HP had planned to end e3000 support in December 2006. But in an announcement Tuesday, the company said it is extending the deadline after recognizing 'that some companies may need to run their e3000s after HP's current end-of-support date due to business constraints, transition timelines, or to retain access to data for archive or regulatory reasons.'

As part of the announcement, HP said it is holding off until 2008 any decision about whether to release the e3000 operating system, MPE, as open source code.

Through an organization set up four years ago, OpenMPE Inc., users asked HP for access to the source code so they could provide ongoing maintenance, patches and updates. HP had earlier said it was considering turning over the source code to OpenMPE or some other third party, but Tuesday's announcement puts that decision off for three years.

David Wilde, HP e3000 business manager, said Tuesday that the company has worked to keep the system updated and said it will continue to provide critical patches and monitor customer needs. The decision 'is another demonstration of HP continuing to be dedicated and focused on meeting the needs of our installed customer base,' he said.

In previous interviews, some e3000 users have said that they were worried that HP was losing its ability, in terms of its own in-house e3000 expertise, to provide that support in advance of 2006 deadline. But Jim Murphy, HP's director of nonstop and business critical services, said Tuesday's announcement came after the company assessed its e3000 resources and parts and ability to deliver rapid support. The company feels 'very confident that we are in good shape with our e3000 expertise around the world,' he said.