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| Title: | The Digital way of working |
|
| Moderator: | QUARK::LIONEL ON |
|
| Created: | Fri Feb 14 1986 |
| Last Modified: | Fri Jun 06 1997 |
| Last Successful Update: | Fri Jun 06 1997 |
| Number of topics: | 5321 |
| Total number of notes: | 139771 |
3375.0. "Rdb Communications kit" by OOTOOL::TAYLOR () Wed Sep 07 1994 21:36
Attached are resources you can use to get your questions answered as well as a
communications kit including a pointer to a scripted customer presentation.
Notes File: NOVA::RDB_TRANSITION
Phone/Fax Numbers for Customers and Partners
If customers or partners need clarification that you
cannot provide:
In the US refer them to 1-800-DIGITAL.
In Europe, they can call 353 91 754 567.
The world-wide fax number is 1-603-881-1868.
RDB_NEWS@Wilbry.enet.dec.com is the Internet address.
Internal Contact for Sales Reps
If you need further information, send e-mail to Wilbry::RDB_NEWS and
your questions will get a prompt reply. All of the materials
enclosed are available on public directory
WILBRY::RDBNEWS$PUBLIC.
Communications Kit Contents:
Announcement at a Glance
Here is a one page version of the key messages
involved in this announcement.
Press Release
This is the official notification that went out over
the Business Wire at the time of announcement and
will be the basis for what is picked up by the
media. This is a public document.
It will be posted on INTERNET and will be
available on VTX.
Customer Letters
There are 3 versions of a letter from Enrico
Pesatori and Ray Lane that outline the announcement
for Rdb customers, Rdb and Oracle customers and Rdb
partners. Use the appropriate letter as a cover
letter on your customer mailing.
Q&A
This document is for internal use only. Do NOT
distribute this externally.The first section contains
4 main Q&A's that cover the basic announcement. This
if followed by more comprehensive Q&A's. These should
help you anticipate some possible customer questions
from a number of perspectives.
Customer Presentation
This is a Powerpoint presentation that puts this
transaction into context and explains our strategy.
This postscript file (not included in this kit)will
be available on the Integrated Repository, in the
presentation subcategory (Object ID number is
OL0057).
ANNOUNCEMENT AT A GLANCE
On September 1, 1994, Oracle Corp. and Digital Equipment
Corporation made several significant announcements. The
announcements address two areas. First, Oracle has acquired
Digital's Rdb database and repository businesses, including
all software products and customer support services. Oracle
has also extended offers to Digital's database and repository
engineering, marketing and support staff as a part of the
agreement, and will complete the scheduled enhancements
to the product set. Second, Oracle and Digital announced a
new strategic relationship encompassing the availability of
Oracle's major product lines on Digital systems; the
availability of the Oracle Media Server on Digital's video
server; and reseller agreements.
Oracle Acquires Rdb and Repository businesses for $108
million in cash. The agreement includes:
* Digital's widely-used Rdb relational database management
system.
* Digital's CDD/Repository (and CDD/Administrator), Digital's
core repository business.
* Digital's DBA Workcenter, an integrated toolset for
database administration and tuning, including RdbExpert,
DECtrace, Graphical Schema Editor, InstantSQL. Additional
products included in the agreement are DEC Rally and DEC
DBMS.
* All of Digital's related support services.
Oracle Announces New England Development Center.
* Oracle extends offers to 250+ related Digital engineers,
management and support employees worldwide.
* New England Development Center to focus on scheduled
enhancements of the product set and integration of select
technology with Oracle's product roadmap.
* Oracle to add a Colorado Springs Rdb Support Center to its
worldwide customer support services network.
Oracle Brings Product Suite to Key Digital Platforms.
* Oracle adds support for Digital's Windows NT for Alpha AXP
in addition to existing support for OpenVMS VAX, OpenVMS AXP
and DEC OSF/1 AXP platforms.
* Oracle products targeted for these platforms are Oracle7
parallel database, Oracle cooperative Development Environment
(CDE), and Oracle Cooperative Applications Release 10.
* Oracle will make Oracle Workgroup Server product available
on Digital's Windows NT for Intel platform.
Oracle, Digital Bring Oracle Media Server to DEC OSF/1 AXP.
* Oracle and Digital to joint bid solutions in interactive,
information highway proposals
Oracle and Digital Enter Into Reseller Agreements.
* Digital will sell Oracle products including Rdb, Oracle7,
CDE and Oracle Applications.
* Oracle will sell Digital's transaction processing and data
integration software products.
* Other components of the agreement include cross-training,
joint marketing activities and the continuation of the
companies' Enterprise Solutions Program.
Digital Press Contact: Chuck Malkiel
508/493-4164
ORACLE ACQUIRES DIGITAL'S RDB, REPOSITORY AND DBA WORKCENTER
BUSINESSES
Oracle Retains Digital's Rdb Employees and Support Services
Worldwide Companies Expand Strategic Relationship
Redwood Shores, Calif., Sept. 1, 1994 -- Oracle Corp. and
Digital Equipment Corporation today announced the signing of
agreements providing for the acquisition by Oracle of the
assets of Digital's Rdb database, CDD/Repository and the DBA
Workcenter suite of database administration tools and all
corresponding support businesses for $108 million in cash.
The acquisition will be accounted for as a purchase
transaction.
As part of the agreement, Oracle is making every effort to
retain the employees related to these businesses. Employment
and incentive offers have been extended to approximately 250
Digital engineers, management and support employees
responsible for the development and maintenance of the Rdb
database and repository businesses. To facilitate a smooth
transition of the Rdb development team, continue product
delivery commitments, and provide continuity for Rdb
customers worldwide, Oracle announced that it will create the
Oracle New England Development center, the first such
facility for Oracle in the U.S. based outside California.
Oracle will also a Colorado Springs Rdb support center to
its worldwide customer support and services network.
Employees in other worldwide locations will be integrated
with existing Oracle operations in those countries. These
steps ensure that customers will continue to benefit
substantially from the same products, support and service
that they receive today.
Oracle's intention is to make significant investments in
the Rdb technology set. Oracle will continue to enhance its
capabilities and quality and will extend the existing gateway
technology for connectivity between Rdb and the Oracle7
parllel database to ensure interoperability between the two
database server products. In addition, Oracle will complete
announced porting plans for Rdb to operating systems such as
DEC OSF/1 and Windows NT for Alpha AXP. Oracle will create an
Rdb Customer Advisory Council to ensure an open forum on Rdb
future directions.
"We are extremely pleased to welcome the Rdb product line
and its world-class customer base into the Oracle family,"
said Raymond J. Lane, Oracle's executive vice president and
president of Worldwide Operations. "As exhibited by our
commitment to the development and support centers and their
employees, we are ensuring a seamless and professional
transition for customers worldwide.
"This agreement strengthens our partnership with Oracle
and confirms our business strategy to focus on our core
competencies and to cooperate with our partners. Even more
importantly, it guarantees the continued development and
support for Rdb and a smooth transition for our customers,"
said Enrico Pesatori, vice president and general manager of
Digital's Computer Systems Division. "We are confident that
our customers will be pleased with the level of commitment
Oracle brings to the database product set, and we look
forward to our future work together."
Digital will continue to be responsible for all existing
contracts through expiration or for fifteen months (whichever
is shorter) while Oracle will act as the service provider.
Thereafter, customers will be able to take direct advantage
of Oracle's service and support offerings. Digital will
continue to offer consulting services for the Rdb product
set, and will add consulting support for Oracle7 products.
All agreements will be effective upon the close of the
transaction, pending government approvals.
Rdb third-party vendors and many existing Rdb resellers
will have the opportunity to join Oracle's Business Alliance
Program, enabling them to take advantage of a variety of
programs and services designed to make them more successful
in creating complementary products and selling Oracle
technology.
"As the vendor of PowerHouse, the leading 4GL development
tool for Rdb environments and also as a supplier of tools for
Oracle7, we know what a powerful combination these products
provide to customers," said Ron Zambonini, president, Cognos,
Inc. "Cognos has long-standing relationships with both
Digital and Oracle, and we are enthusiastic about the
agreement."
"We think Oracle's acquisition of Rdb is very positive for
third-party developers such as IBI and for customers," said
Gerald D. Cohen, president, Information Builders, Inc. "As a
leading provider of tools for both the Oracle and Rdb
databases, we see a high degree of synergy in the
technologies and the emphasis of both these companies
enterprise-wide applications."
EXPANDED STRATEGIC RELATIONSHIP
As part of the agreements, Oracle and Digital outlined an
expanded strategic relationship encompassing the availability
of Oracle's major product lines on Digital systems; the
availability of the Oracle Media Server on Digital's video
server hardware; and reseller agreements. In addition,
Oracle and Digital reaffirmed their commitment to continue
the joint development and marketing activities previously
announced in July as part of the Enterprise Solutions
Program.
Expanded Oracle Product Availability To further integrate
product offerings, Oracle will port Oracle7, Oracle
Cooperative Development Environment (CDE) and Oracle
Cooperative Applications to Digital's Windows NT for Alpha
AXP platform. These Oracle products already support
Digital's OpenVMS VAX , OpenVMS AXP, DEC OSF/1 AXP. Oracle
will also make available its low-end Oracle Workgroup Server
product on Digital's Windows NT for Intel platform.
Oracle Media ServerOracle and Digital will collaborate to
bring the Oracle Media Server to the DEC OSF/1 AXP platform.
The companies will include each others products on a non-
exclusive basis in "information highway" business proposals.
The Oracle Media Server, introduced by Oracle in Feb.,
1994 is a digital "multimedia library" that stores, retrieves
and manages all forms of information: video, audio, images,
text and tables. It has been chosen for the delivery of
interactive services by BT (formerly British Telecom), Bell
Atlantic, Bell South, and US West. It is also a part of the
first deployment of interactive multimedia services in
Ipswich, Suffolk County, UK by BT.
Reseller Agreement
Under the agreements, Digital will resell and distribute
Oracle software products as part of Digital's hardware server
sales efforts as well as its Multivendor Customers Services
offerings. Digital's sales force will be compensated to sell
both Oracle7 and Rdb offerings in addition to Oracle CDE
development tools and Oracle Cooperative Applications.
Oracle will resell Digital's transaction processing and data
integration software products.
Oracle sales training and certification programs will be
extended to the Digital sales force. As well the companies
will work on joint marketing activities including advertising
and direct marketing to promote their solutions.
Digital Equipment Corporation is the world's leader in open
client/server solutions from personal computing to integrated
worldwide information systems. Digital's scalable Alpha AXP
platforms, storage, networking, software and services,
together with industry- focused solutions from business
partners, help organizations compete and win in today's
global marketplace.
Oracle Corp., a $2 billion company with headquarters in
Redwood Shores, Calif., is the world's leading supplier of
information management software. Oracle develops and markets
the Oracle7 family of software products for database
management; Cooperative Development Environment (CDE), a
complete set of CASE and application development tools for
enterprise-wide, client,/server computing; and Oracle
Cooperative Applications, packaged client/server solutions
for human resources, accounting and manufacturing. Oracle
software runs on personal digital assistants, PCs,
workstations, minicomputers, mainframes and massively
parallel computers. The company offers its products, along
with related consulting, education and support services, in
more than 90 countries around the world.
###
Note to Editors: The following are trademarks of Digital
Equipment Corporation: Rdb,
CDD/Repository, DEC, Digital, Alpha,
Alpha AXP, OpenVMS, VAX
The following are trademarks of Oracle
Corp.: Oracle, Oracle7, Cooperative
Development Environment, Cooperative
Applications, Oracle Media Server
Intel is a trademark of the Intel
Corporation
Windows NT is a trademark of Microsoft
Corporation
OSF/1 is a registered trademark of Open
Software Foundation, Inc.
September 1994
Dear Valued Digital Customer,
Oracle and Digital are pleased to announce their new
strategic alliance and Oracle's pending acquisition of
Digital's Rdb database, DBA Workcenter, and repository
businesses.
Pending government approvals, Oracle will acquire Rdb, the
CDD/Repository and the DBA Workcenter suite of database
administration tools. To ensure continuity of the timely
upgrades, service, and support that you have come to expect,
Oracle has extended offers to approximately 250 related
Digital engineers, management and support personnel. Digital
will continue to be responsible for all existing maintenance
contracts through expiration or for fifteen months,
whichever is shorter, while Oracle will act as service
provider for these contracts and will thereafter provide
support under Oracle's support offerings.
Oracle is also expanding the availability of its database and
multimedia software, application development tools and
application software on Digital platforms. In addition, the
two companies will sign reseller agreements in which both
companies are authorized to resell each other's selected
software products. Customers can choose to work with their
Digital account representative or establish a relationship
with an Oracle account manager.
To provide further information about these events, we are
including in this package our "Announcement-At-A-Glance" and
the Oracle and Digital press release. For additional
information, please call Oracle at 1-800- ORACLE1 in the U.S.
or 1-415-506-5701 outside the U.S. Or, contact Digital at
1-800-DIGITAL in the U.S., 353-91-754-567 in Europe, and
internationally via FAX 603-881-1868, or via electronic mail
to rdbnews@wilbry.enet.dec.com.
Digital is very pleased with this strategic partnership and
the benefits that it will bring to you, our important
customers. Oracle is committed to the Rdb, DBA
Workcenter, and repository product sets, the Digital
marketplace and you by providing you with the highest quality
products, services and support. Oracle welcomes you to its
growing family of global customers, and we look forward to
working together with you in the future.
Sincerely,
Raymond J. Lane Enrico Pesatori
Executive Vice President & Vice President &
President, Worldwide Operations General Manager
Oracle Corporation Computer Systems Division
Digital Equipment
Corporation
September 1994
Dear Valued Oracle and Digital Customer,
Oracle and Digital are pleased to announce their new
strategic alliance and Oracle's pending acquisition of
Digital's Rdb database, DBA Workcenter, and repository
businesses.
Pending government approvals, Oracle will acquire Rdb, the
CDD/Repository and the DBA Workcenter suite of database
administration tools. To ensure continuity of the timely
upgrades, service, and support that you have come to expect,
Oracle has extended offers to approximately 250 related
Digital engineers, management and support personnel. Digital
will continue to be responsible for all existing maintenance
contracts through expiration or for fifteen months, whichever
is shorter, while Oracle will act as service provider for
these contracts and will thereafter provide support under
Oracle's support offerings.
Oracle is also expanding the availability of its database and
multimedia software, application development tools and
application software on Digital platforms. In addition, the
two companies will sign reseller agreements in which both
companies are authorized to resell each other's selected
software products. Customers can choose to work with their
Digital account representative or establish a relationship
with an Oracle account manager.
To provide further information about these events, we are
including in this package our "Announcement-At-A-Glance" and
the Oracle and Digital press release. For additional
information, please call Oracle at 1-800- ORACLE1 in the U.S.
or 1-415-506-5701 outside the U.S. Or, contact Digital at
1-800-DIGITAL in the U.S., 353-91-754-567 in Europe, and
internationally via FAX 603-881-1868, or via electronic mail
to rdbnews@wilbry.enet.dec.com.
Digital is very pleased with this strategic partnership and
the benefits that it will bring to you, our important
customers. Oracle is committed to the Rdb, DBA Workcenter,
and repository product sets, the Digital marketplace and you
by providing you with the highest quality products, services
and support. As you are already a valued member of the
Oracle and Digital family of global customers, we look
forward to continuing to work with you in the future.
Sincerely,
Raymond J. Lane Enrico Pesatori
Executive Vice President Vice President and
& President, Worldwide Operations General Manager
Oracle Corporation Computer Systems Division
Digital Equipment
Corporation
September 1994
Dear Valued Digital Partner,
Oracle and Digital are pleased to announce their new
strategic alliance and Oracle's pending acquisition of
Digital's Rdb database, DBA Workcenter, and repository
businesses.
Pending government approvals, Oracle will acquire Rdb, the
CDD/Repository and the DBA Workcenter suite of database
administration tools. To ensure continuity of the timely
upgrades, service, and support that you have come to expect,
Oracle has extended offers to approximately 250 related
Digital engineers, management and support personnel. Digital
will continue to be responsible for all existing maintenance
contracts through expiration or for fifteen months,
whichever is shorter, while Oracle will act as service
provider for these contracts and will thereafter provide
support under Oracle's support offerings.
Oracle is also expanding the availability of its database and
multimedia software, application development tools and
application software on Digital platforms. In addition, the
two companies will sign reseller agreements in which both
companies are authorized to resell each other's selected
softwareproducts. Customers can choose to work with their
Digital account representative or establish a relationship
with an Oracle account manager.
Oracle will extend membership offers to Digital's RSVP,
database and repository business partners to join Oracle's
Business Alliance Program.
To provide further information about these events and to help
you educate your customers, we are including in this package
our "Announcement-At-A-Glance", the Oracle and Digital press
release, and other relevant information. As you begin
your customer communication program, please feel free to copy
and distribute the customer oriented materials. For
additional information, please call Oracle at 1-800- ORACLE1
in the U.S. or 1-415-506-5701 outside the U.S. Or, contact
Digital at 1-800-DIGITAL in the U.S., 353-91-754-567 in
Europe, and internationally via FAX 603-881-1868, or via
electronic mail to rdbnews@wilbry.enet.dec.com.
Digital is very pleased with this strategic alliance and the
benefits that it will bring to you, our important partners.
Oracle is committed to the Rdb, DBA Workcenter, and
repository product sets, the Digital marketplace and you by
providing you with the highest quality products, services and
support. Oracle welcomes you to its growing family of global
partners, and we look forward to working with you in the
future.
Sincerely,
Raymond J. Lane Enrico Pesatori
Executive Vice President Vice President and
& President, Worldwide Operations General Manager
Oracle Corporation Computer Systems Division
Digital Equipment
Corporation
FOUR MAIN Q&A'S
ORACLE RDB ACQUISITION AND
ORACLE/DIGITAL STRATEGIC RELATIONSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT
Q: Why is Oracle purchasing Rdb?
A: Oracle sees a great opportunity in the synergy between
the Rdb customers and their enterprise-wide,
mission-critical applications, and Oracle's core
competencies in supplying the technology and support for
these applications. In addition, Oracle is very pleased
to welcome the excellent Rdb engineering and support
talent, to acquire the Rdb award-winning technology, and
to significantly expand Oracle's strategic relationship
with Digital.
Q: Why is Digital selling Rdb?
A: Digital's product strategy is to focus on its core
competencies and team with vendors with complementary
products. As Digital realigns its product strategy,
Digital will focus its business on the following areas:
industry leading systems, world-class network and data
integration software, state of the art operating systems,
and multivendor support and consulting services. Digital
will serve its customer's database needs by delivering
open integration middleware products such as DB
Ingetrator and by working closely with leading database
vendors such as Oracle.
Q: How will customers benefit from this agreement?
A: Customers will benefit from this acquisition because of
Oracle's strong commitment to the Rdb customer base and
the Digital market. Oracle will enhance and maintain Rdb
and port Rdb to key Digital operating environments
including OSF/1 AXP and Windows NT. Digital and Oracle
will work together to ensure that Rdb and all other
Oracle products are optimized for the Alpha AXP systems
environment. In addition to this product commitment,
Rdb customers now have access to the world's largest
dedicated relational database support organization
for a wide range of services ranging from 24x7 telephone
hotline support to strategic planning for information
systems. Finally, Rdb customers can choose to purchase
the Rdb product from either Oracle or Digital; they can
maintain their relationship with the current Digital
sales team or develop a new one with the Oracle sales
team.
Q: What is the future of Rdb?
A: Customer satisfaction is extremely important to Oracle.
Oracle is committed to enhancing and maintaining Rdb and
is establishing an Rdb Customer Advisory Council to
ensure that customers continue to play a key role in the
future directions for Rdb.
Today Oracle offers Rdb customers with several database
options. Customers who want to stay with Rdb can
continue to take advantage of Rdb's unique features
such as mixed VAX and AXP cluster support. Customers who
want to coexist with Oracle can do so with products such
as Oracle's Transparent Gateway to Rdb or Digital's DB
Integrator. In the long term, Oracle plans to combine
the Rdb and Oracle product, therefore offering a superset
of functionality in an enhanced Oracle product set
ensuring smooth customer upgrades.
COMPREHENSIVE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
ORACLE RDB ACQUISITION AND ORACLE/DIGITAL STRATEGIC
RELATIONSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT
GENERAL:
Q: What is Oracle acquiring?
A: Oracle has acquired Digital's Rdb database and repository
businesses including all software products and customer
support services. Oracle has also extended offers to
Digital's database and repository engineering, marketing,
and support staff as part of the agreement. In addition
to the acquisition, Oracle and Digital announced
an extended strategic relationship encompassing the
availability of Oracle's major product lines on Digital
systems, the availability of the Oracle Media Server on
Digital's video server hardware, and several reseller
agreements.
Q: Why is Oracle purchasing Rdb?
A: Oracle sees a great opportunity in the synergy between
Rdb customers and their mission-critical applications,
and Oracle's core competencies in supplying the
technology and support for these applications. In
addition, Oracle is very pleased to welcome the excellent
Rdb engineering and support talent, to acquire the Rdb
award-winning technology, and to significantly expand
Oracle's strategic relationship with Digital.
Q: Why is Digital selling Rdb?
A: Digital's product strategy is to focus on its core
competencies and team with vendors with complementary
products. As Digital realigns its product strategy,
Digital will focus its business on the following
areas: industry leading systems, world-class network and
data integration software, state of the art operating
systems, and multivendor support and consulting services.
Digital will serve its customer's database needs by
delivering open data integration products such as DB
Integrator and by working closely with leading database
vendors such as Oracle.
Q: How will customers benefit from this agreement?
A: Customers will benefit from this acquisition because of
Oracle's strong commitment to the Rdb customer base and
the Digital market. Oracle will enhance and maintain Rdb
and port Rdb to key Digital operating environments
including OSF/1 AXP and Windows NT. Digital and
Oracle will work together to ensure that Rdb and all
other Oracle products are optimized for the Alpha AXP
systems environment. In addition to this product
commitment, Rdb customers now have access to
the world's largest dedicated relational database support
organization for a wide range of services ranging from
24x7 telephone hotline support to strategic planning for
information systems. Finally, Rdb customers can purchase
the Rdb product from either Oracle or Digital; they can
either maintain their relationship with the current
Digital sales team or develop a new one with the Oracle
sales team.
Q: What is the future of Rdb?
A: Customer satisfaction is extremely important to Oracle.
Oracle is committed to enhancing and maintaining Rdb and
is establishing an Rdb Customer Advisory Council to
ensure that customers continue to play a key role in the
product's future directions. Today Oracle offers Rdb
customers several database options. Customers who want
to stay with Rdb can continue to take advantage of Rdb's
unique features such as mixed VAX and AXP cluster
support. Customers who want to coexist with Oracle
can do so with products such as Oracle's Transparent
Gateway to Rdb or Digital's DB Integrator. In the long
term, Oracle plans to combine the Rdb and Oracle
products, therefore offering a superset of functionality
that ensures smooth customer upgrades.
Q: Why did Digital choose Oracle?
A: Digital wanted to place Rdb customers in the hands of a
company that understands the enterprise environment and
has a world-class level of service and support. Oracle
unquestionably meets and exceeds Digital's requirements.
Q: How will Oracle position Rdb vs. Oracle7?
A: Rdb offers a database application development environment
for customers committed to a Digital specific platform
solution. Oracle7 offers an open systems software
solution for customers with mixed computing environments.
Rdb fully supports OpenVMS VAX and AXP clusters and
permits upgrades from VAX to AXP without reloading the
database. It supports multiple versions on the same
system or cluster, online metadata changes, and
state-of-the-art tuning and DBA management features.
Oracle7 is the leading parallel database solution for
mixed computing environments. Its new Parallel
Everything architecture supports parallel query, parallel
index, parallel load, parallel backup, and parallel
recovery across SMP, clustered, and massively parallel
processing (MPP) systems.
Q: Will Oracle migrate Rdb customers to Oracle?
A: Oracle is highly committed to the Rdb customer base and
the Digital market. Today Oracle offers Rdb customers
several database options. Customers who want to stay
with Rdb can continue to take advantage of Rdb's unique
features such as mixed VAX and AXP cluster support.
Customers who want to coexist with Oracle can do so with
products such as Oracle's Transparent Gateway to Rdb or
Digital's DB Integrator. In the long term, Oracle plans
to combine the Rdb and Oracle product set to offer a
superset of functionality in the Oracle product set. Rdb
customers who want to move to Oracle can pursue this path
with Oracle's or Digital's consulting services. In the
long term Oracle plans to offer a database product which
is a superset of both Rdb and Oracle, giving customers a
uniquely smooth migration to Oracle. The direction for
this new product offering is to provide Rdb customers
with a set of steps which resemble an upgrade not a
conversion.
Q: When will we know more details on the product plans?
A: During the time period between signing the agreements and
closing, Oracle and the Rdb team will conduct an
Operations Review to map out additional details in such
areas as product plans, software packaging, and product
pricing. Oracle's goal is to articulate the details of
these plans shortly after government approval.
Q: How does this acquisition relate to the recently
announced Enterprise Solutions Program?
A: The Enterprise Solutions program is a new strategic
initiative between Oracle and Digital designed to provide
a comprehensive solution for customers seeking to
downsize from mainframe class computers to powerful,
open, relational systems. ESP will be delivered through
a complete program model, or "Virtual Corporation," where
customers will have the option to purchase products and
services from a single source.
BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL:
Q: Will Digital still be in the database business?
A: Digital has an open database strategy and will join with
its strategic vendors to meet customer requirements.
Although Digital will not build and market its own
general purpose database product, Digital will serve its
customers database needs by delivering open data
integration products such as DB Integrator and by working
closely with leading database vendors such as Oracle.
Q: How much revenue did Rdb generate last year?
A: In the last 12 months, the Rdb and related software
businesses brought in a little over the $108 million
purchase price.
Q: How much revenue is Oracle projecting to bring in the
coming months from Rdb?
A: It is Oracle's policy not to provide projections of
future revenues or earnings.
Q: How was the purchase made? How will this impact Oracle's
FYQ1 quarterly earnings?
A: The Rdb business acquisition is a cash transaction. It
is Oracle's policy not to provide projections of future
revenues or earnings.
Q: Does Oracle take over the payrolls of the Rdb personnel?
Will they be getting paycuts?
A: As part of the agreement, Oracle is making every effort
to retain the employees related to these businesses.
Employment and incentive offers have been extended to
approximately 250 Digital engineers, management, and
support employees responsible for the development and
maintenance of the Rdb database and repository
businesses. Over 95% of the offers have been accepted.
Q: What will be the pricing for Rdb? How will customers
react to being charged for Rdb? Hasn't it just been
included as part of a Digital hardware sale?
A: Once acquired, the Rdb product will be incorporated into
Oracle's product set using Oracle standard business
practices. Rdb will be priced using Oracle's standard
per-user pricing. Overall, we expect a positive reaction
from customers because we are extending the life of
the product and offering strong options to preserve their
investment. Digital will offer Oracle and Rdb
AdvantageServer hardware bundles so that both products
will be included in Digital hardware sales. Digital
will also have the rights to sell Oracle and Rdb products
combined with Digital software or hardware products and
services.
Q: Does this mean the price for Rdb will go up?
A: In some cases prices will go up and in other cases they
will go down. For example, the cost per-user for an Rdb
development license may go down while runtime license
pricing may be increased.
Q: How many Digital employees will be joining Oracle? How
does this affect Oracle's previous statement that it will
limit headcount in 1994?
A: Oracle is very excited about incorporating the high
quality Rdb management, engineering, and support talent
into the Oracle organization. With this transaction,
Oracle has extended offers to about 250 individuals from
Digital into its payroll. The majority of these will be
located in a new Oracle East Coast Development Center
based in Southern New Hampshire in the United States.
As announced, Oracle is expanding its business through
additional sales and distribution channels. In addition,
Oracle is acquiring this strategic business to increase
its revenue stream and to incorporate key Rdb
technologies into its product set.
Q: Which types of Rdb employees will join Oracle?
A: Oracle has made offers to all Rdb employees including the
engineering, product management, product marketing,
technical writing, customer support, and sales consulting
staff.
Q: Will the Oracle East Coast Development Center only
before Rdb engineers?
A: Yes, at this time the East Coast Development Center will
house the Rdb engineering and marketing staff.
Q: Does this acquisition indicate that Oracle will continue
to acquire other technologies and products to add to the
Oracle offering?
A: Oracle is evaluating strategic products to expand its
business into existing and new markets. The Rdb
transaction is part of this strategy.
Q: Will Rdb be its own product line within Oracle?
A: Yes. Rdb will be its own product line and will be
incorporated into Oracle's Product and Platform
Technologies Division.
PRODUCT AND TECHNOLOGY:
Q: Which specific products is Oracle acquiring?
A: Oracle is acquiring Rdb, its database repository, and
other related database administration tools. With this
agreement, Oracle will specifically own DEC Rdb,
CDD/Repository, DBA Workcenter (including Rdb
Expert, DECtrace, Graphical Schema Editor, InstantSQL),
DEC RALLY, and DEC DBMS.
Q: Will Rdb technology be rolled into the Oracle family of
products?
A: Advanced Rdb technologies will be selectively rolled into
future versions of Oracle products. The Rdb database
administration tools will be used to expand Oracle's
already extensive offering. High on the list is Rdb's
DBA Workcenter product that offers advanced database
monitoring and tuning products which will be enhanced to
work with the Oracle database.
Q: Will Rdb be ported to non-Digital platforms?
A: In addition to the current VAX OpenVMS and AXP OpenVMS
ports, Oracle will port Rdb to key Digital operating
environments including OSF/1 AXP and Windows NT. No
non-Digital ports are planned at this time for the Rdb
database though Oracle plans to integrate DBA Workcenter
into the Oracle product set and offer these products on
Oracle's key hardware platforms.
Q: How will products be shipped to customers?
A: As a Oracle product, Rdb will packaged on Oracle media
and in Oracle hardcopy and online documentation formats.
Q: Will Rdb versions now lag behind Digital OS releases?
A: This alliance ensures the Rdb team coming to Oracle has
the same access to pre-release and field test software
that they have always enjoyed. One of the reasons why
Oracle is establishing the East Coast Development Center
is to ensure that the Rdb organization has the easy
access to the people with whom they have worked closely
in other parts of Digital.
Q: Will Rdb be optimized for AXP OSF/1 or is it just for
OpenVMS customers?
A: The port to OSF/1 UNIX is in field test now and Windows
NT development is under way. Rdb is for all Digital
customers and will be optimized to use AXP's 64-bit
architecture to support customer VLDB requirements.
Q: Many Rdb customers rely on the tight integration of ACMS
and Rdb. How will this be supported by Oracle and
Digital?
A: Both Digital and Oracle recognize the importance of ACMS
to many of the largest Rdb customers. From a technology
perspective, the tight integration will not change. This
alliance includes agreements so that the same level of
integration will be maintained through pre-release and
field test programs. In addition, Oracle will be
reselling ACMS and both companies' consulting
organizations will be offering consulting
services for these products.
Q: Will Oracle change the name of Rdb?
A: Oracle plans to change the name of DEC Rdb to Oracle Rdb.
SERVICE AND SUPPORT:
Q: How will Rdb support contracts be handled?
A: Oracle is highly committed to supporting the Rdb customer
base. Rdb customer support personnel are transferring to
Oracle to ensure continuity with Technical Assistance
Requests. Until a customer's Rdb support contract
expires, Oracle will act as an agent for Digital to
continue providing support to these users. Digital
support terms and conditions will remain constant until
contract expiration or 15 months from closing, whichever
comes first. Additionally, a customer can choose to
convert to an Oracle contract before their contract
expires.
Q: Will support pricing change?
A: Pricing and some other operational details will be
determined during the Operational Review period between
signing agreements and closing. Any change in support
service pricing will be effective at the time a customer
renews or converts the Rdb support contract to an Oracle
contract.
Q: How will Oracle and Digital handle existing consulting
projects using Rdb?
A: Digital and Oracle Consulting will staff consulting
projects using Rdb. No Digital Consulting personnel will
be transferring to Oracle Consulting. This alliance
assures that the continued close relationship
between Digital and Rdb development to ensure projects
will come to completion.
Q: Will Digital Consulting have the option of supporting
non-Rdb databases in projects?
A: Of course. Digital Consulting has trained and continues
to train specialists and consultants in the use of
products other than Rdb. This is part of the general
philosophy of being able to undertake consulting
projects which are multi-vendor in nature.
Q: By purchasing all Digital products, customers had single
vendor support. It now appears this will no longer be
true.
A: Digital and Oracle will work together to ensure customers
receive high quality support services. The Rdb support
personnel will become Oracle employees so Oracle will
have the level of expertise required to
support Rdb and customers will continue to work with many
of the same personnel they have worked with in the past.
SALES AND MARKETING:
Q: How will Rdb be sold?
A: Both Oracle and Digital sales reps will be incented to
sell both the Oracle and Rdb products and support
services. Oracle sales reps will get Reseller credit for
every Digital sale. In addition, Oracle will be
incorporating this product into its established lead
generation and tracking procedures.
Q: Just how will Digital resell Oracle products?
A: For selected products, Digital can sell standalone
licenses, licenses in Advantage Server or other software
and hardware bundles, or embedded Oracle or Rdb licenses
in products such as CDD/Repository. With this agreement,
Digital can also establish reseller agreements with
Digital software that is packaged with full use or
runtime Oracle software as well as Digital hardware which
is sold bundled with full use or runtime Oracle.
Q: Will Oracle be training Digital sales people on how to
sell Oracle products?
A: As part of our longstanding strategic relationship,
Oracle has already trained hundreds of Digital sales and
sales consultants on Oracle products. This training
program will be extended and enhanced to ensure
Oracle product knowledge by the Digital distribution
organization. The Rdb organization will also train
Oracle sales and sales consultants on the product so that
they can sell Rdb effectively to new customers.
Q: How will Oracle sales sell Rdb?
A: Rdb product specialists from Digital's current Rdb sales
consulting team have been made offers to join Oracle and
will assist Oracle sales reps on Rdb sales. This model
is working successfully with other Oracle products such
as Oracle Applications.
Q: Will Rdb be proactively "pitched" to Oracle customers?
A: At least 30 product specialists will be responsible for
ensuring Oracle meets its sales targets for Rdb. In
addition, these technical specialists will be
cross-trained on both Oracle and Rdb products to
support customers' current technical requirements and to
help them with their short and long range Information
Systems strategies. For Oracle prospects with Digital
systems, Oracle sales reps will typically lead with
Oracle and offer Rdb to Digital customers who request it
or when the Rdb technology is better suited for the
customers total requirement.
Q: Will the Digital and Oracle sales forces be given a
special incentive to convert Rdb to Oracle?
A: No. Oracle is committed to the Rdb product and its
installed base. In the long term Oracle will combine the
Rdb and Oracle technologies into a single product with a
superset of the current product's capabilities.
Q: Which marketing programs will be jointly executed by
Digital and Oracle?
A: Oracle and Digital have committed 1/2 million dollars
each to an AXP upgrade marketing fund including
advertising, direct mail, seminars, field training and
other activities. The purpose of these activities is
to leverage upgrade sales for both companies.
Q: Rdb has had limited marketing this year -- does Oracle
intend to advertise the product?
A: Details of marketing plans will be developed during the
operational review period between signing agreements and
closing.
Q: Will Rdb Expo take place on October 10-12?
A: Yes, the event will take place as planned. The following
year, Oracle will combine the Rdb Expo with the
International Oracle User Week (IOUW).
Q: How will this agreement impact Oracle sales?
A: Oracle believes that this agreement will result in better
field teaming between Oracle and Digital, therefore will
increase sales in many regions of the world. The
combined Oracle and Digital sales forces in over 90
countries worldwide is one of the largest direct sales
organizations selling a relational database. To support
this effort, Oracle will co-implement with Digital
coordinated account plans and alliance recruitment
programs worldwide.
Q: To whom do I pay outstanding invoices?
A: Outstanding invoices should be paid to whomever (Oracle
or Digital) issued the invoice.
Q: If a customer has a question about interfacing Rdb with
other Digital products, who do they call?
A: Either Digital or Oracle. Digital will continue to have
product managers and field personnel familiar with how
Rdb interfaces with other Digital products. Oracle's
Rdb product specialists will also be available to answer
questions about these interfaces.
Q: What percentage of the database market does Oracle now
have?
A: Oracle does not calculate market share analysis and
leaves that to the industry analysts.
RELATIONSHIPS:
Q: How does this agreement impact Digital's relationship
with other database vendors?
A: Although Oracle and Digital are entering into an extended
strategic relationship, Digital has an open database
strategy and will maintain alliances with all key
database vendors.
Q: How does this agreement impact Oracle's relationship with
its other hardware vendors?
A: Digital is an important strategic vendor for Oracle.
Like Digital, Oracle has an open alliance strategy and
will maintain relationships with all strategic hardware
vendors.
CUSTOMER:
Q: I see this as a positive move. Which other Digital
products can I expect to see moving to other vendors?
A: Digital is committed to building alliances with vendors
who have the same engineering, service, and support
philosophy as Digital. Digital believes that Oracle is a
perfect example of this principle; Digital cannot imagine
a better corporate parent for the Digital database
business than Oracle.
Q: I see this as a negative move. How can I have confidence
in the future of other Digital software products?
A: Oracle is very committed to the Rdb customer base and
will support the Rdb product through its 4300+ support
and service personnel. In the 80s, Oracle's philosophy
was to grow its marketshare. In the 90s, Oracle has
moved to a service-oriented sales model which has been
well-received by Oracle customers. Oracle welcomes the
Rdb customers to its family of advanced software
solutions providers and users, and looks forward to
working closely with the Rdb customers in the future.
Digital is committed to building alliances with vendors
who have the same engineering, service, and support
philosophy as Digital. Digital believes that Oracle is a
perfect example of this principle; Digital cannot imagine
a better corporate parent for the Digital database
business than Oracle.
Q: Will the type of service change?
A: All supported Rdb customers with existing support
contracts will receive a joint letter from Digital and
Oracle's Worldwide Customer Support organization
explaining the extensive Oracle support offerings
and the process for renewing their contracts with Oracle.
Q: My support contract with Digital doesn't expire until
1995. Will I still be able to obtain support from
Digital?
A: Oracle is very committed to supporting the Rdb customer
base. Support terms and conditions will remain constant
until contract expiration or 15 months from closing,
whichever comes first. At contract expiration, customers
may renew their Rdb support agreements with Oracle.
Q: How does this agreement impact outstanding orders with
Digital? Will my current quotes be honored?
A: All outstanding Digital orders and contract renewals for
the Rdb and repository products will be processed by
Digital until closing is
complete. After closing, customers can purchase 1st year
support through either Oracle or Digital for new licenses
and renew existing support contracts with Oracle.
Q: Who do I call for support?
A: For Rdb technical questions, supported customers should
call Oracle at 1-800-223-1711 or you can continue to call
the Digital support number. Oracle and Digital will send
a letter to Rdb supported customers explaining the
extensive Oracle support offerings and the process for
renewing their contracts with Oracle.
Q: What happens if I have a problem that may involve both
Rdb and other Digital products?
A: Digital and Oracle have been supporting mutual customers
for years and the two support organizations already
communicate well to solve customer problems. The two
companies are now finalizing the details of a new support
agreement to formalize the relationship and maintain a
high level of customer support. Today when a customer
subscribes to Oracle's Worldwide Customer Support
services, the customer is ensured that Digital and Oracle
are communicating efficiently to solve the customer
issue.
Q: If a customer wished to undertake a conversion from Rdb
to another product, is Digital prepared to help with this
process?
A: Yes, both Digital and Oracle Consulting have expertise in
the use of many such products and can plan and implement
a conversion project.
Q: What do I do if I'm dissatisfied with Oracle?
A: If you are not satisfied with Oracle product, service, or
support, please escalate your concerns through Oracle's
senior management.
For sales issues, please escalate to the Worldwide
Distribution Regional or Area Vice President.
For Worldwide Customer Support, escalate any business
issues to Oracle Client Relations. For technical issues
related to a single Technical Assistance Request, please
escalate to the Duty Manager on call. For technical
issues related to multiple Technical Assistance
Requests, escalate to the Duty Manager on call. For
general issues, escalate to the Division Super Centre
Director. In the Americas contact Tom Holmes. In the
Europe, Middle East and Africa region, contact Mick
Stone. For Asia Pacific, contact John Darragh.
Of course, customers will continue to have the option of
working with their Digital sales representative or
establish a new relationship with the Oracle account
manager.
Q: Where do customers go for more information?
A: For additional information use the following contact
points:
Oracle: US Telephone 1-800-ORACLE1
Outside US Telephone 1-415-506-5701
Customer Support 1-800-223-1711
Business Alliance Partners 1-800-323-7355
Digital: U.S. Telephone 1-800-DIGITAL
Europe Telephone 353-91-754-567
FAX 603-881-1868
Internet rdbnews@wilbry.enet.dec.com
RESELLERS AND OTHER ALLIANCES
Q: I'm a reseller. How will the change in support
affect me and my customers?
A: Oracle is highly committed to providing excellent
technical support for all Rdb customers and resellers.
Rdb customer support personnel are transferring to Oracle
to ensure continuity with Technical Assistance Requests.
Until Digital Rdb support contract expiration,
Oracle will act as an agent for Digital, to continue
providing support to Rdb customers. Digital support
terms and conditions will remain constant until contract
expiration or 15 months from closing, whichever
comes first. Additionally, a customer can choose to
convert to an Oracle contract before their contract
expires.
Q: Will Rdb resellers continue to sell Rdb services?
A: Resellers that have a reseller agreement with Oracle to
sell Rdb or Oracle will be able to sell Oracle support
services. For more information resellers can call the
Business Alliance Program hotline at 1-800-323-7355.
Q: What will happen to the RSVP program under Oracle?
A: Oracle is pleased to extend membership offers to RSVP
members to join the Oracle Business Alliance Program
(BAP), a group of 4,000 software vendors worldwide. No
entry fee will be charged. To facilitate the offers, the
Oracle Rdb product management group will support BAP
management, therefore ensuring customer satisfaction
during the transition period. For information about
Oracle's Business Alliance Program, call the BAP hotline
at 1-800-323-7355.
Q: Will Digital be licensed to resell Oracle7 or Rdb to a
reseller or distributor?
A: With this agreement, Digital can establish reseller
agreements with Digital software that is packaged with
full use or runtime Oracle software as well as Digital
hardware which is sold bundled with full use or runtime
Oracle. Digital can establish these reseller agreements
with all Oracle products including Rdb, with the
exception of Oracle's Applications Products. In
addition, under Oracle's Business Alliance Program,
members who have value-added packages may appoint
resellers or distributors for Oracle. Furthermore,
Oracle and Digital have agreed to evaluate their joint
distribution strategy.
Q: I already have an Oracle relationship manager. Will that
person now represent Rdb as well?
A: Yes, upon closing, Oracle account managers are authorized
to sell Rdb.
Q: What will happen to DSRI?
A: DSRI will continue to be supported as a public interface
to Rdb.
Q: We resell Rdb. How will the pricing, terms, and business
practices change?
A: Specifics on Rdb business practices will be developed
during the operational review period between signing
agreements and closing. Until that time, resellers
should continue with the current business practices
as agreed to with Digital.
Q: Many leads for our Rdb product come from Digital sales.
How will this affect our leads process? What is my
relationship with Digital now?
A: This agreement should not affect your relationship with
Digital. The value that you provide to Digital as a
Digital platform software vendor does not change.
Digital will continue to resell Rdb, therefore, Digital
will continue to need Rdb-based applications and tools in
Digital accounts.
The lead exchange process with Digital should not
change either. In addition, Digital resellers who will
also sell Oracle will enjoy the benefits of lead
generation programs through Oracle's Business Alliance
Program such as seminars and other activities.
Q: How much of this information can I share with my
customers? Do you have a briefing package that we can
send them?
A: You may share this information with your customers.
Oracle is preparing a briefing package for all customers
that will be sent to you in the near future. In addition,
Oracle also invites the Rdb and related product resellers
to join your colleagues at both the Business Alliance
Program Conference (September 21 - 24, 1994) and the
Oracle International User Week (September 25-30, 1994).
If you didn't receive a briefing package and would like
one, please call 1-800-ORACLE1.
PARTNER-SPECIFIC:
Q: Oracle products are now on Digital's price list. Can we
place our applications and products on Digital's price
list?
A: Over the years, Digital has resold numerous third party
software products. We will continue to do so when it
makes good business sense for us and our customers.
Q: Digital has indicated that they would not compete against
partners yet your sales people can sell and are
compensated for Oracle applications; i.e., financial,
manufacturing, human resources. Is this competing with
partners?
A: Through joint engineering and marketing initiatives,
Digital is aggressively partnering with a number of
companies who offer solutions which may compete with
Oracle. We will continue to partner with these
companies. Note also that a number of our key
application partners rely on Oracle as their underlying
data base; our reseller arrangement with Oracle will in
some cases afford us improved synergies with these
applications partners.
Q: Given Digital's strategic relationship with Oracle, how
do I sell my products to Digital?
A: Each product competes on its own merits. Digital will
continue to use its normal evaluation criteria when
procuring software solutions.
Q: Will Digital continue to invest in third party database
accounts through seeds, engineering, marketing programs?
A: YES. Just as software vendors support multiple hardware
vendors, we will continue to partner with multiple
database vendors.
Q: Will distributors be allowed to sell Oracle products?
A: This topic is still under discussion. Decisions will be
made by product and the economics of distribution which
offer the ability to address target markets.
| T.R | Title | User | Personal
Name | Date | Lines |
|---|
| 3375.1 | just a minor nit | SULACO::JUDICE | May fortune favor the foolish... | Wed Sep 07 1994 23:39 | 6 |
|
In the customer letter, the E-mail address is rdbnews, not rdb_news.
/ljj
|
| 3375.2 | account info | OOTOOL::TAYLOR | | Tue Sep 20 1994 04:05 | 41 |
| The first phase of the Rdb transition to Oracle has gone quite smoothly. Most
customers have an initial negative reaction to the Rdb to Oracle agreement, but
then after seeing the customer presentation, they are no longer concerned. Now
we're on to the second phase and need your help.
We are compiling a list of "critical accounts" meaning those accounts that need
further attention (needs a customer visit or needs a specific concern
addressed, ie price increases.) Many, many accounts have had customer visits
already. If you have called on a customer, would you let me know the status of
that account? I am specifically interested in identifying possible trouble
accounts so we can address the problems - but good news is welcome too!
I welcome any information you can send me at OOTOOL::TAYLOR. If you happen to
have the time, I would appreciate if you could send the information to me in
this format:
Customer company name
Address
Customer contact customer phone
Customer contacted? Y/N
visit customer site:
VIA phone: Via Mail
Notes: (please write any pertinent info here such as: "Customer OK with Rdb.
Wants another visit when RALLY plans are confirmed and prices published" or
"This is a critical customer. Corporate visit needed ASAP"
Digital contact: DTN: EMAIL:
----------------------------------------------------------------
For more info on the Rdb transition, see the NOVA::RDB_TRANSITION notes file or
send mail to WILBRY::RDBNEWS.
Thanks for your help.
Regards,
Gale Taylor
|
| 3375.3 | announcing Rdb World | OOTOOL::TAYLOR | | Tue Sep 20 1994 17:50 | 21 |
| Rdb World - Database Information Management Conference
Waldorf Astoria Hotel 212-355-3000
New York, NY
November 14-16th 1994
A brochure with registration material will be mailed to 4700 people as soon as
it is off the press. A Fax and letter are also planned. If you do not receive
the brochure by Sept 30th call 609-845-7220 to register. A special edition of
the brochure is being prepared for the DBMS users.
----------------------------------------------------------
NOTE: We here in the Rdb group will support this show (run by Talley) as well
as the Client Server show in Chicago (run by DCI) in December.
As soon as I get a chance, I'll post the details of the 12-page brochure.
Gale Taylor
gale.taylor@zko.mts.dec.com
|