• silicon.com
• Technology
• Hardware

By Joey Gardiner, 22 August 2000 00:30

NEWS The new worldwide boss of beleagured database vendor Informix has blamed "operational" issues for the company's recent poor performance. Speaking exclusively to silicon.com, Informix CEO Peter Gyenes - who was appointed on 17 July - insisted that the company has the right strategy. However, he did concede that the company's internal processes haven't been good enough, allowing competitors like IBM, Microsoft and Oracle to steal market share. He said: "The challenge for Informix has been the implementation of strategy. If you have a company where you have a products division, a sales team and a marketing department and for whatever reason they aren't working together, if the sales team are trying to sell without knowing the right product attributes, then you're going to struggle and you've got problems." Gyenes insisted that the "basic operational" problems Informix suffered from would be simple to fix. Informix's share price has plummeted recently after a profits warning in July resulted in the replacement of former CEO, Jean Yves Dexmier, with Gyenes. Gyenes came to the company in March following its acquisition of business database vendor Ardent Software. He has wasted no time in stamping his authority on the company by installing former Ardent colleagues Jim Foy and Peter Fiore as head of two newly created business divisions - database business operations and solutions business operations. Analysts broadly agreed that Gyenes' approach is right, but questioned whether he would be able to turn the company around. Anne-Lise Wang, a VP at analyst house IDC, said: "The new CEO is good news for Informix. The company definitely needed new people and needed a change, but it is fighting against extremely strong competition. The have a very good vision, but it remains to be seen how they will execute it." Matt Hanrahan, analyst at Bloor Research, said: "It has had a bad time with mis-management. However, if I was being cynical one could suggest it is being fattened up for a sale - it looks unlikely they can get back from where they are now on their own."