Re: Help to Promote Linux! - Economics....

Informix has a true opportunity for a coup with a port to Unix, and I'm talking to every Informix representative I can about a port. It makes no sense to talk about Microsoft "capturing the low end". Nothing is lower than FREE, and NT certainly is not free. NT is also not an enterprise or mission critical server, whatever Microsoft's publicity mill may try to feed the public (Gee I hope I'm not chosen to be involved with their case any time soon). Yes, a port to Linux is somewhat of a gamble. There are no hard facts and figures to make Informix executives feel like a port is a safe bet. I guarantee it is a safer bet and investment than $400mil for Illustra. Go to the Netscape page right now, and to the download section. What OS do you see there? SCO? OS/2? No and no. Linux? Yes, 2 versions of it. Linux is incredibly well supported by the Net community. Theres a good chance the news server that records my message is running on Linux. Business case? I'm talking to a 2000 unit retailer. I need to install a server in all 2000 of their stores. My competition runs on NT backoffice, and even with a sweet deal it will cost the retailer millions just for the platform - a platform that is unstable and insecure. If I can walk in with Linux and Informix, what a huge competitive edge I have. We all know that half the techie hackers in MIS departments around the country have Linux, either at work or home. Informix: You as a company need a big advantage. We as a dealer need a big advantage. A port to Linux - NOW - would give us both a great and unique advantage. In article <34BBB0AC.3372F2B6@NOSPAM.KingofMyDomain.MAPSON.Segel.com>, Michael says... > > > >Joel Robinson wrote: > >> Lets not forget that M$'s Small Business Server is $1500 for : >> >> 5 user NT Server >> 5 user SQL >> 5 user Exchange >> 5 user Proxy 1.0 >> and other goodies >> >> And 25 user is $2500. Thats the limit, then traditional pricing starts. >> >> Sorry but BillG is going to get the low end of the market while Informix >> continues to study the Linux opportunity and want the business case >> presented on a silver platter. > >First, Informix runs on NT. ODS and OWS both run and IMHO are far, far >superior to SQL. > >Second, 5 user license is not enough for a corporate server. Unless all you >have is 5 people >in your corporation. ;-) > >Of course, that's NT 4.0 Wait until 5.0 exits. Then all bets are off. > >Of course if you are not familiar with Microsofts methods, they give you a >great deal in >licensing your desktop for large corporations. Then after the agreements >end.... WHAM! >their pricing kicks in. They figure that its cheaper to pay the licensing >costs than it is to >migrate to their competitors who may or may not exists after being starved >out. One corp I >did some work for had a sweet deal of a $40.00 desktop package. After the >contract ran out, >the price went up to $300.00. > >Yet I digress. >Linux represents a lot of question marks to corporations. There is a huge >paradigm shift >in marketing and support that needs to be addressed. Informix isnt the only >company >which has asked to see the demographics of the Linux market. That's why the >survey is more >about why people chose Linux and what they feel is missing from Linux that >would let it go >mainstream. > >If you want to know more, subscribe to the IIUG list and ask questions. Some >of them might >get answered. > >Currently Bill G owns the low end. What he is trying to do is expand that >really low end, aka >PC database to the low end corporate world. Since he's selling the OS, he has >a distinct advantage >of bundling the other packages and control the whole thing. That's why the >justice dept. is going >after him. Just say no to Bill. > >-Mikey >BTW, The rumors of my wiretaping Mike Saranga's office phone are completely >false. >The SEC beat me to it! >