티맥스소프트

 by Raghu Radhakrishnan, CEO & Managing Director of TmaxSoft India

Perhaps you’ve heard of “Stockholm Syndrome.” It’s a term used to refer to a condition that causes hostages to form a psychological bond with their captors, and it was coined by the media in 1973, when bank robbers took four hostages in Stockholm, Sweden. The hostages defended their captors after being released and would not agree to testify in court against them.

These alliances result from a bond formed due to close quarters and heightened emptions, but they are generally considered irrational in light of the danger or risk endured by the victims. In the business world, “Corporate Stockholm Syndrome” is being used by some free thinkers to describe the almost irrational dependency companies develop on suppliers and other types of partners. This blog post introduces an offshoot of Corporate Stockholm Syndrome that we’re calling Database Stockholm Syndrome and explains how you can break that unhealthy bond with your database technology.

When technology use takes a turn for the worse

Much of a business’s use of technology starts out normal and healthy. All enterprises need technology to remove the barriers of time and distance and to deliver products and services that make people’s lives easier one way or the other. It is unimaginable to create, sustain or scale business without it. And it is not a surprise that many of the companies with the largest market caps are technology firms.

A few companies maintain a healthy balance between use and dependence, weighing technology options based on how well they meet specific needs. However, reliance on a technical partner or alliance can quickly turn to misuse or even abuse of power. It starts with a simple statement, such as, “I only use Microsoft software because we’re a Microsoft shop.” Or a company might be continually purchasing or subscribing to add-ons to Salesforce, convinced that just one more add-on will solve all their customer relationship management problems.

In terms of partnerships and alliances that are the crux of a thriving industry, this is the point when the client becomes functionally attached to the partner to the detriment of their own core business health. The client will also rationalize and angrily defend the partner’s actions when those actions are questioned by an outsider. In other words, the client denies the obvious.

The onset of Database Stockholm Syndrome

For example, the market leaders in the database domain abuse an unprecedented hold over pricing, policy and compliance. Some of the most ambitious and resourceful companies are not able to reach their highest potential, as the price of technology often erodes into profit share. Today, where the average entrepreneur is eager to scale out or move onto a cloud platform, such lopsided dependency on this technology threatens to put the little shop out of business before it can even spread its wings.

In essence, clients are held hostage as the market leader runs the cash machines dry. What’s worse is that the hostages defend their captors, refusing to listen to or cooperate with external offers of help and freedom. Technical audits from the database market leader tighten the clutches. So, is there no hope? Of course not.

Doctor, doctor, give me the good news

Those who suffer from actual Stockholm Syndrome can overcome it. Counseling and the reinstatement of normalcy in the victims’ lives have proven effective. And, the good news is that this is also true of companies that are being held hostage by their database provider. It is possible to stop the hopeless devotion and helpless attachment to their technology provider.

If you’re bound to a mega database provider, you can cut the cord that was born of exorbitant rate contracts and unscrupulous compliance clauses. There are forces outside with a form of business counseling (like a proof of concept), new vigor and simpler ways to help you out of this hostage situation.

Consider the case of Ibergraf Siglo XXI, a Spanish company that decided to replace an obsolete inventory control management system. Ibergraf Siglo XXI also needed a database solution for the new system—one that would allow the migration of all the data from the old platform without disruption or risk and in the shortest possible time. Instead of choosing an Oracle or Microsoft database, they went a different route with a more flexible solution. And after a fast and easy implementation of the new database, the company is reporting a 70% improvement in processes such as data loading, and reporting.

TmaxSoft Tibero offers a return to normalcy

The solution Ibergraf Siglo XXI chose was Tibero, our RDBMS database that has proven to be the perfect alternative to Oracle (with more than 3,000 successful migrations from Oracle), Microsoft, and other database technology hostage takers. Tibero reduces capital expenditures and operating expenses and simplifies licensing, while providing you freedom of choice. With Tibero, you only license the compute power associated to a given VM regardless of the amount of resources the database consumes. Not only that, but the upfront licensing fee is about 50% of Oracle fees.

And Tibero, with its simple one-page policy, is the first database software recipient of the Campaign for Clear Licensing certificate, which is awarded to software products with simple to understand licensing policies without ambiguities or compliance issues.

TmaxSoft is the only company with such a wide range of products, from Tibero, its RDBMS database, to its own operating system, TmaxOS, and its private cloud space offering, TmaxCloud. TmaxSoft’s vision is to help support companies as they scale out their business at an affordable price without having to comprise on cutting edge technology.

To quote an economist on a plane, "The cost of the canvas cannot be more than the painting. It is time for a new canvas.” It’s time to be released from the shackles and the unhealthy attachment to the big database brand names.

Experience the freedom yourself

Discover what it’s like to have a healthy relationship with your database provider. Check out our 30-day free trial and see how Tibero balances agile development and security, improves workload efficiency and substantially reduces licensing costs. You request your trial here.

About Raghu Radhakrishnan

Raghu Radhakrishnan is the CEO & Managing Director of TmaxSoft India. With more than 27 years of sales and marketing experience in the IT industry, he drives global enterprises to adopt TmaxSoft technologies and help them solve their perennial problem of high cost of ownership. He joined TmaxSoft in 2015 and has held senior level positions with IBM, Modi Olivetti and Digital. He holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, India.