With HP's support of the HP3000 platform ending next year, a large number of U.S. companies find themselves at an IT crossroads. Many have already begun their migration off the platform. Others, however, have decided against migration and are determined to continue running their business on the HP3000.

There are literally thousands of companies that have invested as much as $1 million in their HP3000 servers and custom application programming in the MPE language. For a significant number of these companies, the investment required to migrate all of their data and custom applications to Windows or Linux is simply not feasible.

For those companies determined to stick with the HP3000 platform, third-party midrange service providers can pick up where HP's support leaves off. Our recent survey showed that a large majority of corporate IT managers are unaware of the existence of third-party computer service providers — so it's easy to understand why selecting such a company can seem like a daunting task.

Choosing the right third-party service company to keep HP3000 systems running smoothly can be as simple as remembering a series of keywords we call the "Five Es". When evaluating third-party service providers, remember the words expert, equipped, extensive, efficient and elastic.

Expert: To determine if the service company is truly staffed by expert professionals, ask to see their credentials. You'll want to make sure the company is comprised of former HP field engineers who have supported the platform for many years.

Equipped: It's also critical to ensure the service company is equipped with an impressive stockpile of obsolete parts for the HP3000. Inquire about the size and location of their parts depots and insist that they keep the most common failure parts — such as tape drives and hard drives — at your location.

Extensive: If your company is national in scope, you'll gain confidence if the service company you choose has an extensive, nationwide field support staff, capable of dispatching a technician to your location within four hours.

Efficient: Above all, the service contracts offered by a third-party provider must reflect the efficient nature of their business. Large, experienced third-party service providers know how to contain operating costs so their fees are about half those charged by manufacturers.

Elastic: Their contracts should also be highly elastic, customized to your individual requirements. You should have a choice of at least three different service levels, providing same-day, next-day or two-day service.

Companies choosing to continue running the HP3000 platform can secure the qualified service and support they need for years to come. And, should they decide to migrate away from HP3000 at some point in the future, they will have established a valuable professional connection to help navigate that delicate process — which can require two years or more.