community as well. Looking back on all that transpired in 2018 we can see that HPE has done a solid job of equipping all those parties working with NonStop with all the tools that will be needed to succeed with NonStop, but it still begs the question – will HPE sales teams have focus on NonStop in any meaningful way?

Looking ahead at 2019 the only real question we have is whether there will be any impact felt within the NonStop community following the news of a number of impending retirements. While it is the nature of the technology industry to cycle through personnel over time it seems that for 2019 it will be particularly noticeable as a generation of NonStop managers, including sales, that have been with HPE for a number of decades, departs the scene. We are sure HPE will do a good job plugging any holes that appear but all the same, with such a rich palate of NonStop offerings from which to choose, it is still very much about the “feet on the street,” selling NonStop.

We are hopeful, of course, that there will be little sales momentum lost during the transition to a new generation of managers but all the same, as a small vendor DataExpress sees this as the biggest challenge facing the NonStop community in 2019. We have been through similar transitions in the past – who among the NonStop community can forget the changes that took place shortly after Compaq acquired Tandem Computers – and can only hope for the best. But having said that, like many in the vendor community we will be keeping a watchful eye on all NonStop sales efforts during the first half of 2019. As for DataExpress, we see plenty of opportunities for NonStop and have been pleased to hear of more NonStop users being added to the NonStop community, but even so, there is work to be done to get the message of the new, transformed NonStop into the global marketplace.

Transformation of the NonStop unit; transformation of NonStop itself and yes, transformation in the way NonStop can be consumed continue to be topics popular among our user community. In the latest post to the DataExpress NEWS BLOG, the December 21, 2019, post DATAEXPRESS TAKES A GOOD LOOK AT NONSTOP TODAY AND CONTEMPLATES ITS PRODUCTS’ ROADMAPS MILESTONES FOR 2019 … we write about transformation. When you go to that post you will read of how we are cognizant of the central role transformation plays in HPE’s messaging to CIOs even so, what is now on offer from HPE that carries the NonStop badge is vastly different from what once anchored NonStop – you want traditional NonStop then you have the NonStop X family of systems; you want an off-the-shelf virtualized NonStop product then you have the NS2; you want to take control over your choice of hardware then you can license vNS. Options all driven by the L-Series operating system! In other words, this is more than just another aspect of the larger HPE transformation we are reading so much about, it represents a huge shift in the potential future of NonStop itself. At DataExpress we see very clearly that HPE is now putting a lot of distance between the old NonStop systems it essentially inherited from Compaq and the new world of Hybrid IT that is so important for the future of HPE. And yes, NonStop has become a player in this bigger world of Hybrid IT.

As we also noted in that December post, so much of this has been covered in posts and commentaries to numerous publications that this shouldn’t be news to any member of the NonStop community. However, and it is worth repeating, what is only now being recognized by the NonStop vendors is that with as many options as there are today, product roadmaps are becoming very complicated and definitely subject to the customers’ take up, so for now the best representation of the roadmap is a whiteboard, as we need to be flexible! And we need to be assured that the HPE investment in product extends to investment in all those charged with selling NonStop.

DataExpress has been in the NonStop marketplace a very long time and while our product may not be as well-known as other products you may read about, it anchors many NonStop users frameworks relied upon to securely move files. Perhaps another important message about transformation is simply that even as the systems we use are being transformed, the underlying business need that drives the bigger ecosystem that most of our NonStop users belong to continues to demand more information being passed along and files continue to be the preferred vehicle for ensuring information is securely moved among the many parties that make up an ecosystem. DataExpress sees no lessening in the need to move files only the potential benefits that come with lessening the human resources dedicated to expanding frameworks to better support the movement of files. Why do NonStop users continue to hand-craft scripts to perform such a critical aspect of their business when off the shelf products exist?

Perhaps the biggest news of all for 2019 for DataExpress will be the realization among the NonStop community that there are more beneficial tasks awaiting their development and operational teams than supporting managed file transfer with custom code. Yes these are looking like they will be the best of times for the NonStop community and having products to help transform your IT can only make these times even better. Should you be interested in finding out more about what DataExpress provides you can always email or call us; we would be only too happy to discuss the right way for you to deploy DataExpress to better manage the secure movement of your files to where the data is valued the most!

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