Patrick wrote:
> Are companies going for Linux because they can't compete with MS
> in Windows, does this mean all Borland Windows products are under
> threat?
(and many others wrote along similar lines).
I don't share the fear that more Linux means less Windows. This
is not a zero-sum game, especially in terms of marketing power
and hence acceptance.
I visited Scott's Valley a few days ago and have been following
the general comments from developers encountered in the US
and on other lists. Here's some distilled feedback:
Some pluses of the Corel/Inprise merger (and the Linux trends in
general):
* Combined customer base just went up by a factor of ten
* Corel shipped more copies of Linux OS last year than any other
vendor, including Red Hat (i.e. they're the major player in Linux
right now)
* Developers who have backed Delphi will have a FAR easier
migration/cross-platform path than, say, a VB or VC++ users.
Our investment in learning this tool for so long has just been
multiplied, if we want to take advantage of it.
* In contrast, the day MS releases VC++ for Linux is the day
they give up the OS business -- therefore developers using their
products will remain trapped.
* Corel/Borland have a history of cooperating -- witness Paradox
and Quattro-Pro purchases by Corel in the past decade. That
helps a little, compared to a buyout by some other company
such as Sun.
* We get to forget the Inprise brand, but the Borland one
continues its comeback!
Some minuses of the merger:
* Corel's marketing "strengths" are similar to those of Inprise --
witness the marketing demise of Corel Ventura Publisher during
the past decade
* Corel needs to learn what are the key assets in the Borland
stable -- thus, we should hasten to tell them!
Overall, I'd give the buyout a "B", with a strong element of wait
and see for the time being. I'm certainly not crying about it, that's
for sure. Ditto the Interbase changes -- some really promising
possibilities are now in play, not to mention considerably
more/favourable media attention.
cheers,
peter
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Peter Hyde, WebCentre and SPIS, Christchurch, New Zealand
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