Re: Informix Being Bought Buy Microsoft?

Zebramen wrote: > > Can anyone verify that Microsoft and Intel are in the preliminary stages of > > obtaining Informix stock / primary stock voting control ? Sigh here we go again.... There's a sucker born every minute and we found yet another one! Ask the following question: Who would gain from aquiring a stake in Informix and how? Answer: Not Microsoft or Intel. Try: Apple, Sun, HP. [Note: This is theory and not based on insider knowlege.] Why: First why not Microsoft. Microsoft has little to gain. Informix's chief technology is based on UNIX OS and higher end systems. OWS and NE are the only products which are shipping only on NT. The technology Informix offers could be gained cheaper if they were to partner with Informix, and or read some back issues of ACM's database journal. Hint see the Viking project circa '90 or so. This is what Informix based their PDQ arch on. NT doesn't scale well enough to be viable for XPS. Both Sun and IBM offer cost competitive platforms for this high end product. Bottom line, Microsoft doesn't gain more bang for the buck through Informix. Other options exist which will benifit them better. (Diversification outside of the software idustry. Hint: MSNBC) Now Intel: Why? Intel is facing minor legal troubles with DEC and they need to maintain a war chest. Also Intel has indicated that they are in to networking and wish to expand their technology to compete with Cisco et al. So, why a UNIX software firm? Does it fit with their corporate direction? I don't think so. Now both Mr. Grove and Mr. Gates have more than enough money that they could act as venture capitalists and fund some form of capital for Informix. This would be done outside their respective corps. But lets look at the other potential suitors: Apple: No virgina they aint dead yet! With Rhapsody, Apple has the chip power and the OS to survive (On paper at least) in the up coming market. Jobs may be back, but Avi T. is the real genius. What they lack are serious apps. Note, that Microsoft already makes word and excel which run on apple so they *should* also run under rhapsody. (This is a guess.) What Apple needs is a database which is ported to their platform. (OWS would be a good fit.) Does this mean that they buy Informix? No, but a strategic partnership with some cash assistance might help. Sun: This is actually the best suitor for Informix, if there was a suitor. Sun's major competitor is IBM. Both compete head to head. IBM has two major advantages over Sun. Legacy connectivity, and DB2. Through middleware, Sun can achieve some mainframe connectivity, and with IBM pushing OS390, connectivity will become easier. Sun has the advantage with Java, but they lack the database tool to offer a more *complete* solution. (Sybase has taken a step down, which leaves Oracle and Informix.) HP: Same reason as Sun. Gives them a better competitive advantage. Sun however is probably better leveraged. Bottom line: While Sun is the best suitor on paper, having Informix as an *in house* database doesn't make that much sense. Informix has a strength in that it can run on multiple UNIX OS's , and yes, NT. Buying that strength, then removing it is a waste in effort. It would be cheaper for them to create some form of joint venture. Of course Scott too has enough pocket change to bail Informix out as a private investor. In reality, Informix can probably get the cash through some venture capital means. Their problem was caused by not managing expectations, over aggressive sales figures, and a lack of understanding of their product. (Also a problem of vaporware too!) They could also float a bond, or a preferred share. Perks are also an option. (Read Fabbozi's Fixed Income Securities on all the possible financial instruments they can use to raise capital.) [Heck they could also offer Junk! ;-) ] Not to bash Informix, since Phil has already revamped the sales force and is correcting the identified problems. So, please let this thread die. The earlier thread didn't make sense because it didn't address these issues. If you want to discuss the potential of hypothetical partnerships, I think that it is in the spirit of this newsgroup. Wild starry eyed rumors are not. Does this help? Just my $.05 worth, so flame away! -Your favorite Uncle (I hope) -Mikey