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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

490.0. "Would Sales still bring them in?" by CISM::MORAN (When Money Speaks The Truth is?) Wed Nov 15 1989 21:20

    IBM just bought CADAM a strategic CAD vendor in the Aerospace &
    Automotive marketplace.  One of the reasons given was that they
    did not want this strategic application getting into unfriendly
    hands.
    
    The question I have is what if IBM or HP or Far East Inc etc purchases
    Oracle.  What would the impact be to DEC?  
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490.1No DifferenceSQLRUS::BOOTHWhat am I?...An Oracle?Sat Nov 18 1989 17:5511
    Not much impact. Oracle is already selling Sequent very hard. If they
    switched to pushing HP or IBM, then Digital accounts would simply be
    moved to that hardware environment rather than Sequent (as is currently
    happening) or NCube (as will be attempted next year).
    
    Further, IBM has no interest in Oracle as Oracle is no threat to them.
    They have only 1% of the IBM market. HP has no use for them as Oracle
    is only 0.16% of HP's overall market, and behind Informix and Ingres on
    HP RISC.
    
    ---- Michael Booth
490.2We would be exposedCISM::MORANWhen Money Speaks The Truth is?Mon Nov 20 1989 17:2017
    RE -1
    
    Your absolutley right in your analysis of Oracle not being a threat
    to HP or IBM.  However, if you were in Armonk and wanted to attack
    the DEC database clients would buying Oracle cause us problems?
    I would bet it would cause major problems! That's why the comparison
    was made to look at what IBM did in purchasing  CADAM.  CADAM has
    significant CAD marketshare on IBM platforms in the Aerospace an Auto
    industries.  They are/were converting to the VAX platform - we could
    have done a number on the installed base (mainframe running CADAM)
    on price performance.  Our chances of that happening are dealt a
    severe setback now.  My contention is if IBM purchases ORACLE they
    would immediatly have access to a significant DEC installed base.
    I see potential problems in the above scenario.  Am I wrong?
    
    
    
490.3It No WorkBANZAI::BOOTHWhat am I?...An Oracle?Mon Nov 20 1989 22:2620
    Your analogy is flawed in one way. CADAM is software that leverages
    desktop hardware sales. Oracle is software (RDBMS) that leverages more
    software sales, and hardware is an incidental.
    
    CADAM fits IBM's desktop plans in that it could drive a lot of RT PC
    sales. Oracle fits no IBM plans that I know of. It is direct
    competition for an IBM product, DB2. It has no presence in the IBM
    market. It would be extremely expensive.
    
    IBM's plan has been brilliant. They have boght pieces of small software
    companies that have applicvations in what IBM considers strategic
    markets. Oracle is not small, nor are they a significant factor in
    Unix. If IBM considered Unix important, they would buy Informix.
    Consequently, you want me to beleive that IBM would spend more than $1
    billion just to stick a thorn in Digital's side? Not at all likely.
    
    Secondly, Oracle is exteremly expensive. The cost of Oracle software on
    IBM hardware would be doubly prohibitive. 
    
    ---- Michael Booth
490.4What if CA bought Oracle...60996::CLEARYA deviant having fun..."Tue Nov 21 1989 14:326
    Ah, but what if CA were to buy Oracle ?  That would be a dilemma.  We
    (well HPS) are forging closer links to CA to get mainframe
    class/compatible management tool as well as financial appliactions. 
    Their Cullinet database is hardly a threat, but Oracle, hmmm.
    
    -mark
490.5How big is Oracle on Unix?IJSAPL::OLTHOFHenny Olthof @UTO 838-2021Wed Nov 22 1989 08:499
    .3
    
    Michael,
    
    How big is Oracle in Unix? We have the figures for IBM, HP, DEC and
    PC's but how about Unix. My customer keeps on asking that.
    
    
    Henny
490.6ORACLE #1 in SoftwareCLOVE::SILVERBERGWed Nov 22 1989 13:3823
    re.5
    In the latest issue of UNIXWORLD (DEC 89), the top 10 UNIX Companies
    were highlighted, based on FY89 results.  The top 5 hardware vendors 
    were:
    
                         1). Hewlett-Packard       $2.1B UNIX Revenue
                         2). Sun Microsystems      $2.1B UNIX Revenue
                         3). Digital Equipment     $1.3B UNIX Revenue
                         4). Unisys Corp.          $800M UNIX Revenue
                         5). IBM Corp.             $750M UNIX Revenue
    
    The top 5 software vendors were:
    
                         1).  ORACLE Corp.         $200M UNIX Revenue
                         2).  INFORMIX Software    $100M UNIX Revenue
                         3).  The SCO              $ 85M UNIX Revenue
                         4).  Relational (INGRES)  $ 55M UNIX Revenue
                         5).  Interactive Systems  $ 50M UNIX Revenue
    
    Send me mail if anyone wants copies of the details.
    
    Mark
    
490.7Which Share?NOVA::BOOTHWhat am I?...An Oracle?Wed Nov 22 1989 14:5415
    I'm sure Oracle is the biggest in terms of revenue. They are also the
    biggest in revenue in PCs and mainframes, where their market share is
    miniscule.
    
    On Ultrix, Ingres has about 27% of the market, Oracle about 18%.
    On HP-UX, Informix (27%) is the leading vendor followed by Ingres
    (20%), then Oracle (16%). Worldwide in Unix, Informix is by far the    
    market share leader with Ingres second.
    
    The problem with revenue share is that product prices skew the numbers.
    If Oracle sells 80% less than another vendor, but the Oracle prices are
    100% higher, then Oracle leads in revenue. That's very deceptive in
    terms of market ownership.
    
    ---- Michael Booth