Re: HP or IBM

Well, there is a big market for hp-ux but http://www.infoworld.com/article/04/12/10/50NNhpux_1.html?OPERATING%2520SYSTEMS

This is kinda interesting:
http://www.oscarsworld.com/Reports/CIO%20Update%20Whats%20Ahead%20for%20Enterprise%20Se.htm

Of course, HP is in a management transition phase (Cringely reported something like people were skipping through the halls singing "ding-dong, the witch is dead!"), which is also a time of opportunity for go-getters. It may also mean either slow-career-death or long-term-scarcity-salary-enhancement for someone specifically tasked with oracle on hp-ux. Kinda like COBOL programming at IBM.

If you are a technically excellent DBA already, then you should put more weight towards a multiplatform environment. Customers sticking with hp-ux or aix are likely to be conservative, without much growth. Other platforms are where the growth (and potentially, shrinkage, as in the dot-bomb) is. On the other hand, concentrating on a single platform might let you get into it more in-depth.

But really, Niall nailed it, being able to work within the group is more important than anything. Unfortunately, it takes 3-6 months to figure that out.

It also depends on how old/experienced you are and what your goals are.  And as Greybeard noted, where you are (although you haven't indicated whether these are traveling jobs).

jg

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