Sybase
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| Sybase Inc. | |
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| Type | Public NYSE: SY |
|---|---|
| Founded | Berkeley, California (1984) |
| Headquarters | Dublin, California |
| Key people | John S. Chen; chairman, CEO, President |
| Industry | Computer software |
| Products | List of Sybase products |
| Revenue |  $813.67 million |
| Employees | 3,568 (2004) |
| Website | www.sybase.com |
Sybase Inc. (NYSE: SY) is a software company known foremost for their relational database Adaptive Server Enterprise. Sybase produces products and services related to information management, enterprise mobility, mobile messaging, data warehousing and analytics, and development tools. Their global customer base includes 80 of the Fortune 100 and a strong presence in vertical markets such as financial services, telecommunications, healthcare and government.
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[edit] History
Sybase became the number 2 database system behind Oracle, after making a deal with Microsoft to share the source code for Microsoft to remarket on the OS/2 platform as "SQL Server". At the time, Sybase called the database server "Sybase SQL Server". Until version 4.9, Sybase and Microsoft SQL server were virtually identical. Due to disagreements between the two companies over revenue sharing (or lack thereof), Sybase and Microsoft decided to split the code-lines and went their own way, although the shared heritage is very evident in the Transact-SQL (TSQL) procedural language as well as the basic process architecture. The big difference is that Sybase has a Unix heritage, while Microsoft was adapted and optimized only for the Microsoft Windows NT operating system. Sybase continues to offer versions for Windows, several flavors of Unix, and for Linux.
Sybase suffered a major downturn in fortune in the latter half of the 1990s when Informix started outselling it by a wide margin. In November of 2005, a book written by a long time Informix employee was released that chronicled the battle between Sybase and Informix. Today Informix is no longer an independent company (having been bought by IBM). As judged by revenue, IBM has taken the lead in the overall database market with Oracle a close second. The #3 position is occupied by Sybase's own offspring, Microsoft SQL Server. Today Sybase is well behind its major competitors in the enterprise database market, with 3% market share (InformationWeek March 05). Sybase has recently returned to profitability under the management of John Chen, and continues to reinvent itself with a new 'Unwired Enterprise' strategy. The 'Unwired Enterprise' vision is about allowing companies to deliver data to mobile devices in the field as well as traditional desktops, and combines technology from Sybase's existing data management products with its new mobility products. Sybase has expanded into the mobile and wireless space through buyouts of smaller networking and wireless companies, such as AvantGo, and expansion into the Asian market, specifically China. Through its mobility subsidiary, launched in 2000, iAnywhere Solutions, Sybase has become the leader of the mobile database market with SQL Anywhere.
Sybase makes a number of other data management products including Sybase IQ, a data warehouse system, Powerbuilder a client-server and n-tier application development system, m-Business Server, a mobile applications system based on the AvantGo service, and Replication Server, a vendor-neutral data movement system. Sybase has a strong presence in the Healthcare and Financial verticals.
[edit] Timeline
- 1984: Sybase founded by Mark Hoffman and Bob Epstein out of Mr. Epstein's home in Berkeley, CA.
- 1988: Sybase goes into partnership with Microsoft to port SQL Server to Windows and OS/2
- August 1991: Sybase goes public at a split adjusted price of $6.75.
- 1993: Sybase and Microsoft dissolved their partnership. Microsoft bought the Windows code base from Sybase.
- November 14, 1994: Sybase acquires PowerSoft.
- 1995: Renames the main product SQL Server to its current name Adaptive Server Enterprise for version 11.5.
- July 1996: Mark Hoffman steps down as CEO due to disappointing earnings and Sybase appoints Mitchell Kertzman as CEO
- October 1998: John Chen appointed Chairman, President, and CEO.
- June 20, 2001: Sybase acquires New Era of Networks.
- February 28, 2003: Sybase acquires AvantGo.
- September 12, 2005: Sybase releases ASE 15.0.
- August 7, 2006: iAnywhere announces release of SQL Anywhere 10
[edit] Products
The following is a list of Sybase's main products (A full set of products can be found on the Sybase website).
- Sybase Adaptive Server Enterprise (ASE) - The product for which Sybase is famous, itself usually referred to as simply "Sybase".
- Avantgo, a mobile internet service platform.
- PowerBuilder, a rapid application development (RAD) tool.
- PowerDesigner
- SQL Anywhere
- Sybase IQ Sybase's Data Warehousing product.
[edit] User Groups
There are many Sybase-centric user groups around the world. The International Sybase User Group (ISUG) acts as an Umbrella Organisation for these groups, providing logistical support for user group meetings and other events.
