Conference ulysse::rdb_vms_competition

359.0. "FREE Rdb? Let's beg to differ..." by KYOA::HANSON (The Youngest Curmudgeon!) Tue May 23 1989 19:16

    
    
    I'm starting to get more than a little concerned about what we're
    hearing from Oracle and the industry on the recent DEC announcement
    regarding Rdb/VMS bundled with VMS.  Perhaps all this needs is a
    bit of positioning... something at which we're all getting a little
    bit better.
    
    Oracle (Ellison) says : "Free Rdb?  You get what you pay for." "How
       much is a database system worth?  Look at what DEC is charging!"
       And other suchlike comments.
    
    And I just got the latest NewsBooth in my mail.  Therein there are
    several comments from industry people.  They all allude to "free
    Rdb."
    
    OK, point conceded... we are bundling Rdb/VMS Runtime License starting
    with VMS V5.1, and it is good.  Obviously this positions our product
    as a strategic product, with a corporate_driven emphasis, while
    concurrently enticing ISV's and other software-makers to write to
    Rdb.  (Hey, sure we need a 4GL, we know that.  But until we do,
    we can offer umpteen other 4GL/Application/Toolkit interfaces to
    Rdb today, and there will be more with this announcement... etc.
    Go Rdb, and you have OPTIONS!  Go Oracle, and you're bound to only
    Oracle... etc.) 
    
    However, I think that the industry is overlooking the fact that
    the software is NOT FREE.  Oracle is slurring our move to their
    advantage, and it would appear that the aforementioned industry
    analysts *perceive* Rdb to be free.  If they understand the diff-
    erence, then they certainly aren't making it clear in their writings.
    
    I believe that we have to clear this point up, or else we're going
    to continually be defending/clearing up our position on this matter.
    The FACT is that Rdb/VMS Runtime is free... Only.  And that the
    move was for <fill_in_the_reason_of_your_choice.>   
    
    The software to perform all definition and maintenance work, the heart 
    of the application development framework, is NOT FREE.  In other words,
    the major part of Rdb is not free.  You get what you pay for...
    if you want to run an application written to Rdb, it's free, if
    you want the full benefit of development or interactive environments,
    you have to go for the respective licenses, media, docs, and training.
    
    In this note I am not passing judgement on what should be charged
    for what... What I am saying is that I've detected (what a sleuth!)
    a misperception in the field, spurred on by people like Ellison,
    that could turn around to bite us if it has not done so already,
    and that it is this impression that should be corrected and positioned
    properly.
    
    What can we do about it?
    
    Bob

    The "free" message is a little sitorted, but the message is certainly
    being circulated. I'm not sure that the "details" are significant
    enough to undermine our success at getting this message distributed.
    Oracle is reacting to us for a change. That is significant. As for
    positioning, please remember:
    
    When you choose to advertise, you get your message out. (Like all of our
    competitors, hardware and software vendors)
    
    When you choose to do regular customer seminars, you get your message
    out. (Like all of our software competitors)
    
    When you choose to metric the sales force on their success at selling
    databases, you get your message out and you get market dominance (Like 
    IBM).
    
    If you choose to do none of the above, getting the exact messages and
    positioning is much more difficult. 
    
    In this case, however, I think the message is being repeated
    everywhere. The details may not be perfect, but the core of the message
    is being repeated every day, and is forcing the reaction of
    competitors.
    
    ---- Michael Booth
    

    I think we should use Mike's slogan....
    
    "We break performance records...not IS budgets."
    
    And then there's the recently released prison inmate who was running
    down the street hysterically.....
    
    	"I'm Free! I'm Free!"
    
    	"So what?", said the little boy...."I'm four!"