Re: Informix in the News!

Far be it from me to miss such an opportunity. We should not assume that the new marketing people will be any different to what we have seen in the past. I've waited for the company to see sense for far too long now. And this problem isn't going to be solved by giving a DOG a new name. It will only be solved by a complete change in the attitude that INFORMIX has to the customer base. Yes, simplifying the product line will be beneficial but part of the reason for the change from Turbo to OnLine was that reason, somebody in marketing thought that a new name would help! And Brand Image may help to create a more aware new customer. But surely what we all need is a company that will listen to its traditional customer base - and by that I mean the 3rd party developers. They have to seriously rethink the current practice of enforcing tech support by the "maintenance contract" and thereby inflating the cost of the product, and they have to make sure that development and other 3rd party companies can purchase both product and support in a cost-effective manner. Suely that is the biggest reason why so many 3rd party customers no longer use INFORMIX as the database engine of choice. And only small 3rd party developers have any hope of turning Universal server into an end-user deliverable reality. Regards Malcolm (BTW - these are my views and nobody elses) At 17:32 24/11/97 GMT, Nils Myklebust wrote: }Tim Schaefer <tschaefe@mindspring.com> wrote: } }:David Kosenko wrote: }:... }:> I still maintain that the primary problem is NOT the multiple choices, }:> and }:> deciding which one you need. The primary problem is that Informix's }:> marketing }:> is so frigging abyssmal that not enough customers even know enough to }:> know that }:> there ARE and choices to be confused over. Simplifying the product line }:> is a good }:> start, but it has to be followed by telling people about Informix and }:> the products }:> (e.g. how about some ADVERTISEMENTS!). }:> }:> Will Informix EVER get a clue on this? I continue to hope so, but if }:> past behavior }:> is any indication of future activity, they will remain oblivious, and }:> continue to }:> wonder why Oracle keeps kicking their ass with an inferior product. } }Well, the guy who used to run Informix marketing wasn't exactly }impressive. I talked with him on several occasions. He is out however. }With new management more or less all over the line there is every }chance for them to do everything in new ways. }Past behaviour is with other words hardly interesting in this case. }Lets just hope, wait and see. } }:> -- }:> Dave }:> That's just my opinion - I could be wrong. }:> - Dennis Miller }: }: }:Amen to all your comments Dave! }: }: }:Tim }:-- }:Tim Schaefer \\\\|// }:tschaefe@mindspring.com 6 6 } } }Nils.Myklebust@idg.no }NM Data AS, P.O.Box 9090 Gronland, N-0133 Oslo, Norway }My opinions are those of my company }The Informix FAQ is at http://www.iiug.org } } Malcolm Weallans Online Database Consultancy (+44)1628 672154 Fax (+44)1628 637463