We CAN compete with Microsoft! (and Oracle, by the way...)

Hi all! I am very sad with the marketing strategy of Informix lately. Bob Finochio is saying that "We can't compete" with Microsoft and that Informix must focus on enterprise database solutions. What this means is that Informix, although is has a strong base in smaller customers, is looking only at the big ones. Instead of competing also with Microsoft, weak as it is in solid solutions, it's looking to fight only with Oracle and DB2! I'm an Informix developper for 14 years now and I really think that Informix engines are better than Oracle. But it's easier to beat Microsoft than Oracle in the database market, wouldn't you say? Why leave the smaller database market to Microsoft? Microsoft will not have a good/solid database solution in the next few years because of a simple factor: it's not in their company culture to build solid, reliable, dependable software. They prefer the do-it-all vaporware way! So, why are you frightened by their marketing noise? It's true that many companies will enter the database technology through SQL-Server. But have you been running NT with "it" lately? It suks! Noone in their right mind will base their business critical systems on those! Yet, this kind of databases may not be enterprise-level as you call it! Where should they go when they realize they need a REAL database engine? So, Informix, you shouldn't lower your arms against Microsoft. There are millions of smaller companies that need good database solutions and should not be abandoned to them. Of course, don't let the high end systems run away either... Fernando -- Fernando Fernandez http://www.despodata.pt/ddata/pessoal/ferdez.htm