Re: OT:Is IBM going to be marketing Informix
Off-topic career/strategy discussion rather than a technical problem. The original poster asked whether IBM intends to actively market Informix, noting a shrinking UK Informix job market and customers moving to Oracle/SQL Server, and asked about plans beyond the often-quoted 2010 support date. Replies advised learning DB2 (and MS SQL Server) to stay employable, debated whether DB2 is as easy to administer as Informix, and noted IBM folding Informix features into DB2 'Stinger'. No IBM statement or clear answer about Informix's future is recorded; the thread degenerates into banter.
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(This isn't rant too) Try DB2... for what I see in the long term (2010+) Db2 and Informix will be the same, so some studyng of DB2 won't hurt. You can get a free DVD with DB2 8.1 for linux or windows. Integration with websphere is another must to learn, DB2/Informix; you can get information on both in developerWorks. I think this might have you busy for some time... the is this can pay your bills... Chucho! -----Original Message----- From: vavavoom_th14@yahoo.co.uk (Traveller2003) To: informix-list@iiug.org Date: 17 Sep 2004 04:05:07 -0700 Subject: OT:Is IBM going to be marketing Informix Hi All , Does anyone know if IBM is planning on actively selling Informix? Reason I ask is seems like the job market in the UK for Informix is dying out and as much as I am a committed die hard Informixer I need to pay the bills. To boot seems businesses migrate to Oracle/MSSQL if given a chance. This is not a rant mail just need to find out what plans IBM have for Informix past 2010 date currently mentioned (that's the date I have heard so far). Any feed back would be good especially from the IBMers. TIA Traveller Jean Sagi jeansagi@myrealbox.com jeansagi@yahoo.com sending to informix-list
Jean Sagi wrote: > (This isn't rant too) > > Try DB2... for what I see in the long term (2010+) Db2 and Informix > will be the same, so some studyng of DB2 won't hurt. although the downside to studying DB2 now if you don't need to, may be obsolete in the future if they fullfill a lot of the promise: to "add Informix simplicity" to DB2. They acknowledge that IDS is very easy to manage and have promised to make DB2 approach that simplicity. So who knows how much arcane DB2 knowledge will become obsolete in the next few years.
If you take a serious look at DB2, by installing it in different configurations and architectures you might change your view of DB2. I have yet to see anything in DB2 that says "DB2 is more difficult than Informix". I'd have to say Informix is a bit more difficult for newbies who are flipping from SQL-Server to something else. Wouldn't want to take the risk with Informix, less mind-share in the market, less credibility, etc. It would be also as risky to push them into Oracle or even Sybase. Much more risk for SQL-Server shops, where DBA knowledge is typically one-dimensional ( Windows ). If anything, if there is a choice between putting DB2 or Informix on a system, I'd rather put DB2 simply because I know it will be easier to maintain. It's practically idiot-proof on Windows. ( Get this, can you do table-level memory management with Informix? I think not. ) IBM has also rolled in a lot of Informix features already in the latest Stinger release, making it quite adequate for just about any architectural requirement. Of course like any product there are areas that need improvement, but we've yet to see something that is a show-stopper. Regarding SQL-Server, it won't hurt to learn about it, you can master it pretty quickly if you know Sybase, and leverage your knowledge of Informix. I've found the best approach to surviving in a MS-SQL-Server world is to learn as much as you can about logging, FILEGROUPs, locking, etc. ... the typical stuff you learned in Informix. Navigating MS-SQL server is not difficult, and faster to learn than Oracle, no doubt about it. This is especially true when all you really have to do is install it, and start browsing the help files for your favorite topics. It will make you more marketable when you can outshine an MCSE by actually knowing what the systables are, similar to Informix, and understanding key engine behavior--just like you learned in Informix. A lot of employers are actually starting to prefer multi-engine database experts over single-engine ones. ( Sounds like an airline pilot ! ) Makes you more marketable. If you have to work with MS-SQL, go and do it, and learn DB2 on your own till you can find that kind of work. -DG- Jean Sagi wrote: > (This isn't rant too) > > Try DB2... for what I see in the long term (2010+) Db2 and Informix will be the same, so some studyng of DB2 won't hurt. > > You can get a free DVD with DB2 8.1 for linux or windows. > > Integration with websphere is another must to learn, DB2/Informix; you can get information on both in developerWorks. > > I think this might have you busy for some time... the is this can pay your bills... > > Chucho! > > > -----Original Message----- > From: vavavoom_th14@yahoo.co.uk (Traveller2003) > To: informix-list@iiug.org > Date: 17 Sep 2004 04:05:07 -0700 > Subject: OT:Is IBM going to be marketing Informix > > Hi All , > > Does anyone know if IBM is planning on actively selling Informix? > Reason I ask is seems like the job market in the UK for Informix is > dying out and as much as I am a committed die hard Informixer I need > to pay the bills. To boot seems businesses migrate to Oracle/MSSQL if > given a chance. > > This is not a rant mail just need to find out what plans IBM have for > Informix past 2010 date currently mentioned (that's the date I have > heard so far). Any feed back would be good especially from the IBMers. > > TIA > > Traveller > > > Jean Sagi > jeansagi@myrealbox.com > jeansagi@yahoo.com > > sending to informix-list
Data Goob wrote: > If you take a serious look at DB2, by installing it in different > configurations and architectures you might change your view of > DB2. Fair dinkum, mate. I used to think it was quite shiny until I actually tried it. > I have yet to see anything in DB2 that says "DB2 is more difficult > than Informix". I'd have to say Informix is a bit more difficult Apart from all that bloody typing, you mean? And the inconsistent abbreviations? > for newbies who are flipping from SQL-Server to something else. > Wouldn't want to take the risk with Informix, less mind-share in > the market, less credibility, etc. It would be also as risky to > push them into Oracle or even Sybase. Much more risk for SQL-Server > shops, where DBA knowledge is typically one-dimensional ( Windows ). > > If anything, if there is a choice between putting DB2 or Informix > on a system, I'd rather put DB2 simply because I know it will be > easier to maintain. It's practically idiot-proof on Windows. Who puts proper databases on Windows? If ease of maintenance is your major worry, then why not use text files and Notepad? Is DB2 practically idiot proof on UNIX? (Or AIX as they call it for some reason?) > ( Get this, can you do table-level memory management with Informix? > I think not. ) Get this, do I care about table level memory management? I think not. I'm used to working with a database that has competent buffer pool management so that I don't have to do stupid tweaks like that. > IBM has also rolled in a lot of Informix > features already in the latest Stinger release, making it quite > adequate for just about any architectural requirement. Of course Strewth, did they have to swipe Informix features to make it "adequate"? What was it before? > like any product there are areas that need improvement, but we've > yet to see something that is a show-stopper. Nothing is a show stopper if you don't want it to be a show stopper. > If you have to work with MS-SQL, go and > do it, and learn DB2 on your own till you can find that kind of > work. Just don't hold your breath, right? -- Strewth! Stick a sock in it, Sheila!
Well tie me kangaroo down sport! My boomarang won't back! A lot of you cobbers are in denoil bu don warry once you get past that and some angah, yool be on Dee-Bee-too in no tyme mate. 'scuse me now whilst I go take cah of that crock takin a bite outta my dog. Chips O'tool
Data Goob wrote: > Well tie me kangaroo down sport! My boomarang won't back! > > A lot of you cobbers are in denoil bu don warry once you get > past that and some angah, yool be on Dee-Bee-too in no tyme mate. > > 'scuse me now whilst I go take cah of that crock takin a bite > outta my dog. Do you speak English as well? -- Strewth! Stick a sock in it, Sheila!