Informix on Campus Program

We all heard heard about IBM's revised database strategy directly from IBM executives thru several webcasts or during the IIUG 2008 conference. IDS is now an emancipated data server and is the flagship database for OLTP as well as integrated solutions.

However, from my point of view, there still exists some areas where IDS is handled by IBM like Cinderella. One of these areas is the academic community. For DB2 LUW - the stepsister of IDS - IBM is running a well established DB2 on Campus Program. There is a dedicated IBM team traveling around the world, teaching students DB2 (LUW), helping them to build communities and giving the incentives when becoming a DB2 ambassador. You can read more about it here:

• DB2 on Campus Website
• DB2 on Campus Video
• DB2 on Campus Blog

My feeling is that we strongly need the same for IDS. If you've attended the IIUG conference this year and looked around, you probably know why I'm pushing this. IDS needs a strong push by IBM in the academic community and around college students. This is an investment, not for improving the (still excellent) IDS sales numbers, it is an investment into the future, the future of IDS ! IDS is the engine of growth for IBM's distributed database business. IBM earns real money with the product and a part of the money needs to be re-invested to make sure that students are aware of the excellent IDS technology that IBM offers.

Please make your vote, I'll keep the poll open unit the end of October. After that I'll communicate the result to IBM and not rest until we see some measurable results.

• Poll: "The start of a serious "Informix on Campus Program" from IBM for IDS is..."

Thank you for your support !