Although you may not be planning to purchase an Itanium system tomorrow, you are most likely beginning to collect information to assess the feasibility and need for introducing Itanium based systems into your environment.
Interex and HP's Installed Base team have joined together to provide you with the critical networking and information you will need as you evolve your IT environment to Itanium with the formation of a new Special Interest Group�SIG Itanium.
Is there real world performance data available and documented Itanium success stories I can learn from?
This elite Special Interest Group will help you build a professional network and get answers to your Itanium transition questions quickly. [ This SIG will support all HP OS's running on Itanium systems including HP-UX, Linux, Windows and OpenVMS]
SIG-Itanium is a forum for the exchange of Itanium-related information. The SIG will facilitate sharing of HP's IPF (Itanium Product Family) data, as well as other members' sharing of papers and reports on Itanium. SIG information will include HP competitors' perspectives of IPF. Communication will be both technical and business-focused. Members of SIG-Itanium will receive help in answering the question "Why move to an Itanium system when my PA-RISC, IA-32 or Alpha system seems to be working fine?" Besides HP sharing Itanium information with the SIG, other SIG members will share their first-hand experience with Itanium too. This can include porting tasks as well as tools (those from HP and non-HP tools) they have used. Additionally, products that are certified on Itanium will be discussed. The SIG and HP will share and announce success stories and discuss any problem areas or shortcomings in IPF-related enterprise solution portfolios.
Two-way communication is one major purpose of the SIG, supported by
sharing information between HP and others, as well as HP's responses
to Itanium developments as they unfold. Advocacy, especially in the
area of getting HP to provide the best possible tools and solutions
to help people move to Itanium, is the second major purpose of this
SIG. Many Interex SIGs play an important role as a focus point for
customer advocacy with HP. The SIG can advocate and advise in areas
of tools and software development kits, to help ISVs and customers
with moving their homegrown applications from non-IPF platforms to
Itanium.
By delivering two-way communication and advocacy on IPF issues, this
SIG proposes to accomplish the following goals:
- communicate and bring awareness of HP's IPF programs and roadmaps
- educate the SIG members on Itanium from a technical perspective
- make our SIG voice heard by HP when there are issues that merit
HP's attention and response.
- address IPF issues and concerns, especially with respect to media
and vendor hype, in a timely and open manner.
- share best practices and success stories among HP and the SIG
- provide information to HP through surveys, and have HP summarize
such data it collects from SIG members.
Market-related goals
The relationship of this SIG to HP's customer base is important. HP
wants its customers to adopt Itanium computing platforms; at the same
time, IT departments are seeking the wisest use of their limited and
reduced budgets. SIG-Itanium can be a focal point that connects
potential IPF customers with each other and with HP.
This SIG will help HP better understand the needs of the customers
represented through their membership in SIG-Itanium, and so allow HP
to address requirements specific to this group. Sharing best
practices among early IA-64 adopters will benefit all.
From time to time, HP may share special Itanium promotional offers
with SIG members, to promote awareness of the IPF product line's
capabilities and value. Like most of the Interex SIGs, the
SIG-Itanium's primary focus will be as a technical forum. As HP and
Intel's technical choices have an impact on the growth of the IPF
market, SIG-Itanium members will advise HP on their needs in product
features, seeking to promote the acceptance of IPF through
improvement of the product line's quality and value.
