(2 votes, average: 10 out of 10)
Loading ...Oracle expects you to Super-size your 11g
This is why major technology companies don’t reveal the full details about pricing when they launch something. Oracle today said that four of the features president Chuck Phillips (right) and co have been promoting the most in the next generation of its database will not really be a part of the core package at all. Instead, you’ll have to pay for each add-on, whether it’s the Real Application Testing and Advanced Compression (US$10,000 per processor or US$200 per named user), or the Total Recall and Active Data Guard features (US$5,000 per processor or US$100 per named user). The price for Standard Edition (read: no cool new features) remains unchanged from 10g, so at least Oracle is aknowledging that the base version isn’t really worth more than its predecessor, but still.
If this is the route it’s taking, Oracle may want to follow the path chosen by SAP, which is rolling out features in occasional packs. That makes a lot of sense for ERP software that is usually really hard to switch over to a completely new version. Given that many businesses are now dependent upon their databases, a more gradual approach might work well for Oracle too. That way you might get more mileage out of each feature release and not leave cusotmers feeling shafted after pumping them up about a major new upgrade that buries the sticker shock until mid-summer.
