Re: Trying to decide whether to support DB2 or Oracle

From: <craig_mullins_at_bmc.com>
Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2001 21:07:57 GMT
Message-ID: <3b0d3b18.68465478_at_news.bmc.com>


Hi Joe:

My name is Craig Mullins and I have a copy of your excellent Informix book. You may not remember me but you actually wrote an Informix article for a publication that I managed for PLATINUM technology several years ago called PLATINUM Edge. Also, I wrote one of the more popular books on DB2 (for the mainframe) called "DB2 Developer's Guide" - now in its 4th edition (www.craigsmullins.com).

I try to be somewhat agnostic, though, having worked with SQL Server, and Sybase, as well as DB2 on the mainframe and other platforms, and a little bit of Oracle. That said, I think you can be somewhat agnostic but still focus primarily in one of the DBMS products. That is what I try to do with DB2 as my selected focus. Frankly, I am focused on DB2 because that was where my primary opportunity was as a DBA earlier in my career. But, I think there is a case to be made that DB2 is currently the place to be.

First of all, Oracle has pricing problems. In many instances they are pricing themselves out of the market. I think IBM (and Informix for that matter) have some technology advantages over Oracle in terms of the architecture of the products and the optimization technology. Also, with your extensive Informix background I would think that it would translate to IBM better as IBM eventually incorporates some of the Informix "stuff" into DB2.

On the other hand, Oracle is still the overall market leader.

You might also want to check out an article I wrote for Database Trends that will be published in early June analyzing IBM's acquisition of Informix.

Good luck on whatever choice you make!

Cheers,
Craig S. Mullins
http://www.craigsmullins.com
http://www.dbazine.com

On Tue, 1 May 2001 18:48:59 -0500, "Joe Lumbley" <joe_at_lumbley.com> wrote:

>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 Sat Jul 21 2001 - 23:07:57 CEST

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