--- In Firebird-general@yahoogroups.com, "paulruizendaal" <pnr@j...>
wrote:

>
> This puts them in trouble: $20 mln isn't enough to support a company
> with 100+ staff, their original market place (low end LAMP) is being
> eaten by SQLLite and IBM and alike are moving in on high-end LAMP.

So

> now they want to move to the largest growth market around: SME
> databases.
>
> That space is traditionally occupied by the client/server people:
> SQLServer/MSDE and Firebird/Interbase, so they have to catch up on
> features with these products and build up the credibilty that *we
> already have*. Yet, they are benefitting from a gradual switch from
> (fat) client/server to browser-based client/server.

So, my opinion is - Firebird must fight for that market place. Forget
about LAMP (or whatever else). Let's be better and better in SME
market. It looks like that market is stable enough and will never end.
If we convince that part of market that Firebird is good enough,
customers will use Firebird and after they grow as large enterprises.
Or large enterprises will look about cheaper solution in SME market.
So from my point the SME market is good enough for us (and Firebird)
and it is import part of whole market.

> If we position ourselves, we have to position versus all of Oracle,
> DB2, SQL Server and MySQL. These systems, and us, are the only 5

with

> an installed base larger than 1 million. All others are way less.
>
> Of course, we don't have $70 million sitting in the bank. Is that

the

> only route though? In the last 3 years we have seen many
> internet/commmunity based campaigns that were very successful. Think
> Pamela Jones and Groklaw. Think Firefox.
>
> Interbase lost the first DB marketing race in the early 90's. Let's
> make sure we at least fight for our ground. There won't be a third
> chance.

Absolutely - let's fight about SME market - not for all database
installation in whole world ;).