Re: Informix Directions

Paul Brown wrote in message <6baafq$30u$1@agate.berkeley.edu>... > > The thinking goes like this; > > a) The 'high end' is not 'high end' in the Tandem sense of the term. > Rather, the 'high end' involves IS development which focusses > on problems that can't be addressed with a commodity SQL-92 engine. It > has nothing to do with the size of the customer. (For example, > consider a medical research center with about 15 staff members > building a warehous of medical images and asking questions like > 'Histogram of kidneys like this one by state, age, decade please?') > > Informix retains a sizeable technical lead, but it's very, very, very > hard to explain the intricacies of optimizing queries with a > system that employs intra-query parallel, or why writing functions > in a proprietery, interpreted stored procedure language is going > to be two orders of magnitude slower than C. > > The only place this message penetrates is in situations where the > customer is seriously looking for a tool that is *better* than > the competition, not one that implies a 10% saving in TCO. > > b) Readers of c.d.i have to remember that you have all drunk the > kool-aid and understand the technology. But you guys are the > exceptions. The broad market reads inanities from Gartner (The > database market is stagnant. There is no need for further innovations > in DBMS technology. Similar rubbish ad nauseam.) > > Informix regularly wins technical evaluations, and loses the > sale when Orable gives their database away and picks up on > the services. The 'right thing to do' is to ship DBMSs that > require *very* little servicing. That isn't the business model > that works. > > c) It is very, very, very, very, very, very, very hard to sell > ODS 7.X against Orable on Unix and SQL Server on NT. Informix > can sell IDS-UDO and XPS against anyone, anywhere. The > 'high end' strategy directs Informix's strengths to customers > that appreciate them. > I don't share this perspective, because Informix has done a great job of NOT selling the software, up to now. In order to sell and compete against SQL Server and Oracle your company needs to at least come up to the watermark on matching the model these companies use to market their products. The idea that car salesmen can sell the software to management and then developers just take it is over. Your company needs to sell from the bottom up, and that means taking the software to the developers first. They will sell your software because they already have the inroads your company is trying to develop with salesmen. Without the developer community behind you, your company will be a byline with Ingres, Sybase, and all the rest that couldn't get it right. For example: 1. Developer-sensitive web-site. 2. Developer-sensitive marketing, not managerial marketing. 3. Sell from the bottom up, not the top down. 4. Distribute the software where developers buy software, in retail outlets, web sites, and developer programs. 5. Leverage your "bestness" with people who understand it. If Informix will simply pay attention to how Microsoft and Oracle sell software, they too will increase market share and mindshare. Of course, the flip side is for Informix as a company to retain the elitist attitude that "we don't want to be a big company, or be like the other companies". Unfortunately, Informix is playing in the data base arena, it's time to start acting like one of the players, instead of trying so hard to be different. Otherwise it will continue to confuse customers with the message that "Yes, we are a data base company, but we're so damn confusing about everything, that only those customers that are really willing to put up with our confusion are worthy to buy our software." Developers have certain expectations that will be met by Informix, or they will go elsewhere. The product renaming thang was a big distraction, and completely unnecessary. Informix should simply concentrate on the following objectives: 1. Broaden support for the engine products, with mainstream advertising where your competition advertises. Promote publicity events that can take advantage of user group and IIUG momentum. 2. Develop ENGINE tools and software to maintain the data base above any other priority, and forget about Win95 as a server platform. Win95 is over. 3. Market to developers FIRST, then management. Advertise clear, simple messages to developers, not managers. Forget about management, they only look at the pictures anyway. 4. Sell openly your confidence as the best db on the market. 5. Port the software to Linux, and take advantage of this new market. You will be building mindshare and marketshare with a class of developers that will ensure your future. You will also satisfy existing customers by responding positively to their desires. Actually meeting customer satisfaction might be in the interest of the company. 6. Forget about application tools as a priority, and focus on being a data base engine company, with adequate tools to maintain the engine. Certainly, roll out Java tools, and web stuff, but not as the big splash. This is good stuff, but not where the action is right now. The heat is on for a damn good engine, and damn good tools to maintain the engine. > d) Remember; today's 'high end' (defined this way) is tomorrow's > mundane. The idea is to define the next battle-ground, not to > dig ever deeper trenches on today's. > Well it might be a good idea to dig out of the trenches Informix currently enjoys, by first and foremost satisfying customer wishes, not introducing products that are not relevant to the market. > This will probably not convince some of you, but try to think the > strategy through from the business perspective. Ask yourselves; > how do you best focus limited resources for maximum returns? > There is a far larger percentage of people who need the simple functionality of 7.x than need the exceptional functionality of 9.x. When 7.x becomes once again the focus, your bonus check will again be the envy of the market. Satisfy customers, developers, and end users by responding to the real market TODAY, and your problems will take care of themselves. Forget about introducing NEW products that are not engine related. Take care of the engine, and developers FIRST, and the rest will take care of itself. I will be more than happy to head up your marketing efforts, give me a call. Tim === Tim Schaefer tschaefe@mindspring.com http://www.inxutil.com ICQ:6358805 http://securities.stanford.edu/complaints/informix/ > KR > > P"an Informix employee, but speaking from the heart"b > > >