Computing.Net - What does Open Stands for in VMS

Subject: What does Open Stands for in VMS

Original Message

Name: Hrishi
Date: December 20, 2004 at 02:41:59 Pacific
Subject: What does Open Stands for in VMS
OS: Open VMS
CPU/Ram: 256

Comment:

Hi,
Could anybody tell me what exactly "Open" Stands for in "Open VMS" ? I know what is VAX ? But What is "Open" and why it is "Open"
Thanks in advance.
Regds,
Hrishi

Regards,
Hrishi

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Response Number 1

Name: Bob Gezelter
Date: December 20, 2004 at 04:06:51 Pacific
Subject: What does Open Stands for in VMS

Reply: (edit)

Hrishi,
The "Open" refers to the number of industry standards supported by OpenVMS. The name change from VAX/VMS to OpenVMS occurred, if I recall correctly, during the reign of Version 5.5 (I will check my research notes from a book chapter that is at the publisher, and post a correction/confirmation later).
Contrary to much rumor, the "Open" does not refer to the onset of support for both VAX and Alpha hardware architectures.
- Bob Gezelter, http://www.rlgsc.com

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Response Number 2

Name: WillemGrooters
Date: January 3, 2005 at 02:03:58 Pacific
Subject: What does Open Stands for in VMS

Reply: (edit)

I recall a sales session in the mid 90's where OpenVMS and different Unixes were compared agains the then XOpen interface specs. IIRC, there were about 1580 - and VMS covered about 96% - and the missing 4% were virtually unused. The nearest Unix (and I can not remember which one it was) came to about 70% of the specs....
That justified "Open".
be aware - you see this difference in license:
OpenVMS is the platform
VMS is the OS.
Willem

Willem Grooters

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