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Conference ulysse::rdb_vms_competition

Title:DEC Rdb against the World
Moderator:HERON::GODFRIND
Created:Fri Jun 12 1987
Last Modified:Thu Feb 23 1995
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1348
Total number of notes:5438

376.0. "the future has already started" by NUTMEG::SILVERBERG () Fri Jun 23 1989 19:11

    Would like comments on the following scenario:
    
    Assume Digital has a strategic focus on VMS and ULTRIX
    Assume Digital has a strategic focus on VAX and RISC
    Assume many sales are won through the delivery of applications from
    3rd parties which solve customer problems
    Assume 3rd parties (CSOs) want to develop & deliver applications
    on both of Digital's strategic platforms                  
    Assume customers are asking for good commercial products on our
    RISC, VAX, and ULTRIX platforms (supports our Open System focus)
    
    3rd party software vendor wants to market product on VAX and RISC,
    using VMS and ULTRIX; wants to link up with Digital's strategic
    platform products; doesn't want to have 2 differrent development
    and support environments
    
    Digital's response:  well...Rdb, CDD, etc. are only on VAX/VMS,
    and we have RTI/Ingres for our VAX/RISC/VMS/ULTRIX platforms,
    therefore if you want a single development/maintenance environment,
    use Ingres for both (or if you don't like Ingres for some reason,
    ORACLE, etc offers a single environment)
    
    Result, CSO chooses Ingres over Rdb for VAX/VMS, as well as for
    the ULTRIX environment
                         
    Result, Rdb momemtum begins to slow
    
    It has happened twice now that I know of, & expect more to follow.
    Are we feeding today's sacred cows with the seed corn of the future?
    Constructive comments please!!
    
    
    What are we doing do prevent this from becoming a problem?
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376.1And now the rumors behind the news...DPDMAI::DAVISGBUh Oh...another Balloonist!Fri Jun 23 1989 19:2532
    
    *WE* are all off doing different things and goind in different
    directions....
    
    For example:  in the latest Digital news, (June 12, p6) two Digital
    spokesmen are quoted:
    
    	'	"To the best of my knowledge, there is no program to 
    	port a product you know as VAX Rdb currently running under the 
    	VMS operating system to the Ultrix operating system," James 
    	Barclay, Digital Senior technical consultant, recently told 
    	Digital News.
    
    	But at a seminar in Monterey, Calif., in March, Jim Steiner,
    	business development manager for Database Systems Group, briefly
    	commented that the company was working a port of Rdb to Ultrix	'
    
    Does get a bit confusing, doesn't it!  Interesting that we go and sign
    an agreement with Ingres (at least according to Digital review, we
    have...I don't know for sure).  And in the trade press, mums' the word
    from Digital while Ingres spills their guts complaining about how we
    announced a program to have a DEC database product for Ultrix.
    
    We field specialists are off killing ourselves trying to compete with
    Sybase while GSG puts on secure database trade shows with them!  
    
    As Mike says....'What am I, an Oracle?'  I think I'll start using that
    line when someone asks me about DEC's database strategy.
    
    Gil
     
    
376.2AKOV12::HAGGERTYGIA SWS Database SupportFri Jun 23 1989 21:1054
    Editorial contact:
    Peter Kobs
    (603) 881-2597
    
                  DIGITAL TO PROVIDE SQL DATABASE SYSTEM 
                       IN ULTRIX OPERATING SYSTEM
    
    MAYNARD, Mass. -- June 7, 1989 -- Digital Equipment Corporation 
    announced today that it will produce a standard SQL database system 
    for Digital's ULTRIX operating system. This system will comply with 
    current and future ANSI standards for data management. Third-party 
    applications written for this environment will be portable across a 
    variety of open systems platforms, as well as Digital's Rdb/VMS 
    database system.
    	The ULTRIX database software will be licensed, serviced, and 
    supported by Digital. Because the ULTRIX database system will adhere 
    to ANSI standards, many third-party software development tools from a 
    wide range of vendors will run as layered products in this 
    environment. Further technical details about new products will be 
    available later this year.
        "We are continuing to enhance the ULTRIX operating system to 
    expand our role in fast-growing open systems market," said Joe 
    Menard, Digital's ULTRIX/OSF Marketing Manager. "By adhering to 
    accepted industry standards, such as SQL and POSIX, we provide our 
    customers with a very high level of application portability and 
    system integration. ULTRIX is also a mainstay of Digital's new 
    RISC-based computer systems, which deliver the best price-performance 
    available."
    	This announcement extends Digital's open systems strategy to the 
    area of database management. It builds upon Digital's other unifying 
    software technologies, including DECnet/OSI, TCP/IP, DECwindows/XUI, 
    the Compound Document Architecture, and the VMS/ULTRIX Connection.
    	"Digital has an ongoing program to provide leadership relational 
    database technology to its customers," said Hans Gyllstrom, manager 
    of Digital's Database Systems Group. "As this announcement clearly 
    demonstrates, we are strongly committed to both VMS users and ULTRIX 
    users."
    	Digital Equipment Corporation, headquartered in Maynard, 
    Massachusetts, is the leading worldwide supplier of networked 
    computer systems and services. Digital offers a full range of 
    computing solutions and systems integration for the entire enterprise 
    -- from the desktop to the data center.
    
                                 ####
    
    
    Note to Editors: ULTRIX, VMS, Rdb/VMS, DECwindows, XUI, and DECnet 
    		     are trademarks of Digital Equipment Corporation.
    
    		     OSF is a trademark of the Open Software Foundation.
    
                     
    CORP/89/xxx
376.3Try InformixQUILL::BOOTHWhat am I?...An Oracle?Fri Jun 23 1989 21:299
    The only "Safe" database product to propose is Informix Tools, since
    Informix is abandoning their VMS database.
    
    There are a number of 4GLs that run on both Unix and VMS (FOCUS, TODAY,
    Uniface) that could be recommended. And, of course, anything could be
    written to interface with VAX SQL. The application could then run on
    both VMS and Ultrix.
    
    ---- Michael Booth
376.4Other tools for VMS and UnixBAHTAT::BLYTHEEe bah gum th's trouble at t'millMon Jun 26 1989 10:458
    4gls on both Unix and VMS - Cognos should have several (!) flavours
    of UNIX PowerHouse available in the near future (I have heard 5
    versions - one for each major UNIX chip). As for database they use
    on UNIX - Starbase (?) - or product X. (By the way - the PH interface
    to Oracle is due in September time - that could be a route for
    disaffected Oracle users to port over to something useful like Rdb).
    
    
376.5HGOVC::DEANGELISTie me rickshaw down sportFri Jun 30 1989 09:126
    Re .-1.
    
    Cognos is now a competitor - they have announced their Starbase for VMS
    									---
    
    John.