Actually, for the longest time the nickname has been HP-TLX (as in Trusted Linux), some have shortened it to HP-LX, and there has been a campaign lately to force people to use the full name HP's Secure Operating System Software for Linux. It is anyone's guess as to which name will stick in the long run.
"As a very happy former HP employee (voluntarily former)" You forgot to mention disgruntled.
As a current HP employee I would tell you that the quality of it's products all depends on the origin from within HP. HP is highly comparmentalized, and many of the things this poster comments about can be characterized as semi-accurate in certain circumstances. However, HP-LX comes out of the Virtual Vault Group, the guys who have been making the security software that is used by a number of major Banks for online banking and the like. It uses much of the same mindset and the same technology, so if it's crap...then I would suggest you abandone your online banking. It might very well be powered by HP.
As far as HP contributing to the Open Source community. Like any other company, HP is driven by the all-mighty dollar (many times without a conscience), so they're going to do what they think will make them a decent buck. Right now, upper management thinks that Linux products and services will make them a decent buck, which is deffinately beneficial to the open source community whether their motives are pure or not.
A number of "BIG" support companies are starting to offer Enterprise level support for Linux now. Companies like Hewlett Packard offer the same level of support that they do for HP-UX and Windows... They have developers at the back end of things available to make fixes as well. The only issues are that #1 it is just as expensive as all other OS support agreements for the Enterprise level, and #2 They are still building up their internal infrastructure to provide this support, so in these initial stages things do not always run as smoothly as they should. Still, if an Enterprise wants someone to point their finger at and hold responsible, this is the way to go.
I work for a major computer corporation. Most of these workers being brought in on the H1B are being brought in as temps, because it is cheaper than highering full-time employees. Qualified workers are being turned away because they want stable employment, not a temp position, and employers don't want to pay for it. From what I have seen these H1B's are little more than a way for corporate America to bypass its citizens and go for cheap foreign labor.
All of these workers knew that their visas were only 6 years long, so what is the big deal. They agreed to come under those terms, now they say its unfair? They knew what they were getting into from the beginning.
Finally, I work with many of these individuals. For the ones that corporations want to keep, the corporations have hired lawyers and arranged for them to get green cards already a couple of years ago, so obviously the ones who did not have this happen for them simply did not make the cut.
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Actually, for the longest time the nickname has been HP-TLX (as in Trusted Linux), some have shortened it to HP-LX, and there has been a campaign lately to force people to use the full name HP's Secure Operating System Software for Linux. It is anyone's guess as to which name will stick in the long run.
"As a very happy former HP employee (voluntarily former)" You forgot to mention disgruntled.
As a current HP employee I would tell you that the quality of it's products all depends on the origin from within HP. HP is highly comparmentalized, and many of the things this poster comments about can be characterized as semi-accurate in certain circumstances. However, HP-LX comes out of the Virtual Vault Group, the guys who have been making the security software that is used by a number of major Banks for online banking and the like. It uses much of the same mindset and the same technology, so if it's crap...then I would suggest you abandone your online banking. It might very well be powered by HP.
As far as HP contributing to the Open Source community. Like any other company, HP is driven by the all-mighty dollar (many times without a conscience), so they're going to do what they think will make them a decent buck. Right now, upper management thinks that Linux products and services will make them a decent buck, which is deffinately beneficial to the open source community whether their motives are pure or not.
A number of "BIG" support companies are starting to offer Enterprise level support for Linux now. Companies like Hewlett Packard offer the same level of support that they do for HP-UX and Windows... They have developers at the back end of things available to make fixes as well. The only issues are that #1 it is just as expensive as all other OS support agreements for the Enterprise level, and #2 They are still building up their internal infrastructure to provide this support, so in these initial stages things do not always run as smoothly as they should. Still, if an Enterprise wants someone to point their finger at and hold responsible, this is the way to go.
I work for a major computer corporation. Most of these workers being brought in on the H1B are being brought in as temps, because it is cheaper than highering full-time employees. Qualified workers are being turned away because they want stable employment, not a temp position, and employers don't want to pay for it. From what I have seen these H1B's are little more than a way for corporate America to bypass its citizens and go for cheap foreign labor. All of these workers knew that their visas were only 6 years long, so what is the big deal. They agreed to come under those terms, now they say its unfair? They knew what they were getting into from the beginning. Finally, I work with many of these individuals. For the ones that corporations want to keep, the corporations have hired lawyers and arranged for them to get green cards already a couple of years ago, so obviously the ones who did not have this happen for them simply did not make the cut.