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The question should not be : What platform the app was developed on? It should be : Does the app work? If the app performs all necessary functions and has the appropriate bells and whistles, then it should be used.
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Hey Ken. I am not sure you can say that so absolutely. First of all, there are so many different environments out there, different circumstances, etc. For instance, if source code is also being purchased, it might make a lot of sense for a company to prefer a product in a language they know. Second of all, "does the app work" can be defined in many ways. If the network side of an IT department has been burned by badly written apps, in language X, that clog up network resources or what have you, they might (understandably) have a negative impresssion. If I recall the original post, the data-engine was in fact one of the specified areas of concern. A VFP back-end solution might "work" according to specs, but it is not necessarily so outrageous for an IT department to prefer client-server.

I just don't think there's such an easy answer to this one. Standards can be misused, but they are not necessarily a bad thing. Pat may have some work cut out to convince them otherwise, and many folks have been trying to provide strategies, links, advice. Unfortunately, in many circumstances, "hey, it works, so what do they care what it is written in", isn't going to be enough. (Although, what the heck, maybe Pat'll get lucky and it will be the case in this one.)