From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: * X-Spam-Status: No, score=1.9 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_50,INVALID_DATE, LOTS_OF_MONEY,MSGID_SHORT autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!munnari.oz.au!cluster!metro!bunyip!brolga!ggm From: ggm@brolga.cc.uq.oz (George Michaelson) Newsgroups: aus.jokes,comp.lang.ada Subject: upgrading from ADA to ALGOL (from the gutterpress) Keywords: "What is driving us is ease of maintainability." Message-ID: <2292@bunyip.cc.uq.oz> Date: 22 Feb 90 06:34:26 GMT Sender: news@bunyip.cc.uq.oz Followup-To: aus.jokes List-Id: Abstracted without permission from the Feb 16 Australian Edition of "Computerworld" "Unisys wins big at TAB with Algol" Brisbane - Queensland's TAB [state betting organization] has returned full circle to Unisys with a multi-million dollar decision to redevelop its Algol software. The TAB last year was forced to buy a Unisys A-17 mainframe when an overly ambitious attempt to switch its systems to a DEC VAX platform running Ada went badly astray. To modernise its 10-year-old software, the TAB has again selected Unisys, this time in preference to a package put forward by the DEC-oriented Hong Kong Jockey club. ...The main production system will be streamlined and revamped but will stay in Algol because of its speed advantages in transaction processing, according to Barbara Sheffield, the TAB's executive manager for technology. ...The Algol system "suffers from what usually happens to systems with age: they become inflexible and convoluted" Sheffield said. "What is driving us is ease of maintainability." The TAB spent about $AU 9 million in 1986 to buy several DEC VAXes as an upgrade on its Burroughs B7800. -george Internet: G.Michaelson@cc.uq.oz.au Phone: +61 7 377 4079 Postal: George Michaelson, Prentice Computer Centre Queensland University, St Lucia, QLD Australia 4067.