Informix Warehouse Feature
Not a troubleshooting thread: Fernando Nunes posts IBM's announcement of the Informix Warehouse Feature. Mark Townsend asks why there is no Informix-based Balanced Configuration Unit (BCU), prompting speculation rather than answers — suggestions that it targets a different market, that IBM wants a business case/customer demand first, and lengthy commentary from Ian Gumby on IBM internal politics, 'Project Arrowhead', XPS heritage, and IDS vs DB2 sales positioning and commission incentives. No technical question or resolution is recorded.
Auto-generated by DrWatson from the posts below — may be imperfect; read the full thread.
I think this will be a delight for a lot of frequent posters: IBM announce today the availability of Informix Warehouse Feature: (hopefully the URL will be usable ;) ) http://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/cgi-bin/ssialias?subtype=ca&infotype=an&appname=iSource&supplier=877&letternum=ENUSZP09-0044&open&cm_mmc=4608-_-n-_-vrm_newsletter-_-10285_105772&cmibm_em=dm:0:6152772# -- Fernando Nunes Portugal http://informix-technology.blogspot.com My email works... but I don't check it frequently...
> > IBM announce today the availability of Informix Warehouse Feature: Why no Informix based BCU ?
Mark Townsend wrote: >> IBM announce today the availability of Informix Warehouse Feature: > > Why no Informix based BCU ? Different target market? Just a guess, mind! -- Cheers, Obnoxio The Clown http://obotheclown.blogspot.com -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by OpenProtect(http://www.openprotect.com), and is believed to be clean.
Mark Townsend wrote: > >> >> IBM announce today the availability of Informix Warehouse Feature: > > Why no Informix based BCU ? If you think Informix meets the technical needs, and there is market for it, please point a few customers. I believe someone here will build a business case. Thanks for your input/suggestion! ;) Regards. -- Fernando Nunes Portugal http://informix-technology.blogspot.com My email works... but I don't check it frequently...
> From: markbtownsend@sbcglobal.net > Subject: Re: Informix Warehouse Feature > Date: Wed, 4 Mar 2009 20:37:46 -0800 > To: informix-list@iiug.org > > > > > > IBM announce today the availability of Informix Warehouse Feature: > > Why no Informix based BCU ? Mark, One step at a time. ;-) How much effort do you think it took to get this implemented? There's the technology piece, but then within the blue pig, there's another issue. NIH Syndrome is still rampant within IBM. With respect to the rounds or Stalin-like purges, it wouldn't be prudent to push the issue. Rumor has it that a lot of the SWG purges hit the 'xxx-Heritage' types. That is that they weren't 'true blue' but came in from an acquisition. Of course my sources are pretty much biased. (Its coming from those who got their marching orders, so take it with a grain of salt. Stalin-like in that IBM does their purges in pieces and quietly so that it doesn't draw attention to the entire process.) So while it looks like Informix's 'Project arrowhead' is still moving forward, its going to happen at a slower rate. With respect to BCU/BCP how much further down the line can they be? The issue is that its going to cause a bit of a problem for Jerry Keesee and Ambush. You now have two engines in the LUW space which can compete against one another. (Well almost... DB2 has more warehouse features and IDS still crushes it with extensibility, OLTP, and HA.) Market positionin becomes an issue. Where do you lead with IDS or DB2? Of course from the client rep's position... if the customer asks about Oracle, well they can sell Oracle, Oracle Services and other products within the blue stack. If the customer is ambivilent about the DB and wants a solution... Well... what do you think the S&D Product rep will do if they can sell either? They'll sell the one that they know and that their IT Specialist can support. ;-) (And you wonder why I droned on about a lack of parity in the sales force...) That issue is going to become larger and more important as time goes on.... But hey! What do I know? I support all of the big guys, including Sun's mySQL (ick it still hurts to say that, but hey, at least I haven't crossed over to SQLServer. Yet...) :-P -G _________________________________________________________________ Windows Live™: Life without walls. http://windowslive.com/explore?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_allup_1a_explore_032009
Fernando Nunes wrote: > Mark Townsend wrote: >> >>> >>> IBM announce today the availability of Informix Warehouse Feature: >> >> Why no Informix based BCU ? > > If you think Informix meets the technical needs, and there is market for > it, please point a few customers. What - no customers, no market ? Say it isn't so. Here comes Gumby.....
Mark Townsend wrote: > Fernando Nunes wrote: >> Mark Townsend wrote: >>> >>>> >>>> IBM announce today the availability of Informix Warehouse Feature: >>> >>> Why no Informix based BCU ? >> >> If you think Informix meets the technical needs, and there is market >> for it, please point a few customers. > > What - no customers, no market ? Say it isn't so. > > Here comes Gumby..... I'm in the technical side... You suggested a step further than what was announced. I don't know if what you suggested is planned. But you looked so surprised, that I though you were being helpful... my mistake probably :) So let's wait and see... To be honest I'm a bit surprised with your interest in this... Regards. -- Fernando Nunes Portugal http://informix-technology.blogspot.com My email works... but I don't check it frequently...
> From: markbtownsend@sbcglobal.net > Subject: Re: Informix Warehouse Feature > Date: Thu, 5 Mar 2009 06:38:57 -0800 > To: informix-list@iiug.org > > Fernando Nunes wrote: > > Mark Townsend wrote: > >> > >>> > >>> IBM announce today the availability of Informix Warehouse Feature: > >> > >> Why no Informix based BCU ? > > > > If you think Informix meets the technical needs, and there is market for > > it, please point a few customers. > > What - no customers, no market ? Say it isn't so. > > Here comes Gumby..... What would you like me to say Mark? Fernado is in the field and he's echoing the standard line that IBM tells everyone ... 'If you can show me a business case, we'll think about it...' ;-) I don't think that he's saying anything about the potential customer base. He's also not in a position to comment or has knowledge of the product direction. But from what Jerry Keesee did present back in January, there is a clear indication that some form of BCU could be anticipated down the road. It would follow the natural progression and an IDS based BCU would come from their XPS product line expertise. Its the old 'Arrowhead'. So sorry, the issue isn't 'if', but more of 'when'. This goes back to my comment that when you start to add key features that compete with DB2, you create an internal problem. Which product to sell. The eventuality will be that IBM will be placed in a position of chosing a champion. Its a bit different that Diet Coke vs Coke Zero. It could be more akin to the problems Detroit is having. Automakers are offering very similar product lines with different name plates. Consolidation of product lines is to be expected. IBM as a vendor will have this same problem. Janet P knew this. We can look at Oracle ... They have JDE, PeopleSoft and Oracle Financials. What's happening there? How are they handling the overlap? Informix is hands down the superior product in the marketplace. The problem is that since Phil White, the lack of leadership and marketing has hurt Informix and again being the step child in IBM hasn't helped either. Yet inspite of this, IDS is growing their market share. _________________________________________________________________ Hotmail® is up to 70% faster. Now good news travels really fast. http://windowslive.com/online/hotmail?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_HM_70faster_032009
> Market positionin becomes an issue. Where do you lead with IDS or DB2? Of course from the client rep's position... if the customer asks about Oracle, well they can sell Oracle, Oracle Services and other products within the blue stack. If the customer is ambivilent about the DB and wants a solution... Well... what do you think the S&D Product rep will do if they can sell either? They'll sell the one that they know and that their IT Specialist can support. ;-) Or possibly the one they are likely to make commision on?
On Mar 6, 7:17 am, wcottishpoet <drybur...@yahoo.com> wrote: > > Market positionin becomes an issue. Where do you lead with IDS or DB2? Of course from the client rep's position... if the customer asks about Oracle, well they can sell Oracle, Oracle Services and other products within the blue stack. If the customer is ambivilent about the DB and wants a solution... Well... what do you think the S&D Product rep will do if they can sell either? They'll sell the one that they know and that their IT Specialist can support. ;-) > > Or possibly the one they are likely to make commision on? Thats a good point.... Under JP, the sales plans didn't comp on license renewals. Only on net new licenses. And of course a migration from IDS to DB2 counted as a net new license. (I don't think any of the sales reps were dumb enough to try and convert a DB2 customer to IDS...) However, the bigger issue is that there is a lack of parity in the sales force when it comes to IT Specialists who are certified on IDS and those that are certified on DB2. I don't know how to stress the importance of this simple fact. Having Allyse P and Jerry K 'edjucating' the sales force through 'All Hands Calls' doesn't really work. (I doubt that they themselves have ever had to sit through series of these calls, otherwise they'd know how well they work... ;-) -G