Dell complaints

[Uwe]

Heard this many times from Dell colleagues (current and ex) in IT and Finance area, that Dell's core ordering processing system runs Tandem mainframes (which is owned by HP), this is the scenario :

1) Dell had a PC-based order processing system back in the late-1980s, running on 16-bit code

2) Dell converted the PC to Tandem mainframe coding, but retained the same 16-bit code

3) Tandem bought out by Dell rival Compaq early-1990s, must have signed some massive non-disclosure agreement not to reveal this relationship to the public. So unofficially, Dell runs on Compaq ( bad PR & brand indeed )

4) Compaq bought out by HP early 2000?, also signed some massive non-disclosure agreement not to reveal this relationship to the public. So unofficially, Dell runs on HP !

5) Former Dell IT VP (R.Mott) able to convert 95% of IT backend code to open system platforms before his defection in Summer 2005 to none other than HP to be their CIO.

6) But the remaining 5% is still proprietary Tandem code, the core e-commerce engine. Dell can convert it, but will require strategic planning across two to three years of constant effort and resource (many of the apps tied to the Tandem are completely undocumented business processes, must reverse engineer). But Dell will not fix anything until it is completely broken, not being personally critical, just part of their corporate culture I hear

7) Some say HP must give Dell 3 years notice before terminating Tandem technology. But funny thing is that HP is always laughing to the bank... with such a proprietary contract with Dell... no matter how much profit Dell makes, HP will always get a piece of the money !

Amazing freakshow indeed !

[sickofdell]

WTF
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Have you seen my dell laptop?

http://www.tgdaily.com/picturegalleries/gallery-20060731-1.html

(ok, so it's not mine, but it's freakin cool)

[hotrodlincoln]

[paul_dellcc]

DOMS rock
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I see DELL people!!

If we don't remember our past, we can't understand our present and we can put in danger our future...

[Rocke_T_Sinetist]

[Uwe]

So.... regardless of the Tandem DOMS praise, is this statement below true or just propaganda ?

"Dell runs on HP technology"

It is true or false ? It is great that tandem rocks, if so... why all the hush hush about it from Dell about using HP owned technology ?

Is there no surperior system out there to replace the 20-year old tandem outright ? Or are we just drinking cool aid, sitt'in near the railroad tracks and just waiting for a trainwreck called DOMS to happen ?

[hotrodlincoln]

[hotrodlincoln]

[Rocke_T_Sinetist]

Thanks Linc, but I'm really just a techno-trivia junkie, fascinated by technology all my life. Our family got our first TV in 1950 and I spent as much time BEHIND it, peering through the holes in the back trying to figure out how it worked, as I did watching it.

I have to agree, a lot of the charm has gone out of technology, with the commoditization and junkification. And the livelihood has gone out of it as well. It's no longer a noble discipline of man harnessing machine, but hosebags like Rollins manipulating commodities, marketing, and victims (oops, I mean employees and customers).
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Rocke T Sinetist
as in, 'it doesn't take a...'

[will.mingo]

Dell absolutley runs on Tandem which is owned by HP, therefore Dell runs a portion of it's business critical apps on HP!!


PS when you place an order on the website for a computer what really happens in the background is that there is an email generated (used to be a paper fax) to the sales rep and then they retype the information into the DOMS system.

Dell - -All Smoke and Mirrors!!

[hotrodlincoln]

[Grissom]

hotrodlincoln>Uwe
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[hotrodlincoln]

[Uwe]

maybe he is saying we are identical twins ?

thx for the Tandem/DOMS insight, maybe a great server platform, but it is absolute marketing/global branding disaster for this info to get publically known and circulated that Dell runs on HP technology... yikes !

[StrangeFarer]