Re: Informix running on Linux

I agree with almost everything you say. I knew the guys who started Informix when they worked at Cromemco in Mountain View, CA and have used the products for many years. I feel that many of their current difficulties are because they have ignored the smaller systems developers who are being forced to consider NT and SQL Server beacuse there is little choice. I want to use C-ISAM and SQL with C++ on Linux (and SCO). I believe that people are willing to pay for a good database but at a reasonable price. In general the lower price will open up a large potential user base. It certainly does not cost Informix much to manufacture some of their current products such as WorkGroup Server which consists of two CD's and a licence label. The code already exists for Unix (SCO), so the investment to make it run on Linux would be quite small but the returns could be quite big. I would say increasing your user base and market visibility would be good strategy for competing against a NT/SQLcombination. On 26 May 1997, Marco Greco wrote: > Doug, > 1) to start with let me assure you that the companies I work for have spent > serious money on Informix software. The only result has been Informix asking > for more money and nearly stopping development of the products we use. We'have > had Informix representatives trying to stop us from getting new low number > releases and trying to sell us, at whhoping prices, software we don't want. > Now, let me say, this is not the kind of behaviour I'd expect from a company > who wants to stay on the market and that respects its customers. > I look at every penny (well, Lira, to be precise) my comanies spend, and I'm > certainly not going to ask the acquisition of something they don't *really* > need. > > 2) Let me stress that Linux is a truly good unix. It outperforms SCO (other > x86 unices, I don't know) on *any* x86 box, and look at what you get with the > Slackware distribution. Honest, OS development effort put in Linux is much > greater than that put in Micros**t products, which you pay to have. > And Linux doesn't have the registry... > > 3) Can't you see that Informix is loosing the small sized developer? Do you > honestly think that the average small sized software developer could buy 3/5 > developer licences at Informix prices, and without trying the software out > first? Do you honestly think that the average small sized company could spend > tons of money just to repay the developer the investments he has made? > > 4) Can't you see that Informix is loosing the small sized company market? > Heck, over the years I've nearly spent a 5 zeroes figure $ on Informix > software to support 16 users. Do you honestly think that the average small > sized company could spend this kind of money on Informix products? Do you > honestly think that the reservoire of fortune 100 companies is endless, and so > Informix has plenty of suckers to sell software to? > Again, let me stress that no other Radiotherapy department in Italy has been > willing to buy Informix software. > > Look back at small companies, and restart creating a pool of developers with > Informix knowledge, I say. > > Just my Lit.34 > Marco > ____________________________________________________________________________ > Marco Greco <marcog@ctonline.it> rem radioterapia 39 95 447828 fax 446558 > Informix-FAQ http://www.iiug.org 4glWorks http://www.ctonline.it/~marcog > > > > ************************************************************************* Andrew Smith BSc(Hons), MBA Tel: 0131-551 2702 Valley Technology Limited, Edinburgh. SCOTLAND Fax: 0131-551 2702 *************************************************************************