4GL v6, v7 lifecycle

Here is the latest, unofficial, information on the 4GL lifecycle plan. This note is in advance of the formal product release of 4GL 7.2, and is subject to some change. 4GL version 6.0x will NOT move to category 4 by July 1998. It will move to category 3 as of January 1998. The category 4 date is changed to June 1999. (At the turn of the century all customers should be on the Y2K-compliant version.) This means that 4GL version 6.0 will be for sale until the turn of the century. The product lifecycle chart on the web page was updated with incorrect information, and will be updated within the next two weeks. 4GL ver 7.20 is the update that customers may be familiar with as the planned version 6.1. It will include Y2K support, bug fixes, and new features. This version should be available on first-tier platforms by the end of the first quarter 1998, and on all platforms by the second quarter. Informix is committed to selling and supporting 4GL (including version 6.0) for as long as it remains an active, viable product. Product management is listening to customer opinions as expressed in comp.databases.informix, the sales force, and the IIUG. An explanation of the product lifecycle categories can be found at the TechInfo site (with a support contract and enrollment) at http://www.informix.com/informix/services/ilink/plc/plclist.htm . For customers who are not in this program I have included a summary below: Lifecycle Category 1 : Full Enhancement An enhancement release, including new features and defect fixes, is planned, at minimum, within the next year. Customer feature requests will be considered and prioritized for inclusion into this product. Product is for sale. Standard service programs can be initiated. Lifecycle Category 2 : Full Maintenance Maintenance-only releases, including defect fixes, are scheduled within the next year. Customer feature requests will be considered for inclusion into this product's successor within the product family. Product is for sale. Standard support programs can be initiated. Lifecycle Category 3 : Limited Maintenance No enhancement or maintenance releases are scheduled. Customer feature requests are not accepted. Defect fixes are limited to level one and two defects and are available only via interim releases. Product is for sale. Standard service programs can be initiated. Lifecycle Category 4 : Time and Materials Plan No enhancement or maintenance releases are scheduled. Product is no longer for sale. Any technical support, including defect fixes, is only available on a time and materials basis, at the discretion of Informix. ___________________________________________________________ Clem Akins (aka clem@informix.com) Informix Software, Inc (Standard disclaimers apply) International Technical Support Last seen: Poring over 7.3 class notes in Menlo Park.