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RE: some interesting news from the linux arena




On Sun, 9 Sep 2001, Tzahi Fadida wrote:

> medium business have the choices to use an individual database which can
> be Small version of oracle that DONT COST SO MUCH as some of you voted,
> or PostgreSQL, etc... but if you were sitting on their side (and weren't
> so touchy about linux) you would choose whatever Complete Solution you
> perefer, and postgreSQL don't have that.

actually, you weer making at least one assumption, that is often invalid -
that whoever buys a database, buys is to be used in-house, and this is not
true for companies that sell software systems. in various markets (network
management systems is where i come from) you need to have the software
store data in a database. and you sell this software (alng with the
database behind it) in many copies. and if you built your software on top
of oracle, you need to pay royaltees based on the number of copies you
sell. and that could ammount to a _lot_ of money.

so what do you do? you go for some database that does NOT require paying
royalties. you are willing to pay for your own copy of the development
platofrm (including paying for support) - cause that ammount is affected
by the number of developers, not the number of copies you eventually sell,
and thus is often a fixed ammount.

so in _this_ arena, PostgreSQL can definately come into play. and this
got nothing to do with linux at all - it got to do with royalties.

and btw, the same goes for other products where the ammount of money you
need to pay for royalties makes it more profitable to write the relevant
product yourself, or use a lesser product, and spend some of the money you
saved on royaltees, to go around its limitations an in-completness. and i
have seen this happen in a few real businesses.

btw, unlike you, i don't make a claim that i'm familiar with the entire
computer software systems market, so i'll not make a claim that what i say
is valid for everybody. i claim its valid for _some_ businesses, and those
are businesses that PostgreSQL support can potentially be sold to. how
many? if i knew, i'd be running such a business myself and collect the
money - wouldn't i? (ok, i wouldn't, cause it'd bore me). lets just wait a
year or two and see..

--
guy

"For world domination - press 1,
 or dial 0, and please hold, for the creator." -- nob o. dy


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