January 14, 2010 at 9:24 pm
Comments posted to this topic are about the item The Price of SQL Server
January 14, 2010 at 11:05 pm
Heh... if they keep deprecating stuff, then zero.
Seriously... SQL Server comes with a whole battery of features that (I believe) are optional and extra compared to some other products. 20k per cpu (core) isn't all that unreasonable although I'd love to see it at 10k.
--Jeff Moden
Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.
January 15, 2010 at 12:30 am
One thing I've been begging Microsoft for, is country-specific pricing. I'm pretty sure this is difficult to manage to avoid abuse, but it would make it more affordable, especially with the exchange rate against us in South Africa.
So I reckon $10 000 - $15 000 per CPU is more realistic (for South Africans anyway), and makes the Oracle / DB2 decision moot.
Edit: For the record, a good salary for a developer in South Africa depends a lot on the industry and experience (obviously), but it can range from R350 000 to R600 000 per year, which is around $47 000 to $80 000. I think my country-specific pricing model makes more sense in that context.
January 15, 2010 at 12:39 am
I view sql server as a low costing product, but it becomes a high priced product once you want to use all the free features, then suddenly ms wants all users to have office.
Anyway, the balance also must be in the power of the database. SQL server still has bugs, such as dbcc reseed not working properly. SQL server is also far from as powerfull as say oracle when it comes to handling a lot of data in a short time, sql server gets cramps if it has to handle the transactions for one of the larger stock companies.
These negative things I just said about sql server might get flamed by the SQL server fanboys, but despite sql servers failures I like it because it's usually fast and easy to work with.
January 15, 2010 at 1:59 am
I'll have to agree with Randolph, prices seems unrealistically high for smaller companies in South Africa, who need the ent, and all the bells and whistles offered.
I am not too familiar with exact pricing, as I am not in buying, but its always such a mission to get the PO approved.
However I agree with Steve that $100 is too little, and wont enable any further growth or development in the long run, but placing a "better and more economic" price tag will definitely be welcome.
I'd say $8 000 - $12 000 seems reasonable.
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This thing is addressing problems that dont exist. Its solution-ism at its worst. We are dumbing down machines that are inherently superior. - Gilfoyle
January 15, 2010 at 2:29 am
Randolph Potter (1/15/2010)
One thing I've been begging Microsoft for, is country-specific pricing. I'm pretty sure this is difficult to manage to avoid abuse, but it would make it more affordable, especially with the exchange rate against us in South Africa.
Only way that could really work is if the licences were then only usable in the country purchased. That's a lot of admin work. Otherwise people would do what we do when visiting europe/usa. Buy stuff for friends cause it's cheaper.
Gail Shaw
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability
January 15, 2010 at 2:34 am
GilaMonster (1/15/2010)
Randolph Potter (1/15/2010)
One thing I've been begging Microsoft for, is country-specific pricing. I'm pretty sure this is difficult to manage to avoid abuse, but it would make it more affordable, especially with the exchange rate against us in South Africa.Only way that could really work is if the licences were then only usable in the country purchased. That's a lot of admin work. Otherwise people would do what we do when visiting europe/usa. Buy stuff for friends cause it's cheaper.
However it works out in the end, Microsoft already has region prices for some products and so does many other companies. For instance, windows vista had a ~80% higher price in Europe compared to north america. The none OEM version in north america had the same price as the OEM version in Europe, which is a huge difference.
January 15, 2010 at 2:36 am
GilaMonster (1/15/2010)
Randolph Potter (1/15/2010)
One thing I've been begging Microsoft for, is country-specific pricing. I'm pretty sure this is difficult to manage to avoid abuse, but it would make it more affordable, especially with the exchange rate against us in South Africa.Only way that could really work is if the licences were then only usable in the country purchased. That's a lot of admin work. Otherwise people would do what we do when visiting europe/usa. Buy stuff for friends cause it's cheaper.
Yup, "difficult to manage to avoid abuse" is probably not worth Microsoft's effort in our tiny little income generator :-), but we can dream.
January 15, 2010 at 3:27 am
I think there should be a tier between standard and enterprise editions. Often you do need some advanced programming features without the need to set up a giant high load clustered/failover environment. Even small database you want to run as efficient as technologically possible, but the added cost of an enterprise edition is just too much to make it an option.
Every business can use (backup) compression and many can use the advanced partitioning functions for example. It does not take a terabyte databases before you want to make use of these features! And in the end a small database should run just as efficient on a standard as on the enterprise edition. This is good for product reputation too!
The cost of such a edition should be between 1.4 and 1.8 times the price of the standard edition and not be bound to the number of cpu's.
January 15, 2010 at 6:19 am
As a VSB (Very small business 😉 who uses SQL Server, 20K is just out of reach. I am a sole proprietor, I pay my salary, have a home office, every dime of expense comes directly out of my bank account. And yet I could use some of the enterprise features. But I simply can't pay the price, so I use standard.
I think that a "pay for features" menu system would work for me. In this day it seems that turning on / off individual features and then charging for just the features I need should be doable.
jwcolby54
January 15, 2010 at 6:45 am
I don't think the prices are bad or out of line, especially since we've gotten some nice gains with the multi core stuff essentially for free. One thing to consider is that MS has to leave room to discount to big customers and government, they are never going to pay list, even if it's $1000 - they will want a discount.
I sorta see the case for ala carte pricing, but maybe it's just a matter of viewpoint - I see it as buying a really great mildly expensive DBMS, and when I 'open up the box' I find a lot of free stuff; SSIS, SSAS, and more.
January 15, 2010 at 6:45 am
GilaMonster (1/15/2010)
Randolph Potter (1/15/2010)
One thing I've been begging Microsoft for, is country-specific pricing. I'm pretty sure this is difficult to manage to avoid abuse, but it would make it more affordable, especially with the exchange rate against us in South Africa.Only way that could really work is if the licences were then only usable in the country purchased. That's a lot of admin work. Otherwise people would do what we do when visiting europe/usa. Buy stuff for friends cause it's cheaper.
We see that happening in the drug industry where they have low prices for lower income countries. 'Reverse export' is a common situation. Software is even easier to reverse export.
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-- FORTRAN manual for Xerox Computers --
January 15, 2010 at 6:51 am
I'd like to see a price more around $10k for enterprise.
When you have only a few hundred users, it gets to be pretty expensive per user if you run more than 1 machine / 1 socket.
Having versions for 1/2 socket, 4 socket, and 8+ might make sense. On the hardware level, there are some natural breaks / jumps in pricing structure somewhat along these lines.
Greg E
January 15, 2010 at 6:51 am
And what to think if you just want to use the database and the agent and can do without analysis server, Reporting Server and Integration server. There are plenty of things you pay for when buying the eterprise edition that most of us are likely to never use anyway as they are too specific.
I rather have a top performing database then a lesser one and Analysis Server thrown in the mix...at any pricepoint!
January 15, 2010 at 7:22 am
I believe SQL Server is a bargain for the add ons - SSRS, SSIS and SSAS with it. We saved a bunch of money on crystal licesing and this year we are phasing out Informatica as well. The standard edition is usually fine for most situations - the only issue i have is justifying costs for the enterprise when all i need is one feature - table partitioning mostly, online indexing in some cases. As a DBA i'd love to work on enterprise and it sure looks good on my resume' but my company does not believe the cost justifies the extra features. I wish MS would sell some features at extra cost and not make it a bundle with Enterprise. But am guessing that would make the already complex licensing process a whole lot more complex.
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