[Info-vax] Final Orace release on VMS.

[Arne Vajhøj]

On 11/12/2020 9:09 PM, Kerry Main (C.O.V.) wrote:
> Fwiw, I believe that the big (and very, very expensive) software makers like
> Oracle, IBM, SAP are in for a few tough years ahead.
> 
> In the enterprise space, while the last 10 years was all about reducing IT
> and hardware costs (x86 virtualization,  DC consolidation etc.), the next
> 10+ years is going to be about reducing IT software costs.

That trend has already existed from several years.

The market share of expensive OS, app servers software, database server
software has dropped sharply. Free open source and low cost commercial
software based on open source has exploded.

But so far Oracle has done OK.The majority goes for the low cost
solutions. Many of Oracle's competitors has gone or are struggling.
But Oracle seems to have a big enough part of the high end market to
still make their numbers.

IBM has sort of prepared for the new world by buying Redhat.

> More and more enterprise Customers are going to be looking for "good enough"
> (but exponentially cheaper) DB solutions in the same way that Enterprise
> Customers for last 10+ years switched from higher end hardware platforms
> (SPARC, ALPHA, PA-RISC etc) because the alternative platforms (X86-64) were
> not necessarily better, but rather "good enough", and much cheaper.

In the database market MySQL/MariaDB and PostgreSQL are doing
very well.

So are the NoSQL databases.

> Rdb on OpenVMS X86-64 is great news.
> 
> However, in future, my $.02 is that VSI is better to create a better and
> more competitive platform for alternative App/DB solutions than to spend
> significant resources chasing after Oracle Classic.

VMS customers are not known for jumping the latest.

:-)

But some low cost options for new VMS customers could be a very
good thing long term.

Arne