IBM has finally announced a date for the demise of its OS/2 operating system, despite preparing a consolidated release of the software in November.

An IBM spokesman said there will be no more 'fixpacks' for client software after 31 January 2001, and for servers after 31 May 2001. Updates for Workspace On Demand will cease on 31 January 2002. Support will continue in what IBM called "special-bid, fee-based service extension, and total content offering defect support for selected OS/2 products and components".

"IBM wants its customers to deploy ebusiness technology applications concurrently with existing OS/2 applications until platform neutrality has been achieved, and then change the operating system," said the spokesman.

Big Blue has repeated its commitment to the November release, but said it will be just enough to keep the operating system working.

Clive Longbottom, a senior analyst at Strategy Partners, said there are still a large number of OS/2 users, particularly in the Ministry of Defence, and various banking and manufacturing industries. "It is too expensive for IBM to provide support, and they don't want to tie up developers on a product that no one wants any more," he said.

First appeared in Network News