Jonathan Gennick wrote:
> 
> I'm intrigued by the fact that Red Hat plans to derive a new database
> from PostgreSQL, name it the "Red Hat Database", and attempt to
> compete in the database marketplace. Just a couple years ago, Red Hat
> and Oracle seemed to be fairly tight. What happened to break them up?
> 
> Red Hat has some good name recognition, and PostgreSQL is well
> respected. Should Oracle worry? Does Red Hat have a good chance at
> garnering some marketshare at the low end?
> 
> Best regards,
> 
> Jonathan Gennick
> mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] * 906.387.1698
> http://Gennick.com * http://MichiganWaterfalls.com * http://MetalDrums.org

Jonathan,

   I am very interested too. Seems to be a testing time for Oracle.
Microsoft-bashing is  a popular enough sport for them not too be worried
about SQL Server spilling out of the MS-only world. But Red Hat, which
benefits from public sympathy, could probably be a significant threat at
the low end, and more so with the obvious current pressure of DB2 at the
other end. Oracle do not really seem to have made up their mind about
Linux, and they just happened to be, well, squeezed may be too strong a
word, but assailed at both ends by avowed Linux enthusiasts. I am pretty
shocked in fact by the current IBM-bashing in Oracle ads (all the more
as IBM have always refrained from competitive advertising), and there is
a point where aggressivity is just an expression of fear. Anyway, all
they have succeeded in doing is bringing my attention anew to DB2 (which
I have not practiced since 1990). It will be interesting to see whether
they behave the same against Red Hat. If they do, it will mean
something.

I have known a time when Oracle's foe was Ingres. Then, the first time I
heard the name of Sybase was in early 1987 from the lips of Derry
Kabcenell, at an internal Oracle meeting, as the answer to a question
asked by a salesman 'Oracle apart, what is the best RDBMS today?'. After
the System 10 flop, Oracle reigned unquestioned, vaguely annoyed by SQL
Server. I find today's situation sounder. 

Regards,

Stephane Faroult
Oriole Corporation
Voice:  +44  (0) 7050-696-269 
Fax:    +44  (0) 7050-696-449 
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