DB2 Express Opens SMB Door To VARs

The introduction of IBM's DB2 UDB Express gives Big Blue and its VAR partners a long-sought inroad to the coveted SMB space.

The self-installing database solution, to be officially released Thursday, is cumbersomely called DB2 UDB Express for Linux and Windows Version 8.1. It comes with 65 automation tools and is priced at $499 for a base server package plus $99 per user, which is more than 30 percent less per 50 users than Microsoft's SQL Server 2000. As part of the announcement, IBM also is introducing a new Partner license program called Entry OEM Agreement for Software, which, according to the company, provides better margins in initial license sales and ongoing support without upfront revenue commitment or prepayment at entry levels.

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