David Wilde, HP's e3000 business manager who was also at the conference, said the company's position on OpenMPE and the access to the source code hasn't changed. The company is still trying to determine its best course of action, he said. But Wilde did not say when a decision will be made.

Wilde said the company is open to working with one or more third parties -- which might or might not include OpenMPE -- interested in providing MPE support beyond 2008. He said HP continues to look at how to accomplish such a transfer and figure out the best business model for doing so. "We are looking at these issues actively," he said.

Foster is also head of MB Foster Associates Ltd. in Chesterville, Ontario, a partner in the HP e3000 migration program. He said he has customers who will be on the e3000 well past 2008, in part because transitions won't be completed. That's why Foster said he sees the OpenMPE effort as critical to his overall goal of customer support. Foster estimated that OpenMPE will need at least 100 customers to be able to provide its services.

Some customers said they can't remain on the system. Ken Porter, who manages the e3000 systems for the city of Houston, is migrating to HP's Itanium-based systems by year's end. After 2006, it will be impossible to get new parts for these systems, according to Porter, who added that he is worried about the future availability of critical parts.

"Every part you get is going to be some refabricated part," he said.