Oracle FAQ Your Portal to the Oracle Knowledge Grid
HOME | ASK QUESTION | ADD INFO | SEARCH | E-MAIL US
 

Home -> Community -> Usenet -> c.d.o.server -> Re: informix market share

Re: informix market share

From: Bob Jones <email_at_me.not>
Date: Mon, 28 Nov 2005 00:56:36 GMT
Message-ID: <8Bsif.27563$tV6.2276@newssvr27.news.prodigy.net>

"rkusenet" <rkusenet_at_yahoo.com> wrote in message news:ECpif.958$Et5.38022_at_news20.bellglobal.com...
> "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.
>

Doesn't that translate to improving market share?

> ** The ultimate goal is to make Db2 the only competitor to Oracle.
>

I am afraid that will never happen, especially without increasing the market share.

>> 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.
>

My earlier statement? Please quote me if anything I said even remotely suggesting that.

> 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.
>

Like I said, I have no doubt IBM is trying to keep Informix alive.

>> 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.

What makes you think other vendors cannot? After all it's money moving from IBM's pocket to theirs.

> (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.
>

I hope your hunch is right. After spending all that time and money, it would be disastrous to find out there is not much left to salvage.

>> 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.
>

Maybe he thought those products were worth the prices, and Informix evidently was not.

> 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)

For $1 billion plus the cost of maintaining and supporting another product that they already have? I suspect those 2000 engineers don't come cheap.

> - 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.
>
>

I am not sure what you meant by "real customers". Those who use packaged software are not "real customers"?
How many of those customers have IBM converted to DB2 after 5 years? Has the return justified the cost? Looking back from today, it does not appear so. Received on Sun Nov 27 2005 - 18:56:36 CST

Original text of this message

HOME | ASK QUESTION | ADD INFO | SEARCH | E-MAIL US