tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591905691028874348.post7054550565174783338..comments2009-12-27T05:06:32.567-05:00Comments on The Business of Marketing Technology: ANTs in my pantsDerek M. Rodnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12002129837260976022noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591905691028874348.post-41051237265127834662008-06-30T09:43:00.000-04:002008-06-30T09:43:00.000-04:00Derek, I agree that ANTs has been a long time gett...Derek, I agree that <A HREF="http://ants.com" REL="nofollow">ANTs</A> has been a long time getting to market and a costly time as well, but they did not have $40 to $50M in VC money to speed the process as many small start-ups have. So, to now have a product and recurring revenues from the <A HREF="http://www.inventa.com/" REL="nofollow">Inventa</A> purchase should give them a much needed source of capital generation and allow work toward the ACS rather than funding needs. The sale of the ADS license to Sybase did not eliminate further revenue from them, but according to a press release by <A HREF="http://www.sybase.com/detail?id=1002185" REL="nofollow">Raj Nathan</A>, Sybase is working with <A HREF="http://ants.com" REL="nofollow">ANTs</A> as a partner in develping a version of the ACS." <BR/><BR/>Quoting from their <A HREF="http://www.sybase.com/detail?id=1056830" REL="nofollow">web site</A>, "The initial focus of the Sybase-ANTs partnership will be to develop a version of ANTs’ ACS to help Microsoft® SQL Server customers to take advantage of Sybase ASE. “Given the already common source code lineage between Sybase ASE and Microsoft SQL Server, the ANTs Compatibility Server will facilitate an easy migration for Microsoft customers limited by SQL Server’s scalability for mission-critical applications, which is a strength of Sybase ASE 15,” added Dr. Nathan."<BR/><BR/>I don't wish any ill on EnterpriseDB and I hope they do show some promise by the fall. Maybe by then we will both be talking a little differently.<BR/><BR/>Good luck in your new position with PERFMAN. /davidDavid Otthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14140833430975676084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591905691028874348.post-78345840610873775432008-06-27T07:55:00.000-04:002008-06-27T07:55:00.000-04:00Siddesh,Thanks for the comments. I am now the VP ...Siddesh,<BR/><BR/>Thanks for the comments. I am now the VP of marketing for PERFMAN, a cross-platform enterprise-wide tool for systems management, monitoring and modeling. <BR/><BR/>But, I just left EnterpriseDB where I ran their marketing.Derek M. Rodnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12002129837260976022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591905691028874348.post-47996629960659706612008-06-27T07:53:00.000-04:002008-06-27T07:53:00.000-04:00David,Look at the amount of debt ANTS had to take ...David,<BR/>Look at the amount of debt ANTS had to take on to get that$11 million. And, the Sybase deal doesn't allow them to get anymore money. <BR/><BR/>As far as EnterpriseDB is concerned, I no longer work there, so I can not speak on their behalf. But, you couldn't be more wrong. Come talk to me in the fall and we'll see what's up.Derek M. Rodnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12002129837260976022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591905691028874348.post-7040565413184283632008-06-25T16:45:00.000-04:002008-06-25T16:45:00.000-04:00siddesh, I haven't spoken with Raj, but I suspect ...siddesh, I haven't spoken with Raj, but I suspect that he may have an ax to grind with ANTs. The first compatibility server that ANTs was asked to produce was the Sybase to Oracle product. If I worked for Sybase I wouldn't like that very much either. It would be interesting to get his take if he can be persuaded. /davidDavid Otthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14140833430975676084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591905691028874348.post-73706122843594626332008-06-25T08:36:00.000-04:002008-06-25T08:36:00.000-04:00Derek, most everything you've said is absolutely d...Derek, most everything you've said is absolutely dead on, except for the bit about the ACS and Sybase. Call Raj Nathan at Sybase and ask HIM. I have.<BR/><BR/>By the way, who do you work for...or can I just google you?<BR/><BR/>siddeshAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5591905691028874348.post-7307910778432569812008-06-24T16:36:00.000-04:002008-06-24T16:36:00.000-04:00Derek, I have no idea what your vendetta is with A...Derek, I have no idea what your vendetta is with ANTS, but you seem to have twisted the story a bit. Following the announcements of late one can see what earnings look like in the next few quarters. I cannot argue that earnings have been a long time coming, but the Sybase deal was worth $1.4 million. Plus add the $3.5 million from 4J's comes to a little less than $5 million. Then Inventa had about $6 million in revenue last year and looks to improve a bit over that for 2008 puts earnings at about $11 million or more. With ANY revenue from licensing the ACS the revenue picture looks even better. So, I think maybe you have elected to selectively ignore and distort the information that is available, for what reason I do not know.<BR/><BR/>As for the consortium with Oracle users, it was presented that the test would be for one application. Most seem to have completed that test and have indicated satisfactory results with positive feedback. How that translates into additional business is yet to be seen, but at the shareholders meeting Mr. Kozak indicated that we should be seeing the results from some of these companies sooner than later. As for IBM, the only license I have seen from EDB was shelved. But for the next four years ANTS gets 50% of the revenue from the IBM joint deal with the Navy and sold the expense for those earnings to 4J's. That's even more revenue not even included above.<BR/><BR/>As for the licensing to Sybase, I understand that to be the ADS only with no compatibility component. So now Sybase can use 4J's ADS and we were paid for it. And with all the different combinations for the compatibility server, ADS was hardly 50% of the company.<BR/><BR/>Not trying to be confrontational but as I see it EDB announced their flagship product as an Oracle to Postgres server! Postgres already lost the open source war to My SQL which was acquired by SUN for $1b. Now EDB must continue to give away their product and hope some company will pay them for support. From what I can glean, all of their revenue, and there's very little to speak of, comes from supporting a dead product where only small apps reside. Dead end strategy which is the reason for the recent CEO replacement.<BR/><BR/>So I guess my point is that I will stay with the rowboat that is growing into a ship. David Ott/ ANTS shareholderDavid Otthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14140833430975676084noreply@blogger.com