Oracle Corp’s exemplary performance on Turbo Laser gives the databaser the wherewithal to take on DB2 on the mainframe, a delicious opportunity it’s never had before. DEC took unkindly to Unigram’s suggestion at the press conference that Oracle might have trouble advancing its cause because, quite frankly, people who buy computers don’t buy DEC anymore. Oracle chief Larry Ellison argued manfully, if simply, a la Field of Dreams that because it performs they will come. DEC vice-president Enrico Pesatori seemed to think that DEC should be regarded as having been through the Valley of the Shadow of Death and as having emerged a whole man – on the basis of one marginally profitable quarter. The company sees Turbo Laser as the key to its strategic turnaround and the growth of its core business. Pesatori said DEC had leads and 10 of orders for it now from a handful of customers, apparently the result of their having shown the thing at CeBit, with Oracle seen as the killer application for 64-bit c omputing. Oracle7-on-Turbo has of course also be demonstrated at Decus. Ellison estimated that 15% to 20% of his customer base could avail itself of the combination and Oracle also has Rdb up and shipping under the 64-bit Digital Unix, with an OpenVMS version to follow later this year when that operating system goes 64-bit.
