Re: ORACLE'S FUTURE?

In article <1d.5784.2378.0NEE025D_at_synapse.org>, doug.hewko_at_synapse.org (Doug Hewko) writes:

: Is the role of ORACLE as a tool for database development expanding
 or :
: decreasing? I was informed by what I consider an authority on the
: subject (a senior consultant in the data modelling division of the
: Department of National Defence) that DB2 is the database program to
 

: learn. So I am wondering if every ORACLE program will be converted
 to
: DB2 or some other database program in the future? (I realize it
 won't
: happen over night, but conversion techniques do exist.)

Perhaps the real question is not who will dominate the world marketplace, but who will dominate the market in which you work. As a consultant, I have spoken to a number of senior MIS managers who have widely differing opinions. There are some who have sworn for years to their bosses that mainframes and DB2 were the way to go. They bet millions of dollars on that decision and they CANNOT back down now. Of course, there are managers who openly look at systems and who pick what is right for their company (and there are those who got their jobs because the dinosaurs could not produce results).

When picking a package to learn, I'd talk to (several) people in your chosen business area or look in the local paper want ads to see what companies are asking for. If, as in the case of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, you find a large number of ads begging for Oracle, Sybase and Powerbuilder, go with the flow. If your work is for the US government, seriously consider becoming proficient in Unix and tools that are popular under Unix. If you are in a company where there is no chance that they will consider anything other than IBM products for the next several decades, then DB2 may be the best choice.

Best of luck. Received on Thu May 19 1994 - 01:54:02 CEST