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Note 584.3 Digital and Relational Technology/Ingres 3 of 6
NUTMEG::SILVERBERG 83 lines 26-OCT-1988 08:21
-< Key Press Kit statements >-
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From the Digital/RTI Press kit:
STATEMENT OF AGREEMENT:
Digital Equipment Corporations's Database Systems Group and Relational
Technology have signed an exclusive agreement allowing both companies
to distribute Relational Technology's INGRES integrated end-user
and application development tools for use with Digital's Rdb databases.
These tool provide query, reporting, graphics, and fourth-generation
application development capabilities to Rdb users
AGREEMENT COVERAGE:
The product, called "INGRES Tools for Rdb," will be sold by both
Digital and Relational Technology. Shipping will begin December
1988.
Digital will distribute current INGRES tools including Query-by-Forms,
Visual-Forms-Editor, Report-by-Forms, Report-Writer, INGRES/MENU,
Applications-by-Forms, INGRES/4GL, and VIGRAPH. The INGRES Gateway
products, INGRES/STAR, INGRES/NET amd PCLINK are not included in
the agreement. Future INGRES end-user and development tools are
also covered by the agreement.
IMPACT ON DIGITAL EQUIPMENT CORPORATION:
The agreement broadens the market opportunity for Digital by increasing
the choise of interfaces for Rdb. "INGRES Tools for Rdb" extends
Rdb's application portability. The expertise of Relational Technology
will be an asset to Digital in tne area of database sales and support
activities. In addition, the agreement reinforces Digital's openness
to and support of cooperative relationships with quality ISVs
(Independent Software Vendors).
IMPACT ON RELATIONAL TECHNOLOGY:
The agreement represents major recognition by Digital of the strength
of the INGRES toolset. INGRES will now be distributed through the
large Digital sales force, while Relational Technology gains greater
access to Digital sites for additional INGRES sales. "INGRES Tools
for Rdb" potentially doubles the tools market for Relational
Technology. The agreement with Digital also helps position INGRES
as an application development standard for VAX computers.
FINANCIAL TERMS:
The projected dollar worth as well as the specific financial
arrangement between the two companies is confidential under the
terms of the agreement.
MARKET STRATEGY:
While Digital and Relational Technology will continue to compete
within the DBMS market, both companies believe that the agreement
provides significant market opportunities for both parties by providing
better customer solutions.
IMPACT ON TEAMDATA AND RALLY:
TEAMDATA and RALLY will continue to be Digitals 4GL products. Digital
is adding "INGRES Tools for Rdb" to provide the broadest range of
products to meet customer needs.
COMPARISON WITH OTHER THIRD PARTY RELATIONSHIPS:
Digital Equipment Corporation takes a tiered approach to its third-
party relationships. The agreement with Relational Technology
represents the highest form of endorsement and the closest of ties
with a third party. Under the terms of the contract, Digital will
actually distribute the third party's product.
Digital also has a CMP, or cooperative marketing partners program,
whereby Digital provides marketing support to the third party but
does not distribute that party's products. In addition, Digital
evaluates and references many other quality third-party products.
# # #
I have an original complete press kit if anyone is interested in
the full set of documents/information.
Mark
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| For anyone trying to understand this....
The 4GL world is a strange one, with no one product able to satisfy all
needs. In fact, surveys have shown that most customers have more than
one 4GL on site. Digital not only has its own RALLY product, but also
has STI's SMARTSTAR and COGNOS' POWERHOUSE as CMPs to satisfy the broad
set of customer demands.
When Database Systems went out looking for additional development tools
to bring to the Rdb/VMS community we discovered that one of the most
widely praised set of tools were those available from RTI for INGRES.
It turned out that RTI was quite interested in making their tools work
with Rdb/VMS, and now you see the result.
I would expect that this offering will be very popular in shops already
knowledgable with the RTI tools. In fact, mixed Unix/VMS shops can now
have the same tools on both systems, with INGRES as the Unix run-time
system and Rdb/VMS as the VMS run-time system. Moreover, ISVs whose
application products are layered on INGRES can now easily port those
applications to run on Rdb/VMS.
There are clearly some risks in this strategy, like lost business for
RALLY, or the potential for a customer to decide "the heck with Rdb/VMS,
we'll just put INGRES everywhere", but the current thinking is that this
is a risk worth taking.
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