This week's blog was inspired among other things by the White Paper: Oracle Integrated Stack - Complete, Trusted Enterprise Solutions.
An open letter to Oracle CEO Larry Ellison:
Dear Mr. Ellison,
We have watched the evolution of Oracle with growing interest ever since you took over PeopleSoft and with that acquisition became the owners of J D Edwards, a company which, as you probably know, has had a long time affiliation with our platform of choice, the IBM i (formerly known as the AS/400). Our interest was further piqued when, in January of 2010, Oracle acquired Sun Microsystems thereby adding hardware and operating systems to its product line.
We found ourselves wondering whether it could indeed be that at last a major force in the computer industry had woken up to the needs of small and medium businesses for an integrated solution. One that would let them focus more on running their business and less on managing their hardware and software stacks. One that offered the possibility of not only simplifying the task of database management, but of improving database performance by pushing more functionality down into the operating system layer. It certainly looked as if this might be in the cards.
Subsequent announcements from Oracle have clearly identified that this is indeed a major theme for your company and we're thrilled. In our opinion, far too many businesses have been taken for a ride over the past few years. The snake oil salesmen promise them a "modern" solution with lower cost than their current system. What they eventually deliver of course is invariably a system that requires two, three or more times the number of servers originally proposed, not to mention the increased staffing levels needed to keep it all working. Of course, by the time they realize the trap that they have been led into, most are too committed, or just plain embarrassed, to admit that they made a poor choice.
So why are we writing? We want to wish you every success with your new venture. The businesses of North America, and indeed the world, deserve better than they have been getting. If Oracle's integrated platform is successful, perhaps - just perhaps - IBM will realize that they too own such a dream system. Perhaps your success will allow them to see with new eyes the treasure trove that they already have in their own IBM i systems and join you in the quest of bringing sanity, simplicity and reliability back to the business community.
Competition is good for all of us. We wish you luck - and may the best system win.
I couldn't agree more in wishing Oracle the best in coming up with the next generation integrated stack. Oracle has the tenacity to make it happen. IT shops around the world are thirsty for a full integrated stack from a major vendor at reasonable cost (i.e. reasonable at various levels/offerings from hobby developer to 1000+ employee company). If I had to put a thumb to it I would say Google, Amazon and Oracle have a solid chance at creating some interesting integrated stacks in the future. We shall see how this all plays out. Of course the players will change in the next few years because it is ANYBODY's opportunity right now.
IBM has many within it's walls that would love to play in this space - true believers and knowers of what IBMi could do if only allowed. The sad reality is that IBM can't move as fast as it needs to because of its existing infrastructure. They are making progress on the technological front with things like "Technology Refreshes", but that only fixes one part of the buggy - the other being company politics and funding of good ideas.
AaronBartell.com
Posted by: Aaron Bartell | June 29, 2011 at 07:45 AM
More importantly, Oracle may be able to re-acquaint the business world with real TCO analysis. Initial purchase/licensing costs seems to be as far as most business leaders get in a TCO evaluation... Here's to a future with smarter analysis from smarter business leaders! Cheers!
Posted by: Eric DeLong | June 29, 2011 at 10:03 AM
Anything that will promote an "apples to apples" comparison of solutions will be a plus. If Oracle brings the true TCO conversation into the light, then IBM i will shine. Better yet, Oracle doesn't have the reputation of being the low cost leader on any front, so chances are that in a side by side comparison of Oracle's solution to IBM i the i with have it.
I wish them well. They have a lot of catching up to do.
Posted by: Pete Helgren | June 29, 2011 at 11:19 AM
Not that competition between Oracle and IBM i should be taken lightly but there is an image of six technology company organizational charts floating around on the Internet. They're all humorous, but the one for Oracle gave me a real chuckle.
http://static7.businessinsider.com/image/4e0b340dcadcbbdd35120000/org-chart.jpg
-Nathan
Posted by: Nathan Andelin | June 29, 2011 at 04:34 PM
Do not expect the integrated stack from IBM. IBM got out of the applications business over 20 years ago. That was an intentional business strategy.
Posted by: Jim Mason | July 01, 2011 at 09:11 PM
@Jim "IBM got out of the applications business over 20 years ago. That was an intentional business strategy."
True Jim - but IBM will go where the money is and who is to say they won't get back into it? It wouldn't be the first time they have changed direction.
Isn't the cloud just the service bureau reinvented for the 2,000s?
Posted by: Jon Paris | July 05, 2011 at 12:38 PM