>I don't see how VFP has generated huge revenue in auxiliary sales to Microsoft. There have been a few postings here that say there was a Windows sale because of a VFP app, but these are far and few between and I doubt would offset the expense of VFP.
>
I've sat in on discussions about the next generation of machines in 2000 and 2004. The question of Windows as the OS was clear as in 2000 there was
Outlook
2 FPW Apps
7 Vfp Apps
(Outlook automated by 2 vfp apps)
8 Excel "Applications"
Word minimally automated
chunks of java

2004
Outlook
10 Vfp Apps
(Outlook automated by 2 vfp apps)
6 Excel Applications
much more java

and the question was if on the next release windows would still be necessary.

Currently they are rewriting in java, already 1 year behind schedule, but will not build anything new in vfp.
Rollout size: >3500 Laptops, 800 Desktop/Fileservers
This is the number of machines for the insurance agents selling only for the specific insurance company (the road warrior scenario I wrote earlier). A much higher number of machines is used internally, where the same vfp programs are also used.
Inside machines already use Lotus Notes and have MSOffice and OOffice installed. Usage mostly MSOffice.
I doubt they really want to switch to any brand of linux NOW, but they definately want be able to discuss price differences if going with that option<g> and are actively working toward that goal.

On another app sold into government usage (mostly smaller cities) the ability to run on linux is already asked about in more than 30% of all sale talks. AFAIK being windows only has not stopped any sales, but the question IS raised. If the Etecnologia vfp compiler does not appear by 2008 or is a solution making heavy changes necessary, current plans are to rewrite in either python or .Net. If the rewrite is in .Net, is is currently planned to use only those portions already working under Mono as well, so that any customer interested in linux can run on those versions supporting mono.

I have worked on the second app (add new functionality) shortly in 2005 and 2006, starting in 2007 regularly for slightly more than 1 day per week. While the app currently has varying degrees of modularity, anything new is checked to be encapsulated/layered, with active rewriting/refactoring into layered components whereever changes in the main application are needed. The company has been growing by more than 30% yearly (yes, starting from small numbers<g>). The same company offers DotnetNuke and PHP services already, they are not a "pure" vfp shop. But their main product (in vfp - which has been growing stronger than the rest!) is/will have been<g> pure windows.

No sudden landslide, but perhaps a weakening dike ? Also consider in case of the insurance company, that free agents are currently *forced* to run windows, whereas in the future either any browser or java will be enough. Holding the 90% we spoke of in another thread might grow more difficult.

regards

thomas