But Wait—There’s More!

By Scott Hayes, President and Founder, DBI Software

There’s always more when it comes to the amazing, apparently indispensable inventions we’re bombarded with on TV, often in the form of getting a second one absolutely free. However, there is always a little catch too...

Of course there is! You’ve surfed enough channels (either with or without Funyuns and your favorite adult beverage) to know there’s always more when it comes to the amazing, apparently indispensable inventions we’re bombarded with on TV, often in the form of getting a second one absolutely free.

However, there is always a little catch too: “just pay separate shipping and handling.” But what they don’t tell you is that most likely the “separate shipping and handling” amount is actually their cost to manufacture, market, and ship both products, so the second “free” one we opt for dramatically increases their profit.ⁱ

This kind of hijinks isn’t confined to basic cable stations, though, as Donald Pate points out in his blog, “Do you believe in free puppies?” Donald does not have an ax to grind about dog ownership. The blog is about the bundling practices that he’s noticing among database vendors. It is well worth reading in its entirety.

As business executives, when we see a sign that says, “free puppies,” we know that in fact, the puppies are anything but free: someone has to feed them, care for them, clean up after them, and pay for their grooming and veterinary care. We know that a sign like this is just a come-on to lure in the unsuspecting and relieve the seller’s problem.

Which brings me back to the world of software vendors. As Pate reports, “several customers have told me that IBM is offering them ‘free software’ as part of their next mainframe software contract.”ⁱⁱ But the “free monitoring software” dangled before the customer might be more like a “free puppy” than the company realizes. The catch is that in the case of mainframes, the “monitors are always on - even during [the] peak times that determine your monthly MLC [Monthly License Charge] bill - [that’s why] it is critical to know whether that ‘free software’ offer is coming with an unintended and prohibitive cost consequence.”ⁱⁱⁱ

In our world of IBM DB2 LUW databases, it is typical to include “free performance optimization software” as part of the deal. However, once again, there is also a catch:

It can make your database slower - not faster. It can cloak the key performance issues with your database instead of revealing them. It can add to the cost of ownership since the slowdown may ultimately cause you to resort to costly consultants, and additional hardware and license purchases.

That is why it is important to think about the total cost of ownership instead of the distraction of the “free” add-ons and offers. And it’s why a who’s who of businesses across North America and around the world turn to our company, DBI Software. Our patented, award-winning performance optimization tools allow these companies to get optimum performance out of the IBM DB2 LUW databases they already have - allowing them to do more and spend less.

What You Must Know
Know the total cost of ownership before taking a “free” offer, whether in business or in life!

If your IBM DB2 LUW database isn’t keeping up with performance demands, or if you’ve just been handed an emergency purchase request for CPUs and memory - or you want to prevent this from happening in the first place - contact us. We’ll diagnose any database problems for free in about 15 seconds, solve a real root-cause problem in two hours or less, and save you hundreds of thousands of dollars in CPU’s, memory, licenses, consulting fees, and wasted time. Frankly, we’re not very popular with hardware and database license vendors, but your CFO, shareholders, and customers will love us.

What would your business be like if it ran 4x faster? We'll present a methodology and key metrics to help you achieve rapid, measurable, and significant performance gains in your DB2 LUW databases in minutes! Register Now for a Free Webinar.

ⁱhttp://wafflesatnoon.com/second-one-free/

ⁱⁱhttp://www.bmc.com/blogs/do-you-believe-in-free-puppies

ⁱⁱⁱIbid.

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