Informix Corp’s Informix Software Inc sent chief financial officer Howard Graham to tell the conference that it expects improvement in its operating margin during its seasonally strong fourth quarter. The database software developer reported an operating margin of 15% in the third quarter, shy of the 20% it recorded for 1995, and its goal for 1997 is to get the operating margin back to about the 20% level. He also said Informix expects its Universal Server multimedia database to bring in substantial revenue in 1997 – more than a few percentage points of total revenue – yet it is unclear just how fast the market for the product will develop, Graham declared. Also on the spot was vice- president of worldwide marketing, Steven Sommer, who said he expects Universal Server to generate substantial revenue in 1997. He said he expected Informix’s technological lead in the area of universal servers to attract new customers to its traditional database products – Customers in the market for a database want to buy from a strategic partner. which he said can lead them to the next phase of technology when they are ready.
