Re: RUMORS... true or false, you decide.. (fwd)

Good people; If you will permit, a few comments on the following: >=========== Forwarded Message From Edwin Winder ================ >> Date: Tue, 3 Mar 92 13:39:36 PST >> Message-Id: <9203032139.AA18014@cougar.informix> >> Subject: Re: RUMORS... true or false, you decide.. (fwd) >> >> In response to Harry Bochner's email... >> >> I am disturbed that this user finds it necessary to solicit support >> for his position based on "2nd hand information". This is not a battle >> between vendor and user with vendor trying to "come out ahead". >> Whatever changes we make in practices relative to upgrades and maintenance >> will be based on sound business principles and nothing else. >> >> I would hope that our users would want us to make prudent and responsible >> business decisions so that their investment would be better protected >> by our continued successful operation. I want responsible users. I'm not >> sure what Harry wants. At the risk of mis-interpreting Harry's comments, I'd say it's pretty clear what he was after. Like me, he bought Informix because it was a small, reliable, reasonably elegant, and economical solution to a set of problems he wanted to solve. Like me, he sat back and watched regular increases in the purchase price, new licensing structures that penalize workstation users (a 16 user license is the same price as a two user license!), "unbundling" of front and back ends that has raised the numbers further, and now what appears to be more price increases at the maintenance and upgrade end. Like me, he is now concerned that purchase and support pricing of Informix products make them indistinguishable from their (previously more expensive) competitors. He is wondering why this would happen given Informix's established reputation for providing high-quality, low-cost software. If he had wanted creeping featurism and concomittant high prices, he probably would have bought Oracle. >> >> Feel free to place this response in the same forum that Harry used for >> his alarming message. Hopefully, when we do communicate our approach to >> "Major Upgrades", it will be received on its merit and not the hype and >> emotion some would offer. I'm comfortable that our decision will be >> a "RESPONSIBLE" one and one that our valued customers will support. Please take this letter in the spirit it is intended; those of us that take the time to participate in this discussion group LIKE Informix, its products, its committment to quality and support (there is no possible way to thank Informix employees who participate in this discussion enough for their thoughts), and probably most of all, what the Informix product line has represented in the past: a product line with capabilities and prices scaled to real peoples' budgets and requirements. What frightens us is that this realistic approach to providing products seems to be disappearing, due primarily to marketing manoeuvres designed to place Informix products (pricewise, at least) more in line with their high-end competitors. Please take a moment to consider this, Mr. Winder. I may be a lone voice out here, but I really don't think so. My guess is that a lot of your existing client base bought Informix because it was the right product at the right price. Don't cut us out now. Thanks for the opportunity to air my views. Chris Hermansen Timberline Forest Inventory Consultants Voice: 1 604 733 0731 302 - 958 West 8th Avenue FAX: 1 604 733 0634 Vancouver B.C. CANADA clh@tfic.bc.ca V5Z 1E5 C'est ma facon de parler.