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Summer 2001
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Yves, why did you move from Raining Data to jBASE after such a successful reign?
It wasn’t easy but I became a little disillusioned with the direction. I believe strongly in the MV model and my dream has always been to take this into the mainstream. jBASE are doing this and I wanted to be part of this strategy.
So what is it that jBASE are doing that enticed you?
Firstly they have the right attitude, commitment, belief and product. The product set is the most advanced in the MV industry and addresses the mainstream in a number of areas. For example a jBASE solution can also be an Oracle, DB2 or SQL Server solution. There is no limitation to what a VAR can do with the technology provided by jBASE. Most importantly of all this is available by retaining 100% of previous investment in the existing MV application. I now have the opportunity to deliver what I have personally promised to the MV community in the past.
So you are to fulfil a dream?
You bet. The more I learn of the product capability the more excited I get for jBASE users. The more jBASE customers learn about the jBASE capabilities the more excited they get too. I recently witnessed jBASE exhibit at a leading Web development exhibition in London. jBASE for Web Builders sat perfectly in this mainstream world and as a result several hundred new people from outside the MV arena have now heard of jBASE.
jBASE for Web Builders. What exactly is this product?
jBASE for Web Builders (jWB) is a natural extension of jBASE. It is a Rapid Web application development environment with the jBASE MV DBMS and BASIC language built-in. It makes development of powerful transactional business Web sites simple to develop, fast to develop and easy to maintain. The value to existing MV application programmers is even greater because they retain all of the knowledge and logic they use today and are empowered with jWB to produce the next wave of killer apps. An existing MV developer can get going with jWB immediately and deploy major Web applications in a matter of weeks. I know of an entire Internet Banking application being developed by a team of 5 developers and they will deliver well within 3 months. This cannot be matched anywhere in the market MV or otherwise.
Does this mean jBASE are moving their focus away from MV?
Absolutely not. In fact the opposite, we and our VARs are exploiting the power of the MV model and our VARs are producing applications that win hands down against the competition. The customer buys the application, not the tools. We at jBASE are providing the tools to make the application more powerful and place the VAR in a position where they can deliver their dream, on time and without having to learn an array of acronyms such as Java, ADO, HTML etc. At the same time jWB embraces all these standards for the developer. jWB takes the pain away from the developer and keeps the application in a very easy manageable form. A VAR may also be asked to supply a SQL Server or Oracle version of their product. Without re-wring any of the BASIC code at all jBASE allows the VAR to deliver what the customer demands.
What effect has TEMENOS had on jBASE, isn’t it a bit like Big Brother?
Actually TEMENOS is a jBASE VAR. They above all know and understand our customers’ fears and wishes. We have a mandate to grow the jBASE business and to become a leader in the DBMS and application tools market. TEMENOS is a group valued at over $1billion and made the decision to acquire jBASE after stringent testing of the product. jBASE drives their strategy to become the worlds leading supplier of banking software. There is nothing short term about the jBASE or the TEMENOS strategy, it’s a 20 year plan and jBASE will remain at the heart of strategy as it will for all our VARs. TEMENOS clients are typically banks, some of the very largest organisations on the globe in fact. They demand high quality product and jBASE has to maintain a very high level of expectation in order to serve this market. The TEMENOS effect is a positive one for jBASE and jBASE users.
Can you give me an example of this?
Yes many, but consider this: jBASE now runs on S390 and AS400. Just by doing this jBASE has allowed all MV VARS to enter new markets that they could not even dream of before. The new j5 file system is crash proof, data integrity 100% guaranteed; this is vital for today’s 24/7 business environment.
You appear very upbeat, please summarise your first impressions now that you have been at jBASE for a month or so?
That’s easy, the commitment and belief of the people, their pride and willingness to help the customers isimmediately obvious. Support is truly first class, the first support organisation I have worked with, and I am no spring chicken, that receive regular thank you e-mails! As a European myself, it is particularly noticeable and pleasing that jBASE understand the European market place and people. Let’s face it jBASE began in England over 12 years ago, they would understand.
Last Updated: 20 Jul 2001