IBM, Oracle To Ship Database Software In JuneIBM, Oracle To Ship Database Software In June

It looks like IBM and Oracle will ship the next major releases of their database software within a week of each other next month. IBM said Tuesday that DB2 version 7.2, which offers tighter integration with other IBM software products and a range of performance enhancements, will begin shipping June 8. Last week, Oracle said that June 14 is the target date for shipping its Oracle9i database.

IBM is touting the data-integration capabilities of DB2 7.2. The new version of the database is more tightly linked with IBM's own WebSphere application server and MQSeries messaging middleware, and is capable of exchanging data with competing database systems from Oracle, Sybase, and Microsoft. DB2 7.2 also supports a number of Web services standards, including SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) and UDDI (Universal Description Discovery and Integration). IBM says the new database's transaction processing and business intelligence are speeded up, and its availability, or reliability, improved by 80% over the current version. Pricing will be disclosed when the software ships.

IBM and Oracle are locked in a battle for the high-end of the database market. Both are trying to woo each other's customers as well as those from other vendors. DB2 7.2, in fact, provides tools that make it easier for users to migrate to DB2 from Oracle and Sybase databases. Two weeks ago IBM said it plans to acquire Informix in what industry observers see as a pre-emptive strike to bring that vendor's 100,000 customers into the IBM fold.

IBM's emphasis on availability, manageability, and performance in DB2 7.2 is part of a movement by the database vendors to "go back to their roots," says Gartner analyst Betsy Burton. She says they are putting less emphasis on object-relational technology and other leading-edge capabilities and more emphasis on core functionality.