Re: Dos/Windows pricing
From: (Tony Lacy-Thompson) Subject: Informix pricing - uunet reply Dear David, Thank you so much for publishing Informix UK prices to the world. I have no doubt they will be passed on to other interested parties! I was glad we had the opportunity to discuss your points last week, though I would have preferred to discuss the issues BEFORE you made your feelings public. We are after all only a phone call away! My answers are embedded in your text... >From: uunet!cix.compulink.co.uk!lsystemsb (Langdon Systems) >Subject: Dos/Windows pricing >Date: Tue, 6 Jul 1993 10:23:34 +0000 >To: informix-list@rmy.emory.edu >X-Informix-List-Id: <news.3726> > > Just got the prices from Informix UK on Viewpoint/Hyperscript Tools >and I think they are crazy!! If anyone at Informix is reading this, >please pass it on to TPTB. > > Some examples I was given :- > > Viewpoint > ========= > > Single User Runtime : 395ukp (without I-NET PC) > 2-32 Users : 320ukp per user! (without I-NET PC) > > Hyperscript Tools > ================= > > Single User Runtime : 90ukp (without I-NET PC) > 2-32 Users : 70ukp per user. (without I-NET PC) > Single User Development : 1295ukp (includes I-NET PC, > 2-32 Users : 1040 per user! not available unbundled!!) > > Informix DBA > ============ > > Single User Development : 1195ukp > 2-32 Users : 960ukp per user. > > 1) Why are the prices per user now, when other DOS products are > priced differently. At Informix we are constantly reviewing our pricing policy, in line with technology improvements and market pressures. We are reviewing our pricing model for the future and feel that per user pricing is much fairer at the desktop level. However, rather than make changes to ALL our prices now which can take a long, long time to agree worldwide, we decided to release the new products with a per user pricing. It is quite likely that our other DOS/Windows products will move to this model in the future. > > 2) A 16 user Viewpoint Runtime costs 5120ukp, yet a 16 On-Line Development > for Netware costs only 4210ukp! How can Viewpoint, an end user runtime, > cost more? During our discussion it came to light that you haven't actually seen the ViewPoint product yet, nor know exactly what it does. I would heartily suggest that it would be a good idea to try the product before you decide how much you want to pay for it. ViewPoint is NOT a runtime. ViewPoint is an end-user tool which allows the simple, painless creation and execution of queries, forms and reports in a graphical environment with no knowledge required of the database. It does this through the use of a unique new feature which we have called the SuperView, on which there is a patent pending. By now you should have received some more detailed information on ViewPoint, if not, please contact your Informix contact. I think you will find the ViewPoint product very competitively priced against products like Microsoft Access and Gupta's Quest. However, once you have had the opportunity to see and use the ViewPoint, I think you will be saying "Hasta la vista, baby" to these poor imitators. Please don't compare the prices of servers with those of tools. It's like saying "Arnie Schwartzenegger and Michelle Pfieffer are both actors, therefore they should weigh the same." There are NO OTHER DATABASE COMPANIES that can offer such a broad range of products for such a range of Open Systems environments. Products for the standalone PC, the networked PC, client/server architectures, distributed databases, and products for accessing and co-existing with the mainframe. > > 3) Why are the other DOS products (SQL, I-NET PC) sold in a 2-16 price > bracket when the Unix class C & D machines have a 2-8 and 9-16 ranges? Partly covered by my answer to 1. above. The Unix prices went through a heavy review cycle for 1993. All DOS/Windows products will probably move to per user pricing in the future. > > 4) Is 4GL for Windows going to be priced the same way? > Buy this product as soon as you see it late September. You won't find a better 4GL on Windows for the price. For those not in the know it is straight 4.10 4GL source code, compatible with Unix, but bundled with a HOST of development goodies on Windows. It is likely to be priced on a per user basis. > Can anyone explain the rationale behind this? IMO DOS/Windows products > should be much cheaper than this and should cost less than their Unix > counterparts :- > > i.e 16 User DOS SQL Development = 3360ukp, yet a 16 User Class C Unix SQL > Development = 2340ukp, Class D = 3050ukp > And yet if you look at the runtime DOS/Windows bundle of SQL + INET PC, it works out 200 Pounds cheaper than on Class D Unix! We must be mad! > I think we will switch to Unix, its probably going to work out cheaper... > > David. David, cost is important, but not everything. What do your CUSTOMERS want? What do they want today, and what will they want in the future. I would choose the platforms you are going to SELL on, not the ones that are cheaper to develop on. I would be happy to discuss these points further with any other Informix users in the UK, and am always keen to get your feedback. I would however prefer to discuss them personally before they are aired publicly. Cheers Tony Lacy-Thompson Senior Product Manager Informix UK & Middle East Africa email: tonylt@asterix.informix.com Phone: 0784-240444 -- %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% William Daul Advanced Support INFORMIX SOFTWARE INC. 4100 Bohannon Dr. (415) 926-6488 - wk Menlo Park, CA. 94025 uunet!infmx!billd or billd@informix.com