全球頂級CEO的演講Informix

IWUC 1998, The New Informix
By Bob Finocchio
President, CEO and Chairman


Ladies and Gentleman,

Good morning!

I feel greatly honoured to have this opportunity here today to introduce a new panorama of Informix to you. I'd like to thank you again for your attendance.

Now I would like to introduce the agenda for my speech. This speech will include three parts, namely, an introduction of the current state of the company, our products and goal for future development as well as some significant announcements in relation to future schedule.

As everyone knows, Informix has got rid of difficulties, and we are pleased to see that the company has been making profit.

Let's first look at the state of the company.

I'd like to give you a brief understanding of our company from the three aspects:

* Financial

Over the past few years, we have achieved great success in relation to our financial position. Various policies were adopted which enabled us to make great profit. These included:

* Restatement and restructuring
* Conservative revenue recognition
* Significant cost reduction without mortgaging the future
* Sufficient liquidity

The above can be clearly illustrated by the following two diagrams:

Diagram 1: From diagram 1 we can clearly see that for the year 1997, the revenue of the company was on the increase and the net income had achieved its surplus in Quarter 4 of 1997 comparatively speaking with the past three quarters of that year.

Diagram 2: Diagram 2 is a comparison between quarter 1 of 1998 and 1997. From the diagram we can see that the revenue for the 1st quarter of 1998 of the company is higher than that of 1997. In addition, the net income for quarter 1 of 1998 had reached a balance while that for 1997 was only a negative.

* People

We had reinforced the managerial level of the company which brought about a new outlook in the past few years. Some recruitment was made to the various bases of the company throughout the world. Our new players are:

CFO　　Jean-Yves Dexmier
VP North America　　Wes Raffel
General Counsel　　Gary Lloyd
CIO　　Tama Olver
VP Europe, Middle East, Africa　　Accepted, TBA

All made great contribution to the great progress of our company.

Of course, some of our experienced personnel were retained by the company:

CTO　　Mike Stonebraker
VP Asia Pacific　　Bill James

Thanks to their efforts that brought us to the way to the success. I'm proud of them.

* Controls and processes

Adjustment to the control systems of the company was made with a view to standardizing the operation of the company and improving the working efficiency as well as giving further supervision strength. Some specific methods are as follows:

* Having new reporting relationships and organizations to reduce the cost and improve the efficiency
* Appointed KPMG as independent auditors
* Outsourced internal audit to Arthur Andersen & Company
* Significant systems work underway. A new Informix appears, still we have more work to do…

In light of correct policy of New Informix and methods adopted, Informix had turned on a new look, which are reflected by the following four aspects and we are still looking for a greater prospect of New Informix:

Under the New Informix program，
* We deployed 3500+ energized and committed people, including:

~1000 in development
~2000 in the field
~124 offices worldwide

Our R&D power were strengthened, products quality got improved, and the market share is increasing greatly. Our products sales worldwide.

* We continue keep the database technology leader position on our way to greater success
* And continue focus on and winning in the growing segments of the database market
* One more exciting news is that our financial foundation restored

Next, I'd like to focus on our products and goal for future development.

The world we are facing today is an information world and one of the main challenge for enterprise IT is Information Explosion. DBMSs must evolve from four aspects, they must have more and more users, more and more data, multiple distributed locations and new types of data. Then why more and more customers choose Informix to keep a competitive edge in the field? The reason lies in Informix's:

1. Superior Technology: We provide our customer more CHOICES

Our leading Technology is widely recognized for its scalability, extensibility and manageability;
Open integration with leading tools and middleware
Products on UNIX, NT & Linux, we are the first in the world to support Linux. Our support of Linux brought a heat wave of developing products on Linux.

2. Partnerships: brings our customer more FLEXIBILITY

New distribution channels developed
New ISV/developer program
Industry focused solutions

3. Customer Care: provide faster and more effective RESPONSIVENESS

We could give fast and effective responsiveness for we have
New executive management team
High value-added consulting practice
Focus on training
Best-in-class service offerings

In order to get a better understanding of the company, we must get to know what business we are in. In one word, database powered solutions are our business! This is an extensive concept, which means Informix is able to deliver comprehensive database products and technology. This is clearly shown in the following diagram.

What's more, we should not forget some of the milestones Informix have made which contributed much to the information world. These are the recordings (7/97- Today):

* Product line simplification (11/97)
* Data Director for Web (12/97)
* MetaCube 4.0 (1/98)
* Record 1TB TPC-D on Sun Enterprise Cluster (2/98)
* Data Director for Visual Basic 3.0 (2/98)
* Universal Java Strategy (3/98)
* Informix Dynamic Server 7.3 (4/98)
* Advanced Decision Support Option 8.21 (4/98)
* Record 300GB TPC-D on Sun (4/98)
* Record Baan Benchmark on 64-bit HP (4/98)
* Data Warehouse FastStart Program (4/98)
* NT Developers Program (6/98)
* Dynamic 4GL (6/98)
* Extended Parallel Option 8.21 (7/98)

Informix has its leading edge in the high-performance OLTP which are reflected by the following advantages:

* Informix Dynamic Server 7.3-RAS---Most tested, resilient server delivered to date!
* Unprecedented reliability
* Enterprise manageability for true 365(24 availability
* Extend application investments
Dynamic 4GL
Open integration with leading tools

The advantages of this OLTP were further proved in 1998 from following aspects:

* Proven success in delivering high-performance OLTP solutions in 1998:

* Alaska Airlines: flight operation on NT
* Chase Cardmember Services: credit card processing and customer service
* Kroger: in-store systems and warehouse distribution center

Now let's turn to the other two significant contributions Informix has made, that is, delivering enterprise data warehousing/data mart solutions and enabling dynamic Web/ Content management solutions.

As for delivering enterprise data warehousing / data mart solutions, the following has been provided:

* Informix Dynamic Server with Advanced Decision Support Option- It provides more FAST data access, and the capability of analysis and management
* Unmatched optimized scalability from smallest data mart to multi-terabyte data warehouse, UNIX and NT
* Best-in-class consulting expertise
* Integrated web-delivered ROLAP analysis-Seamless Web analysis/server-based performance
* Superior price/performance-Best TPC-D benchmarks in the business
* Industry leading performance for successful data warehouse implementations in 1998:
* Telecom Italia- call traffic analysis and marketing
* Wegmans Food - frequent shopper program
* Woolworth's NZ - category management and analysis

As for enabling dynamic Web / Content management solutions, the following achievements were made:
* Bring the database discipline to the web - security, manageability, reliability, availability
* Java Integration - Natively integrate Java components inside the database to manage dynamic content
* Solving real business problems today:
* The BBC - digital content management
* Sabre Technology - universal data refinery
* Samsung Electronics - "Internet Album" PhotoZoom Website
* Seattle Times - web-based advertising

Finally, I'd like to make some significant announcements.

First of all, I'd like to say that Informix has the capacity to help you to reach a high performance developer environment - your CHOICE increases! This is guaranteed by the followings:

* Low cost development and deployment
* Re-invigorate your applications business
* Free development licenses
* Strong partnerships, which includes:
* General Manager, OpenLinux Division, Caldera
* Co-Managing Director & Co-Founder, S.u.S.E.
* VP Strategic Relations, Red Hat Software
* Senior Leader UNIX Software Group, Compaq, Executive Director, Linux International

I'd like to take this opportunity to say a few words on our cooperative relation with Linux.

* Tim Schaefer - Chairman, IIUG Linux Committee
* Carlton Doe - Director, IIUG Advocacy Program
* Fred Hubbard - President, IIUG
* Marco Greco, Bert Barbe, and the rest of the IIUG

To learn more about Informix on Linux:

* Two track sessions:
* Informix on Linux: Tools for the new enterprise
* Informix SE on Linux
* LINUX PAVILION: Caldera, S.u.S.E., Red Hat, and more…

1.Informix SE and ESQL/C on Linux:

* Informix scales the enterprises
* Single-user database for development or deployment
* Windows 95/98/NT
* Same architecture and AP1 as Informix Dynamic Server
* Small footprint

2.IDS-personal Edition:

* Speeds time-to-market for enterprise analytical applications
* Automates transfer of OLTP data
* Packaged solution

3.Informix Decision Frontier Solution Suite

Now that you've got a general idea on Informix, I believe it is the time for me to give a brief introduction to our goal of future development. In the future, Informix shall take continuous effort towards:

* Insanely fast OLTP
* Awesome end-to-end decision support solutions
* Absolute E-Commerce
* Harmonious legacy system migration

Recalling the past, we are proud that we have achieved great success, we have superior technology, quality products, powerful sales channel and strong partnership with world leading corporations; looking further into the future, we have the confidence that we will keep the leading position with the four factors as technology, products, market and partners.

Thank you very much!