Want a bonus or a raise? Tell your boss to keep Visual Foxpro

Most employees don't care much about the technologies but they should. Why you ask? Simple, because each time an employer buy into a new technology, the less it can give back to employees in bonus and salaries. The upside is that employees can work better and faster. Big corporation don't have the same budget restraint than smaller business. I will focus on the latter. I will show how the recent decision about Visual FoxPro (VFP) may affect small business.

Let's take a small business that just invested in a VFP application. It cost them $5000. Bob, the owner, projected to grow the application and also made a budget($1500/year) for that. But recently, Microsoft decided that VFP is not "strategic" (I disagree) and would not be making a new version. The application was started last year because Bob was not in a hurry and the programmer was doing it in her spare time and at much lower cost than the competition. Bob wanted to save money!

Now, Bob has 2 choices:

• Continue with VFP and grow the application
• Take the hit and start over the application in .NET or going open-source(Linux)

I took 10 years because applications tend to last longer by adding things to it each year. It has been my experience so far.

Choice 1: Continue with VFP and grow the application

Visual FoxPro v9.0: Best case scenario
Vista and post-Vista is not a problem with the application
$5000 + (9*1500) = $18500 invested for the application
Total cost: $18500

No Visual FoxPro v10: Worst case scenario
Vista is OK the first 5 year but must be redone because of a new OS
$5000 + (4*1500) = $11000 invested for the application(VFP v9)
$8000 + (4*1500) = $14000 invested for the application(.NET or other)
Total cost: $25000

Why $8000? Because the system has grown for 4 years and I counted 50%(4 years) because some of the features are not needed anymore.

Visual FoxPro v10: Middle case scenario:
Vista is OK the first 5 year but must be adapted because of a new OS
$5000 + (4*1500) = $11000 invested for the application(VFP v9)
$2000 + (4*1500) = $8000 invested for the application(VFP v10)
Total cost: $19000

Why $2000? Because it just need to be retested and recompiled and Bob may add some new features like the other years

Choice 2: Take the hit and start over the application in .NET or going open-source(Linux)

.NET or going open-source: Best case scenario
$5000(VFP) + $5000(redone) + (9*1500) = $23500 invested for the application
Total cost: $23500

.NET: Worst case scenario
.NET is no longer "strategic" for Microsoft in 7 years
$5000(VFP) + $5000(redone) + (6*1500) = $19000 invested for the application
$9500(redone) + (2*1500) = $12500 invested for the application
Total cost: $31500

Why $9500? Because the system has grown for 6 years and I counted 50%(6 years) because some of the features are not needed anymore. In theory, the application would last longer.

Conclusion

I did not use any third party tools because it's only a simple applications that will grow with times. Third party tools would however bring other variables and VFP v10 would be needed(maybe). I also expect that Bob may have to change the computer.

I don't have a crystal ball and know the future. If I had, I would be rich But the money saved by Bob by keeping his current Visual FoxPro application can be put in bonus or salaries. Employees like that but maybe not Bob unless he keep some for himself

So, if you just got a brand new shiny application in recent months just ask in what language it was made or refer your boss here if the scenarios above can help both of you.

One more thing: Visual FoxPro is not dead! And how many Windows 98 still running passed Microsoft end of service? Many