Re: [GENERAL] PostgreSQL Global Development Group

Vince Vielhaber wrote:
> On Sun, 8 Dec 2002, Justin Clift wrote:
>
> > Vince Vielhaber wrote:
> > > On Thu, 5 Dec 2002, Robert Treat wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > >>Well, my previous employer uses postgresql, but they were under constant
> > >>assault from their clients to use oracle or db2. Technically there was no
> > >>reason to switch, but if your choice is switch databases or go out of
> > >>business, there really isn't much choice.
> > >
> > >
> > > That tells me their clients wanted a commercial database, not one that's
> > > open source. All the marketing in the world won't change that.
> >
> > Really?
> >
> > Why do you say that?
>
> Because of this taken from the above quoted text:
>
> "they were under constant assault from their clients to use oracle or db2"
>
> Last I looked neither Oracle or DB2 were open source, but they both just
> happen to be commercial and I don't see mysql mentioned.
>
> Anything else you don't understand about that?

There are a number of reasons their clients could have been clamoring
for DB2 or Oracle, only some of which are related to the fact that
they're commercial, closed-source databases:

1. They already have significant in-house expertise with one or the
other product.

2. They need 24x7 support, and are convinced that they'll get better
support for Oracle or DB2 than anything else.

3. They want a company to blame in case things go wrong.

4. They require certain capabilities that they believe only DB2 or
Oracle can provide.

5. They have an established partnership with IBM or Oracle.

6. Some combination of the above.

Some of those reasons are such that it might be possible (depending on
the specifics of the situation) to successfully market PostgreSQL (or
even MySQL) to them, and some of them aren't. It just depends.

And that's why it's a bad idea to simply discard that situation as one
in which it would be impossible to market PostgreSQL.

Marketing is the art of convincing someone that they want your
product. Since the keyword here is "want", it's an art that combines
reason and emotion. Even if the situation seems logically hopeless
(that is, there's no logical reason for the customer to prefer your
product over another), you may still manage to successfully market
your product to them by appealing to their emotions. Happens all the
time.

My personal feeling is that in the case of PostgreSQL, it should be
marketed primarily using reason. More precisely, it should *not* be
marketed to someone for whom a different product would better suit
them. That, to me, would be shady at best and would eventually become
a blemish on the reputation of the PostgreSQL community. But it
doesn't mean giving up just because the client thinks he wants a
commercial database: he may well want something else that a commercial
database just happens to provide.

If you're trying to sell someone on PostgreSQL, it behooves you to
figure out what their real needs are first. Their actual needs may be
significantly different from what they tell you they want.

--
Kevin Brown kevin(at)sysexperts(dot)com