Mr. Fuller.

Based on my perception (and the perception of others I know) of how you,
and your organization, have mishandled the entire Interbase product for
the last 18 months, makes truly wonder how you became the CEO of the
Borland/Inprise organization.

First, you don't commit any real resources to product development and/or
marketing. This results in most of the product group quitting. This
sends a message to the entire IB community that you don't care at all
about the product or the developers which use it. (For myself, I thought
the product was dead and actively began investigating other solutions)

Then, you announce that IB's going to open-source within six months.
(For myself, I thought the product was now on life support -- I could
not see how a complicated product like IB could be developed by a
uninformed [relatively] community).

Then, there the announcement that Ann and Paul will be part of the
management team for the new company and with Jim Starkey taking a
technological/consultative role. This addresses some of the concerns
amonst the community and certainly envigorates ideas regarding the
technical direction of the product. (Based on the management group, I
not only decide to not write off IB but actually become very keen on
where I see the product going)


Here comes the enfuriating part!!!

The developer/user community and myself has been building and eagerly
waiting for the source, software deployment plans made.

You have had SIX months (a lifetime in Internet years) to get this
deployed, and as far as anyone can tell -- you've just haven't cared!!!


The bottom line,

You have a dead product (IB 5.6), you have an opportunity to extract
some value for it.

There is an excelent opportunity to exploit the growing open-source
market, there are few competitors. But this is changing -- existing
products are improving at internet speed and new products are appearing.
This window is closing...

Unless you get your act in gear and release the source TODAY -- to allow
for the Cobalt announcement to proceed -- you will probably loose Ann,
Paul, Jim and along with them, me and probably the rest of the IB
community!

As a community, we looking for real action and decision (not some meally
mouth excuse about 'the lawyers').



Sean Leyne
Atkin & Associates