Re: News Article: "COLLISON COURSE SET AGAINST POWERSOFT"

In article <32ev20$d46_at_dcsun4.us.oracle.com>, Kevin Mallory <kmallory_at_us.oracle.com> wrote:
>=======================================================================
>====
>SUBJECT: COLLISION COURSE SET AGAINST POWERSOFT / ORACLE VAULTS INTO
> WINDOWS MARKET
>SOURCE: CMP Publications via First! by INDIVIDUAL, Inc.
>DATE: August 10, 1994
>INDEX: [3]
>-----------------------------------------------------------------------
>----
>
> Computer Reseller News via First! -- Redwood Shores, Calif.
>
> Oracle Corp. is increasing its commitment to Windows as a development
>platform by enhancing its CDE tools line with Windows-specific functions,
>raising the competitive stakes in a volatile market.
>
> The move is an acknowledgment by the company that it needs to be a
>strong
>player in the Windows market, which has become the platform of choice for
>client/server development. Currently, most of Oracle's revenue comes from
>development from midrange platforms.
>
> But it also will put Oracle-with its forms product-on a collision
>course
>with market leader Powersoft Corp., Burlington, Mass., as the ranks in
>that
>market dwindle. KnowledgeWare Inc., Atlanta, last week agreed to be
>acquired
>by Sterling Software Inc., Woodland Hills, Calif., in a deal valued at
>$143
>million. And Oracle's talks with beleaguered database and tools developer
>Gupta Corp., Menlo Park, Calif., about a possible acquisition have cooled
>down, leaving Gupta's future uncertain. One source familiar with those
>talks
>indicated the companies could not agree on a price.
>
> Oracle's enhancements to its tools, including support for Microsoft
>Corp.'s Object Linking and Embedding 2.0 and Visual Basic custom
>controls,
>or VBXs, are in Oracle Cooperative Development Environment 2.0, which
>entered beta last week.
>
> CDE is a broad line of application development tools. CDE 2.0 is
>expected
>to be unveiled at Oracle's user conference in September and ship this
>year,
>said sources familiar with the plans.
>
> The new functions should bring CDE into the realm of other Windows
>products. Oracle, Redwood Shores, has been criticized for the low level
>of
>Windows support in the cross-platform CDE. "This is long overdue," said
>Peggy Ledvina, program director at Meta Group Inc., Reston, Va. "This is
>more 'Let's catch up to the rest of the market.' "
>
> But the enhancements also could win Oracle new business if customers
>and
>VARs concerned by the difficulties of Gupta or KnowledgeWare begin to
>evaluate Oracle tools, particularly Oracle Forms. Support for OLE, which
>is
>Microsoft's technology for swapping data between applications, will
>simplify
>the integration of Oracle databases and desktop applications, said Dale
>Lowery, principal at the Washington-based consultancy and developer
>CASEtech
>Inc.
>
> "From a desktop app, you might have some manager pulling down a range
>of
>data [from a database] and wanting to grind it through Excel or Lotus
>[1-2-
>3] and pop up some charts on the other side," Lowery said, a scenario
>made
>possible by adding OLE support.
>
> Oracle officials declined to comment on the product plans.
>
> --- By TOM SMITH
>
>[08-10-94 at 16:35 EDT, Copyright 1994, CMP Publications, Inc., File:
>c0810000.3mp]
>
> Copyright (c) 1994 by INDIVIDUAL, Inc. All rights reserved.
>
>
>
>Kevin Mallory
>Manager, Quality and Performance Programs
>Oracle Forms Development

...too bad Windows is such a poor and very unstable environment... Talk to Rich Finklestein. I would have to agree with his perspective whole heartedly. Windows/Dos is shaky environment upon which to build business critial relational database systems...even the client portion! PB Received on Fri Aug 12 1994 - 16:00:34 CEST