Oracle Corp finally launched its Workgroup Server yesterday, flashing around endorsements from firms including Compaq Computer Corp, Novell Inc, Gupta Corp and even the likes of Borland International Inc. The product, available under Windows NT initially (CI No 2,374), is aimed at small groups of up to 25 users. Fully compatible with Oracle7, its includes Oracle’s Glue product, which provides tranparent access to the Oracle Workgroup Server from different applications packages and development environments. The product is designed to fit into the workgroup market just above the likes of Borland’s Paradox, and Oracle is recommending that when Paradox runs out of steam as a server product, workgroup users can tag it onto Oracle Workgroup Server and use it as a client. Shipping as a software developer kit, the product will be used for development of database structures and front ends. Oracle also supports Microsoft Corp’s Open Data Base Connectivity. According to Oracle, the product has most of the functionality of Oracle7, although the lacks the latter’s capacity for distributed database administration, and cannot administer database parameters in as much detail. Oracle hopes it will win it 50% of the desktop database server market by 1997. After the NT version ships in two- and 10-user versions in April, the OS/2 version will ship in June. Then in September the product will ship in 10 and 25-user versions for NetWare, Windows NT and OS/2. September pricing has not been fixed, but next month the two-user version will be $1,000, while the 10-user package will be $3,000.
