Re: informix market share

"Bob Jones" <email_at_me.not> wrote

> If not to improve the market share of its databases, what do you think the ultimate goal of
> these 2 actions are? In fact, I could care less about what IBM's real motive was, the only thing
> matters is the bottom line outcome.

• The ultimate goal is to get Informix customer as DB2.
• The ultimate goal is to make Db2 the only competitor to Oracle.

> I don't think IBM wants to kill it quickly. Quite the contrary, they want to give it
> life-support for as long as possible.

The above statement contradicts your earlier statement that IBM wants to kill it.

To be frank, I am yet to hear a convincing argument on why IBM released ver 10 of Informix. I think in the last 5 yrs or so, this is the most significant release. Lack of a convincing reason is forcing me to give benefit of doubt to IBM for the first time since they bought Informix. May be IBM is really interested in keeping informix alive, at least till they bring DB2 upto the standard of Informix.

> Yes, but they could migrate to other databases as well.

Well it could not be for two reasons:-

(a) IBM may give them excellent 'moving' allowance. After all it is money moving from one pocket to other. (b) IBM may make the transition easier. I have a hunch (though nothing to prove) that majority of informix customer use in-house package, or custom developed package. If they are using ESQL-C, Informix 4GL then it is not easy to move to other databases. IBM is slowing making DB2 and Informix compatible from application language point of view. Already they have released ESQL/C which is same for both DB2 and Informix (someone can correct me). It won't be long before 4GL is ported to Db2.

> Why do you think Oracle would want to buy Informix and then kill it? It would not have done any
> good.

Yeah right. I guess LarryE loves Mysql so much that he bought InnoDB recently. And what about Peoplesoft and Siebel.

By buying Informix, Oracle would have achieved the following:-

• Deny IBM the ability to fast track development of DB2 (there is no question that DB2 folks are benefiting from 2000 odd engineers of Informix who are rapidly bringing Db2 upto speed)
• Almost ensure that all Informix customers will migrate to Oracle. It must be frustrating to Oracle that nearly 5 yrs after IBM bought, they are not able to switch the real customers of Informix to Oracle. What I believe is that packaged software customers of Informix (that is those using SAP,Peoplesoft) are migrating fast to oracle, bcos it is easy. But they are not able to do so for shops that run their mission critical applications on Informix. Walmart, Sears, HomeDepot,Walgreens,Eckerd,Longs and many more. If Oracle had bought Informix, they would have got even those customers without much problem.