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Technology Stocks : PSFT - Fiscal 1998 - Discussion for the next year -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Melissa McAuliffe who wrote (3920)	12/17/1998 7:25:00 PM
From: Lizzie Tudor	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 4509

Hi Melissa, I had to explain this to a very non technical person recently so dont feel insulted by this explanation - it was not devised with you in mind. The concept behind client/server apps was to use SQL as a standard data store vs. the traditional apps approach with compiled data. In the past, with say ManMan you couldnt do anything with the data outside of ManMan. So, for example think about msft word, excel etc. If you have an word file it is a compiled file with the filename extension .doc, etc. The only way you can see what is in there is if you open word, and then the document. A better approach would be if you used text files as data, and then every time you opened word it formatted the data only, then excel or any other app could read the same text file and the data could be shared. The c/s apps were supposed to be like the text file analogy, store data in standard SQL format, and then the applicaitions read from the SQL tables with their clients. That way, you could see data one way with say, Delphi client, and then use a totally different data warehousing tool to report on the same data etc. Since Sap was an old mainframe app it wasnt built using std SQL as a data source. The only way you can see Sap data is by opening up Sap. Sap data sits on Oracle - but it is compiled like a word document (they use Oracle as a file system) so it is meaningless as far as std SQL tools are concerned. Thats why people say once you buy Sap you are totally locked in - you have to use Sap for everything - reporting, adhoc tools etc. the std SQL stuff wont work. Peoplesoft otoh because it has a C/S architecure, and it runs on Oracle, I can log in to Oracle right now and create a report of cusotomers in psft - not because I know psft but I know std SQL - I can look for any table with a table name like "Customer" and get a customer list etc. This is such a fundamental thing about the way sap is built there is no way to change it short of a total re-write. I think Oracle could have educated the customer base on this and out-marketed Sap but they chose not to do so... Ill never forgive Ray Lane for that blunder.

To: Melissa McAuliffe who wrote (3920)	12/18/1998 9:51:00 AM
From: Jean M. Gauthier	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 4509

Hi Melissa. I am ... technical that is... FWIW. SAP R/3 does NOT need to buy pieces, and "integrate" them. They are ridiculously complex to set up, BUT rock-solid, super high-performance, very customizable, and you can run a Business on it. Just don;t blow the install, as it will cost you a fortune. Same for PSFT, but the technical wizardry is NOT there, just smoke and mirrors. I think SAP & Oracle (less) are carving up the market now, and PSFT is a) feeling the heat b) slowing down c) getting eaten alive d) steamrolled e) has not weakened financially yet, BUT has had to doa spinoff for research, a sit is being buried by that MicroSoft from Germany, SAP. Look at Baan.... dead or dying PeopleSoft is next, or already there, depending on your point of vue. Take care Jean