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Re: informix market share

From: Jim Kennedy <kennedy-downwithspammersfamily_at_attbi.net>
Date: Sun, 27 Nov 2005 16:28:31 -0800
Message-ID: <6pSdnfh9AvVV0xfenZ2dnUVZ_tCdnZ2d@comcast.com>

"rkusenet" <rkusenet_at_yahoo.com> wrote in message news:2dnif.1163$wf2.60245_at_news20.bellglobal.com...
> "Bob Jones" <email_at_me.not> wrote in message
> news:RLmif.34038$6e1.27895_at_newssvr14.news.prodigy.com...
>
> > Ok, let's just talk about LUW then. The market share for Informix was
about 5% in 2004, down 1%
> > from 2003. That just doesn't make me feel any better. Keep in mind, IBM
bought Informix to
> > increase its database share on UNIX. So far I am not seeing it
happening. If Informix sales
> > continue to dwindle, customers will be forced to migrate soon.
>
> of course true. When did I ever dispute this? All I said was that 1.4% is
on
> all platforms, not on LUW.
>
> IBM did not buy Informix to increase. It bought Informix for following
reasons:-
>
> - to assuage concerns of big Informix customers like Wal-Mart. It is
strongly
> rumored that IBM bought Informix upon advise from Wal-Mart. One thing is
> sure. With IBM as its new owner, Informix can never go bankrupt, leaving
> its customer high and dry.
>
> - to bring much needed high end technology to DB2 UDB. Notice that Db2 is
> rapidly incorporating Informix technology. Like HADR. Version 9.0 of Db2,
> known as Viper is out on beta now. It has table partitioning. I am pretty
sure
> that Informix's proven and stable fragmentation technology is behind it.
>
> Until late 2004, DB2/UDB was embarrassingly deficient in features. It is a
matter
> of another one yr before it will have almost all features expected in an
enterprise
> class database.
>
> I was one of those who suspected IBM's intention back in 2001. Indeed some
> IBM employees did admit that they never wanted Informix to succeed. But
> what they saw in next few years after Apr 2001 was that Informix customers
> are fanatical about their product and the reputation is excellent. That
forced
> them to change their tactics.
> I was genuinely surprised to see the features in Informix's latest version
10.
> IBM has added lot of new exciting features. If they were interested in
killing it,
> why bother keeping Informix up-to-date. This doesn't make sense.
>
> Informix is still toast bcos of FUD. What I think is going to happen is
that
> in another 1/2 yrs DB2 will match Informix in features and performance
> and at that time many of Informix customer will migrate to DB2. Add to it
> that no one wants to learn Informix skills, the demise will be further
accelerated.
>
> Oracle has more to worry in about a year when IBM will start poaching
> Oracle customers with a version of DB2 which can stand up to Oracle,
> if not already. IBM has deep pockets and is into many things. Imagine
> when they tell customers "get a hardware from us and you will get DB2
> free. Why are u paying Oracle so much". I use to work for a giant
> consulting company till few months back and they lost out a multi million
> contract to IBM Global Services in NY. I believe my company was
> winning the bid till about the last day, when an IBM rep wrote a cheque
> of few million dollars to the customer as cash back if they buy hardware,
> software and services from IBM. Don't take it literally, but what I
mentioned
> actually happened. It was too tempting for the client to not ink the deal
with
> IBMGS.
>
> BTW given the predatory tactics of Larry Ellison, why didn't he buy
Informix
> in 2001. He would have easily killed it by now. Was that a big mistake by
> him. Is that a reason why he does not want to repeat the mistake with
> Peoplesoft and Siebel.
>
>
>
>
>
>

Rumor has it IBM picked up Informix due to potential questions about patent infringement. It was easier to give Informix to IBM than fight it. Jim Received on Sun Nov 27 2005 - 18:28:31 CST

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