sorensen@athena.mit.edu (Alma G. Sorensen) (04/26/88)
I'm looking at a database system for a mid-sized machine (e.g. VAX 8600) and I'd like to see if anyone can substantiate a rumor I have heard: A source of mine says that Oracle has been aggresively pricing their systems, well below its competitors, but that a few weeks after the system is installed and people trained, etc., Oracle mentions that they "now realize" that there is a law which says they can't sell to a third party any product for a lower price than they sell to the Federal government. Therefore, the story goes, the salesman says Oracle "has to revoke" this juicy discount which was so enticing in the first place. Of course, they offer to take back the system and refund the purchase price, but by this time the purchaser has too much invested in to back out, and so keeps the software and coughs up the full price. Sounds like a pretty vicious thing to do. Should I believe my source? Anyone had any similar experiences? Let me know, if you could. Email would be fine. If you want I'll post responses, or keep things confidential. sorensen@athena.mit.edu