RE: Trying to decide whether to support DB2 or Oracle

HI all ,

I have been involved in Informix for the last XX years ( too many too mention ) my first introduction being 3.3 to maintain the data and using c and cisam interfaces from cobol to access the data. I started at a Medium size software house and started my own software house . I am now contracting as an Informix DBA at a large service provider for Vodafone.

I have trained many people in Informix and have always said to these people that first and foremost that you should endeavour to be a good programmer that can program in Informix 4GL and any other programming language. You should say this on your CV rather than an Informix Programmer . This should apply to any aspect of databases administration , programming and operating system support ( even hardware maintenance ) .

IBM have bought Informix. Unless I am rather naive IBM will not have done this to quash Informix. The old management philosophy of buying IBM will never get you the sack is probably coming true for Oracle (from my experience here) . I suspect that IBM will market Informix - to believe that they can convert all the existing Informix sites to IBM and DB2 is naive .

My current site is IBM and informix where the software is a mixture of packages and in house development . There main problem has been inconsistency in the development team ( high turnover of staff for whatever reason) and an evolving system following the rapidly changing business. They have made a conscious decision to stay with IBM and go to third party software that have a number of database options. They have chosen Oracle because they believe that this is the best database available ( Marketing ! ) .

I have the opportunity to preach what I practise . I will fund an Oracle course and get experience here . I am a good analyst , programmer and DBA in Informix and have the confidence to think I can be in Oracle . I am doing this for myself and not because IBM bought Informix and Informix will disappear.

Lets think positive about this . IBM may market Informix better (and consequently us) . I get positive vibes from I suspect unsolicited responses within the IBM camp but they are the soldiers and not the Generals. I also feel that the main talkers in this user group are very good DBA's ,programmers etc in Informix. From some of the basic questions asked in this user group there are also people who have been put into very tough situations in looking after Informix databases with no experience ( or even manuals ) .

We have to market Informix as well as Informix/IBM .

I apologise for my ramblings and probably not giving a decent conclusion but felt the need to ramble .

Cheers

Barry
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Joe Lumbley [SMTP:joe_at_lumbley.com]
> Sent: 02 May 2001 00:49
> To: informix-list_at_iiug.org
> Subject: Trying to decide whether to support DB2 or Oracle
>
> For those of you who don't know me, I am the author of the "Informix DBA
> Survival Guide", which is the best-selling book ever published about
> Informix, published by Informix Press and in its second edition. My
> figures
> show that approximately 25-35% of all Informix shops have a copy of my
> book.
> I've been a speaker at the last two Informix User Conferences, so there
> should no be no question that before last Tuesday, I've been 100%
> Informix.
> I dream in ESQL/C.
>
> I've had over 6000 visitors to my Informix DBA Survival Guide website in
> the last week, and many of my customers and prospective customers are
> asking
> me for guidance about where to go from here. Problem is, I'm not sure
> what
> to tell them.
>
> Now, I'm in a quandary. I believe that in the long run, Informix products
> are toast. I'm looking for good business reasons why I should support
> either DB2 or Oracle. I'm considering becoming "database agnostic, but
> that
> is a little bit "middle of the road" for my tastes. I believe that
> eventually I will either move totally to the DB2 or to the Oracle camp,
> and
> I'm having a hard time deciding which is the better move in the short and
> long terms. I believe I will probably remain database-agnostic until
> someone shows me good reasons why I should go either way.
>
> I'm cross-posting this to the Informix, DB2, and Oracle groups, not with
> the
> intention of starting a flame war or sticking a knife in anybody, but in
> the
> interest in learning more about the two camps. I'm much more interested
> today in the business side than in the technical side. If you ask me
> today,
> I'll still say Informix is the best technical choice, but I am open to
> proof.
>
> Why would it make more business sense for a consultant such as myself to
> move into either one of these two camps? I market a CRM application for
> Informix, and I think this may tend to tilt the advantage to Oracle
> because
> of their dominance in the CRM market, but I'm ready to listen to all
> sides.
>
> If anybody can give me a peek from an executive or decision-maker's
> viewpoint, that would be even better. I know we're all techies here, and
> that we don't always know what's happening in the walnut-paneled offices.
>
> Joe Lumbley
> JP Lumbley & Associates, LLC
> Dallas, Tx
>
>
>
>
>
Received on Wed May 02 2001 - 10:04:34 CEST