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Home -> Community -> Mailing Lists -> Oracle-L -> Re: the "Red Hat Database"
Jonathan Gennick wrote:
>
> I'm intrigued by the fact that Red Hat plans to derive a new database
> from PostgreSQL, name it the "Red Hat Database", and attempt to
> compete in the database marketplace. Just a couple years ago, Red Hat
> and Oracle seemed to be fairly tight. What happened to break them up?
>
> Red Hat has some good name recognition, and PostgreSQL is well
> respected. Should Oracle worry? Does Red Hat have a good chance at
> garnering some marketshare at the low end?
>
> Best regards,
>
> Jonathan Gennick
> mailto:jonathan_at_gennick.com * 906.387.1698
> http://Gennick.com * http://MichiganWaterfalls.com * http://MetalDrums.org
Jonathan,
I am very interested too. Seems to be a testing time for Oracle. Microsoft-bashing is a popular enough sport for them not too be worried about SQL Server spilling out of the MS-only world. But Red Hat, which benefits from public sympathy, could probably be a significant threat at the low end, and more so with the obvious current pressure of DB2 at the other end. Oracle do not really seem to have made up their mind about Linux, and they just happened to be, well, squeezed may be too strong a word, but assailed at both ends by avowed Linux enthusiasts. I am pretty shocked in fact by the current IBM-bashing in Oracle ads (all the more as IBM have always refrained from competitive advertising), and there is a point where aggressivity is just an expression of fear. Anyway, all they have succeeded in doing is bringing my attention anew to DB2 (which I have not practiced since 1990). It will be interesting to see whether they behave the same against Red Hat. If they do, it will mean something.
I have known a time when Oracle's foe was Ingres. Then, the first time I heard the name of Sybase was in early 1987 from the lips of Derry Kabcenell, at an internal Oracle meeting, as the answer to a question asked by a salesman 'Oracle apart, what is the best RDBMS today?'. After the System 10 flop, Oracle reigned unquestioned, vaguely annoyed by SQL Server. I find today's situation sounder.
Regards,
Stephane Faroult
Oriole Corporation
Voice: +44 (0) 7050-696-269
Fax: +44 (0) 7050-696-449
Performance Tools & Free Scripts
-- Please see the official ORACLE-L FAQ: http://www.orafaq.com -- Author: Stephane Faroult INET: sfaroult_at_oriole.com Fat City Network Services -- (858) 538-5051 FAX: (858) 538-5051 San Diego, California -- Public Internet access / Mailing Lists -------------------------------------------------------------------- To REMOVE yourself from this mailing list, send an E-Mail message to: ListGuru_at_fatcity.com (note EXACT spelling of 'ListGuru') and in the message BODY, include a line containing: UNSUB ORACLE-L (or the name of mailing list you want to be removed from). You may also send the HELP command for other information (like subscribing).Received on Tue Jun 26 2001 - 17:59:23 CDT
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