Re: Informix left standing
On Wed, 25 Feb 1998 14:55:08 GMT, John Carlson <carlson1@bellsouth.net> wrote: >Came across an interesting article: > >http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/content/inwk/0505/283889.html > > >Oracle and Sybase are integrating tools and apps into their marketing >strategy. Informix is focusing on the database itself without tools or >apps. If you're looking for 'one-stop shopping', would you consider >Informix? You could buy Symantec Visual Cafe from Informix for developing Java applications and would get a 'one-stop shopping' solution with the benefit of best of breed (or at least almost) for the development tool as well. Remember Java isn't only good for Web/Internet/Intranet applications but is among the best (possibly the best) development tool for general bussiness applications as well. Even though Visual Cafe may not have the main focus of attention from Informix, reselling it is a much better strategy than trying to compete in a bussiness that's overflowing with excelent tools at low prices. The NewEra flop shows how hard it is and it's very likely that Sybase will feel the heat on Powerbuilder as well if they do not allready do that. Java, with the right tools, are so much better by now, and growing better by the day, so I wouldn't bet much on that product. Even Oracle is going out to third parties for Java tools (the article reports that to be Symantec Visual Cafe but on the Symantec site there is a press release about Visual Page wich is a different tool. Oracle have made a deal with Borland for their JBuilder Java dev.tool earlier.) With this situation for Informix to try to compete in the tools bussiness would be crazy. This doesn't mean they shouldn't maintain 4GL and some other products, but trying to do a major new tool would be a waste of resources. Another thing might be to buy a significant tools vendor, but I don't think they are even considdering something like that right now. Sybase would be a real bad choice in this respect of course. Should they go after applications? The can't in the traditional markets as that would destroy their important relationship with SAP, Baan and others. They seem to be doing some interesting things in specialized applications in cooperation with other companies as described in http://www.informix.com/informix/corpinfo/ifxnews/press/1998/rai.htm and http://www.informix.com/informix/corpinfo/ifxnews/press/1998/bbc.htm as just two examples in one area. These and other specialized applications in addition to their traditional sales can truly be enough not only to bring Informix over their current hurdles, but to make a comeback. If some of these types of applications are successfull there are tremendous markets out there which would be very hard for others to compete in. For this reason Bob F.'s strategy for going after the "high end", meaning just such specialized applications, not neccessarily big customers (as the examples are, but other similar cases may not be), is exactly right. Of course if he again forgets what we in Norway call the bread and butter market, in this case the volume of more regular users of databases, he puts the company in a very precarious situation. I think he is smart enough to understand that however, and his current manoeuvres are mainly to focus the company where it is at it's strongest. The fact that a company doesn't spend a lot of marketing and sales dollars and efforts in every market doesn't mean that all is lost. Even the biggest companies have to focus, and Informix's lack of focus the last years have been their major problem. If they now come back with just a few small consessions to the oldtimers (and new customers as well of course) he may have it all in the box. General support for the big three Unix platforms never was a problem. One consession (or may be it never was a consession?) of support for SCO seems to be in place. Now we only need a Linux port and it's done and I will again put the company on the recommended buy list for my investor friends as well as for database users of course. > >Just a few cents worth, before inflation and taxes May be we can get some dollars out of it as well. That's what we are after at least. > >John Carlson >Informix DBA >WH Smith, Inc > ><#include std_disclaimer.h> No disclaimers at all. Nils Myklebust NM Data AS Norway E-mail: Nils.Myklebust@nmdata.com FAQ at: Primary with ODBC info: http://www.smooth1.demon.co.uk Official site http://www.iiug.org/techinfo/faq/faq_top.html