RE: Why you can't trust IBM when it comes to committing to Informix.

[SNIP] > I think that there is some confusion produced by ambiguous IBM > marketing > messages: > > IDS is a 'first class' data server inside the IM portfolio for OLTP. > DB2 is also a > 'first class' class data server for OLTP, U2 is probably not. IDS is > IBM's 'leading' > data server for industrial-strength integrated and/or embedded > solutions. DB2 is, > in addition to it's role as 'first class' data server for OLTP, IBM's > 'leading' data > server for data warehousing, XML centered environments, SAP and > probably everything > else. > > Funny to notice in this coherence is that SAP seems not to be an > industrial-strength > solution from an IBM perspective :-) > > >From the IDC whitepaper (which has been probably written by IBM > marketing): > The person who wrote the white paper asked a prepared question as to what IBM feels is their positioning statement about IDS. The sad thing is that the response from IBM is neutral that leaves the reader clueless as to how IBM is positioning IDS. Saying that IDS is a "transaction-oriented database" is really a misnomer. IDS is a heck of lot more than that. IBM is pretty clueless about the capabilities of IDS. I should clarify. I'm not talking about the Madisons, the Jonathans of IM, but the sales reps, the marketing, BCS, etc ... IBM is sitting on a critical platform when it comes to Object Relational technology and they don't even exploit this. > > The reason for all of those creative neologisms from IBM is to protect > DB2 by all means. Yup. And the only people who are buying DB2 in a LUW or "distributed" environment are those who are DB2 mainframe customers. ;-) (I know I'm going to catch flak for that comment, but I really wonder if anyone within IBM ever bothered to do some bizness intelligence on their own AAS system. (AAS Is the internal system that contains the entitlement and licensing of IBM's customers.) > However the disastrous result is that IBM is continuously damaging IDS > with this > absurdity. Sales people need clear messages to communicate to their > customers, but the > IBM marketing messages are far a way from being clear. > This is true. Except that from what I have seen, the only Informix sales that are coming from the S&D teams tend to be to existing Informix customers IBM inherited. From what I have heard, the net new Informix customers are coming via the partners. (As with any generalization, I'm sure that there are exceptions. :-) > IDS 11.5 comes with great technology inside. But why do you need to > register to download the > software and need to accept a NDA so that you are not able to > communicate those great > features ? This is really counterproductive. However like the new DB2 > TPC-C benchmark > it fits into the overall picture. > Uhm the 11.5 is a beta. So that's why you have an NDA. When IDS 11.5 go GA, then you can talk. I guess even within IBM, IDS is still the Industry's dirty little sekret. > There are some important questions regarding IDS that need to be > answered by IBM. In about > 5 weeks there will be the IIUG worldwide conference in Kansas City. My > suggestion is that > we collect the most important questions from the Informix community to > the IBM management here > on c.d.i. and ask them at IIUG. With Arvind Krishna and Bernie Spang > there should be > responsible people to get answers from and I'm sure that Serge will > inform them so that > they are prepared to deliver answers. > Bernie Spang? LOL... Oh what I could say. I don't know if I'd classify him as a Diane Fraiman or a Gary Lloyd. (You have to know the players of the *old* Informix under Finnochio and Dexmier...) With respect to your questions... Do you really think you're going to get a straight answer from IBM? Plan on hearing the answers that they think they you'll want to hear. I think it would be interesting to hear IBM's response, and then do a checkpoint 6 months later. A year later ... etc .. But hey! What do I know? -G _________________________________________________________________ Windows Live Hotmail is giving away Zunes. http://www.windowslive-hotmail.com/ZuneADay/?locale=en-US&ocid=TXT_TAGLM_Mobile_Zune_V3