Yes that is the truth of the matter. Oracle adds in most of the stuff you really need to make things work, while the others have them as add-ons that you need to purchase separately. So Oracle lets you have sticker shock up front while the others are constantly asking for smaller amounts all the time. Works out that one is as expensive as the other in the end. Dick Goulet Senior Oracle DBA/NA Team Lead PAREXEL International -----Original Message----- From: hrishy [mailto:hrishys@xxxxxxxxxxx] Sent: Wednesday, October 14, 2009 1:57 AM To: robertgfreeman@xxxxxxxxx; wbfergus@xxxxxxxxx; Goulet, Richard Cc: Ed Long; oracle-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: RE: Coke switches to DB2!! Hi Richard I am not a english gentleman can you explain what this means for a non britisher "His basic point was that although IBM & Microslop nickel & dime you into submission, Oracle just hit you over the head with a baseball bat from the get go" Do you imply that the initial cost of IBM and Microsoft DB sounds attractive and Oracle expensive ? Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com -- //www.freelists.org/webpage/oracle-l