Oracle Offers Free Upgrade for Y2K Compliance -- Redmondmag.com

Oracle Offers Free Upgrade for Y2K Compliance

By Scott Bekker
02/25/1999

Got an old or unsupported version of an Oracle Corp. database or tool that may not survive Y2K? Oracle wants to upgrade it -- for free.

Oracle today offered to replace Oracle 7.3.3 or earlier unsupported databases and software with supported, Y2K-compliant software, including the company’s flagship Oracle8i database, through its Oracle Upgrade2000 program.

"Oracle is actively helping our customers prepare for Y2K," Randy Baker, executive vice president, Oracle Support and Education Services, said in a statement.

Analyst Carl Olofson with International Data Corp. (IDC, www.idc.com), calls Upgrad2000 the "right program at the right time" and says he can find no financial catch in Oracle’s offer.

Instead, he says the move by the $8 billion company defends against two potential Y2K responses by dormant customers. Some might ignore the problems and start complaining to the media when their old, non-Y2K compliant Oracle databases start breaking down. Others might turn to other vendors when looking for a solution to carry them through Y2K.

"Certainly SQL Server would be on the table as well as other databases," Olofson says. "One aim of this is certainly customer retention, by making sure that [customers] use that software to recommit technically even if they haven’t recommitted contractually." -- Scott Bekker, Staff Reporter

About the Author

Scott Bekker is editor in chief of Redmond Channel Partner magazine.

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