Informix Corporation's History and Milestones Explained

Informix Corporation was founded in 1980 by Roger Sippl, who developed the first relational database management system (RDBMS) for the IBM PC.

The company's early success led to its acquisition by IBM in 1988 for $1 billion.

Informix's flagship product, Informix-OnLine, was released in 1987 and quickly gained popularity for its speed and reliability.

Informix Corporation went public in 1986, raising $45 million in its initial public offering.

The company's innovative products and business model helped it become a major player in the database management market.

Informix Corporation was acquired by Ascential Software in 2001, marking the end of its time as an independent company.

You might like: What Is Ibm Corporation

Informix Corporation was founded in 1980 by Roger Sippl, who initially worked at Cromemco developing a relational database system.

The company was initially called Relational Database Systems Inc. and was created to develop and sell database products.

Sippl's vision for Informix was to create a database system that could run on Unix, a popular operating system at the time.

You might enjoy: Turner Broadcasting System

Informix went public in 1986, raising $9 million in its initial public offering.

The company's database products quickly gained popularity, and by 1984, revenues had surpassed $1.35 million.

Informix's database products were known for their SQL-based query engine and client-server architecture.

The company's products were widely adopted by Unix stakeholders, including AT&T and Altos, which became investors.

Here's a brief timeline of Informix's major milestones:

In 1998, Informix acquired Red Brick Systems, a company focused on data warehouse database solutions.

The acquisition marked a significant expansion of Informix's product offerings in the data warehousing space.

Informix's database products continued to gain popularity, and by the late 1990s, the company was one of the leading database vendors in the industry.

However, the company faced significant challenges in the early 2000s, including allegations of accounting irregularities and insider trading.

In 2001, Informix sold its database subsidiary, Informix Software, to IBM for $1 billion, and renamed itself Ascential Software.

The sale marked the end of an era for Informix, but paved the way for the company's continued growth and development under new ownership.

Expand your knowledge: Absolute Software Corporation

Informix Corporation made a significant impact on the database market through its strategic acquisitions.

Informix acquired Innovative Software in 1988, expanding its portfolio with the office suite SmartWare and the spreadsheet application WingZ.

WingZ was a popular spreadsheet program that offered a graphical user interface and supported large spreadsheets up to 32,768 by 32,768 cells.

For another approach, see: Wingz (company)

The acquisition aimed to differentiate Informix from dominant competitors like Oracle by incorporating an office suite aligned with Sippl's vision of a searchable database-driven file system.

In 1995, Informix sold WingZ and its related technology to Claris, which upgraded it under the name Claris Resolve.

Informix's next major acquisition was Illustra in 1995, which focused on object-relational database (O-R) technology.

Illustra offered features like O-R mapping and DataBlades, which allowed new data types and features to be included in the basic server as options.

Informix integrated Illustra's O-R features and DataBlades into its 7.x OnLine product line, resulting in the Informix Universal Server (IUS), also known as Version 9.

The combination of Illustra's technology with Informix's existing products made it the first among the leading three database vendors to provide integrated object-relational support.

In 2000, Informix acquired Ardent Software, which brought in the established MultiValue database platforms UniVerse and UniData, as well as ETL tools and information integration solutions.

The acquisition allowed Informix to enter the rapidly expanding sector of database technologies and information integration solutions.

Take a look at this: Credit Information Corporation

By July 2000, Peter Gyenes, the former CEO of Ardent, became the CEO of Informix and undertook a company restructuring to increase its attractiveness for future acquisition.

Informix's comprehensive lineup showcased its extensive presence across diverse database technologies before its assimilation into IBM's worldwide operations.

Here's a list of some of the key acquisitions made by Informix Corporation:

Informix Corporation faced significant challenges in the mid-1990s. By 1995, the company had 16% of the database market, but product releases began to fall behind schedule by late 1996.

Technical and marketing problems plagued the company, causing new offerings like Informix-NewEra to be overshadowed by emerging technologies like Java. The integration of Illustra technology took longer than expected, exceeding Gartner Group's two-year timeline.

Gary Kelley, lead architect of XPS, resigned in early 1997 to join Oracle, taking 11 of his developers with him. Informix sued Oracle for alleged trade secret misappropriation, but ultimately retracted the lawsuit after a confidential settlement.

The company's financial struggles continued, with huge operating losses and job cuts following. Informix re-stated earnings from 1994 through 1996, revealing significant irregularities in revenue reporting.

Additional reading: Oracle Corp Vs. Google

Informix Corporation was founded in 1980 by Roger Sippl under the name Relational Database Systems Inc.

The company went public in 1986, raising $9 million.

In 1989, Phillip E. White took over as chief executive, marking a significant shift in leadership.

Informix acquired Illustra Information Technologies in 1996, expanding its offerings in object/relational database technology.

The company acquired Red Brick Systems in 1998, further solidifying its position in the data warehouse database market.

Here are some key dates in Informix's history:

The company's journey was marked by significant milestones, including its transition to Informix Corporation, the introduction of new products and technologies, and its eventual acquisition by IBM.

In 1980, Relational Database Systems Inc. was created by Roger Sippl. This marked the beginning of a significant journey in the database industry.

Relational Database Systems Inc. was later renamed to Informix Corporation in 1986, after the company went public and raised $9 million. This was a crucial milestone in the company's history, marking a major shift towards growth and expansion.

Informix Corporation continued to grow and evolve, with Phillip E. White taking over as chief executive in 1989. This change in leadership brought new perspectives and ideas to the company.

Some notable acquisitions made by Informix Corporation include Illustra Information Technologies in 1996, Red Brick Systems in 1998, and Ardent in 2000. These acquisitions helped Informix expand its offerings and stay competitive in the market.

Here's a brief summary of the key dates in Informix's history:

The company's journey continued with a significant change in 2001, when Informix sold its database subsidiary, Informix Software, to IBM. This marked the beginning of a new chapter in the company's history, as it was rebranded as Ascential Software.

Here's an interesting read: Great Plains Software

1998 was a pivotal year for Informix. They finally signed an agreement with Four Js Development Tools in May 1998.

Informix Business Development Suite, a graphical user interface implementation of Informix 4GL, started gaining momentum in the market. It was later renamed 'Informix Dynamic 4GL' (D4GL) and became a huge hit with users.