Important Information about mp-model, Visual
Xpress, XMSL and EMOSL
24th October 2002
Dear Xpress-MP Customer
The following letter was circulated to all
Dash customers on 7 August 2002:
Dear Xpress-MP Customer
Last November we released Xpress-Mosel
and Xpress-IVE as the next generation tools for building, solving
and deploying optimization models. These tools were developed
to replace mp-model based products, including Visual Xpress, XMSL
and EMOSL.
In the last ten months these new products
have proved themselves to be reliable and scalable. Many customers
have adopted Mosel and IVE, including Honeywell who has used them
to build their Production Scheduler product. In response to customer
demand both Xpress-Mosel
and Xpress-IVE have been
further developed with new capabilities and visualization options
making them even more powerful and easy to use. We have also released
a model translation tool, which has
proved itself effective in translating a wide range of models
– including quite complex models – with minimal user
intervention. This exercise has also demonstrated that Mosel can
be several orders of magnitude faster than mp-model in model formulation.
We want to encourage all of our customers
to switch over to Mosel and IVE and focus our development efforts
on the new technology. For this reason we are proposing to phase
out support for mp-model in the following way. Up until the end
of 2002 we are prepared to renew support contracts for mp-model
for up to one year. Existing mp-model customers can therefore
renew or top-up their support and effectively receive support
up until the end of 2003. We will also provide the translation
tool free of charge, and training and consultancy services at
our normal rates should they be required, to help you migrate
to Mosel.
Your business is very valuable to us
so we are interested in your feedback. Please send your comments
to me, to arrive before the User Meeting on 18 September 2002,
when a final decision will be made about the future of mp-model
support. And if you are interested in migrating to Mosel/IVE,
please let me know and I will arrange for one of our consultants
to contact you.
Based on the reaction from our customers
we have decided to implement these proposals as follows.
Sales Policy
- All mp-model based products (i.e., mp-model
itself, Visual Xpress, XMSL and EMOSL) are withdrawn from sale
with effect from 1 January 2003.
Support Policy
- We will continue to renew ASSC for mp-model
based products up until 31 December 2002. Customers can thus receive
the benefit of ASSC until 31 December 2003 provided that they
place an order for ASSC on or before 31 December 2002 and make
payment no later than 30 January 2003.
- No further enhancements will be made
to mp-model based products and we will henceforth not be making
these products suitable for new releases of operating systems.
- With effect from 1 January 2004 mp-model
based products will be considered as end-of-life and we will be
unable to offer any support.
Migration Policy
- We will waive the upgrade fee for mp-model
based products to the equivalent Mosel
products for all customers with paid up ASSC which includes
their mp-model based products. This will also apply to OEMs whose
customers have paid up ASSC contracts.
- The translation tool, mod2mos,
will be included in the Xpress-MP 2003 release CD and will be
made available to all customers with a valid Mosel license.
We value your business and appreciate your
support in the past. We trust you understand our reasons for taking
this action and appreciate the benefits that this new technology
will bring. We look forward to working with you in the future.
|
|
